Farmers in northern Lao Cai Province's Bat Xat District are busy with their only rice harvest of the year. 

The golden glow of terraced rice fields in Bat Xat District’s Y Ty, Sang Ma Sao, Den Sang, and Ngai Thau Communes. The Pa Valley in Y Ty and Ngai Thau was recognized as a national landscape by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2015.

Seng Cu rice plants, a local specialty that matures in a shorter period with a soft grain and fragrance.

Thao Thi Ho, 21, an ethnic Mong, helps her brother's family harvest.

"My brother's family planted eight kilograms of rice seeds, producing two tons of rice plants," she said. Locals normally grow one rice and one corn crop every year, she added.

A farmer with a bottle of water.

Terraced fields in A Lu Commune. When the harvest season comes, the extended family gives a helping hand to finish the work as soon as possible before the rice becomes overripe or rains come.

Giang Thi Dua of Sin Chai village takes a bunch of rice plants to a threshing machine. "We have one rice season and enough rice to eat for the year," she said.

Threshing machines save farmers energy and time. The work used to be done by hand in the past.

The threshing is done by women.

The paddy is ready to be taken home.

Tho A Dua (iblack shirt) of Lao Chai village, Phin Ho Commune, said: "It takes more than three months for the rice to be ready for harvest. Today we got three tons of paddy, more than what we got last year, so we are thrilled."

Ly Xuy Xe (L) and his son of A Lu Commune stack bags of rice for taking home.

As farmers often spend a whole day to work on their paddy fields, they bring their meals and only come home when all rice plants are taken. Putting their motorbike under the sun, they cover them with dried straw to prevent the heat.

Photos by Ngoc Thanh.