The white sea of clouds rushes in every early morning, tilting across the mountain slopes, curling softly over stilt house roofs, creating a scene that seems to exist only in silk paintings.

Quite a few locals and tourists travel up to Điện Biên in the chilly early morning just to “hunt” for the pristine beauty of the westernmost land waking up through layers of clouds.

Điện Biên, with its vast basin terrain surrounded by rolling mountain ranges, is one of the places creating ideal conditions for the formation of temperature inversion clouds. The strong temperature difference between day and night, high humidity, and dense dew accumulation cause clouds not to rise but to get stuck in the valley, creating layers of pure white clouds rolling in the dawn.

The cloud hunting season in Điện Biên usually starts from late autumn, lasting through winter until about February, when the weather is cold, the air is dry, and the sky is clear. Cloud hunters often say that “to see a beautiful sea of clouds, you have to wake up before the sun,” because only in the moment of transition between night and day is the sea of clouds full, fluffy, and soft as silk.

Nearly 6a.m. The early winter cold still clings to the patches of mist lingering on the mountain slopes. On the slope leading up to Tằng Quái Pass, each motorbike headlight beam cuts through the mist, flickering like small stars searching for dawn. People go up the pass when the sky is still thick with night to catch the moment the sun touches the sea of clouds - a wondrous phenomenon that nature gifts exclusively to Điện Biên. Therefore, even though it was still dim, the familiar stopover - Hải An coffee shop - on Tằng Quái Pass already had over a dozen people gathered. They were tourists, backpackers, photographers... all waiting anxiously as if for a performance everyone knew would not last long.

A group of young guests from Điện Biên Phủ ward were parking their bikes while shivering from the cold. But overcoming everything, the young people quickly moved up to the cloud viewing point lest they miss the precious moment. Just a few minutes later, strips of clouds began to take shape, rolling over from the ravine and rising to cover the entire Mường Ảng valley. People could only exclaim “oh” at the sight like a white sea gently lapping at the foot of the mountain. The sun had not yet risen, but the sky was tinted with pale pink, reflecting on the soft cloud layer, creating a dreamy space like a painting. In the thin mist, Lường Văn Quang, Mường Thanh ward, shared: “I have hunted clouds in many places inside and outside the province, but the clouds in Mường Ảng have a completely different feel. Soft and thick like a white carpet, like a gentle maiden.”

Tằng Quái is beautiful not only because of the clouds but also because of the moment the sun emerges, dyeing the moving cloud layers golden. The light shining down creates a scene both ethereal and vivid like in an ink wash painting. Many photographers choose this moment to “hunt” for the most authentic and emotional Northwest winter photos.

Nguyễn Văn Hậu, a freelance photographer from Sam Mứn commune, was framing a shot on the mountain slope by the Mường Ảng sea of clouds. His Nikon camera was soaked with dew, and his hands were frozen from the wind. Yet, the young photographer still kept a bright smile. Hậu said: “Cloud hunting is like gambling with nature. There are days traveling tens of kilometers of mountain roads without seeing any clouds. But there are days encountering a sea of clouds so beautiful you just want to stand there forever. Like today... Điện Biên province in general, and Mường Ảng in particular, always fascinates me because clouds are easy to encounter, thick, and have depth. Cloud hunting is not simply to take photos but also to record emotions before the beauty of nature.”

Pouring all his heart into creating, many of his photos of the Điện Biên sea of clouds are strongly shared by the photography community, helping more people know about this highland region. “Every time I see people commenting ‘must go to Điện Biên,’ I am very happy. That is also a way to contribute a small part to promoting the beauty of my homeland,” Hậu added.

In recent years, the Điện Biên tourism map has featured a new coordinate causing a stir among “travelers.” That is Kê Nênh - a small village in Điện Biên Phủ ward. In the early winter morning, when the sun has not yet dried the night dew drops, the small village of Kê Nênh suddenly turns into a fairyland with a sea of clouds floating right in front of the porches.

The most prominent stop on the cloud hunting journey here is Ecolodge Kê Nênh, a small ecological accommodation area located on the hillside, not too far from the center of Điện Biên Phủ ward, with a rustic wooden design facing straight out to the sea of clouds. Ecolodge Kê Nênh has rooms arranged simply but exquisitely: A bed placed next to a glass door, a light blue curtain gently dropping, adorned with a few brocade patterns of the Thai people; outside, a dry tree stretches its slender branches into the blue sky frame. Just standing in the wooden room, looking through the floor-to-ceiling glass window, visitors feel like their bed is floating on clouds. All blend together, creating a true “nature exhibition room.”

From the wooden yard of Ecolodge Kê Nênh, where simple bamboo tables, chairs, and straw umbrellas are placed, looking out at the sea of clouds like an endless white carpet. The dawn light dyes the distant mountain peaks golden, shining down on the thatched roof of the stilt house, making the whole space full of vitality.

Nguyễn Trang Anh, Điện Biên Phủ ward, was present here from early morning, leaning against the railing, quietly watching the sea of clouds in front. Trang Anh shared: “I have been to Tà Xùa, Y Tý, Sa Pa... but the feeling in Kê Nênh is truly very different. The clouds here are thick and benign, the view is open, not blocked by too high mountain ranges. Just raising the camera, any angle becomes a poetic frame: Thatched eaves swaying in the wind, straw umbrellas tilting, and behind is the dark purple mountain range in the morning light... It is truly beautiful here!”.

Leaving Kê Nênh, tourists follow the detour to Na Son commune - where Chóp Ly peak is over 1,500 meters high, considered the “roof of clouds and wind.” Here, too, there is a sea of clouds rising from the deep valley, light as a breath. Clouds glide in soft strips, embracing the still dark green mountains. Where the wind on the mountain top blows, the clouds seem to dissolve and then gather again, creating the feeling that the whole space is moving slowly. Until the sun gradually rises behind the distant mountain range, the first ray of light shines down, tearing the cloud layer into thousands of golden silk threads. In that moment, the whole Keo Lôm seems to wake up...

When the early sunlight begins to dry the dew streaks still lingering on the thatched roof, the sea of clouds also gently dissolves into the valley, returning the majestic beauty to the high mountains. But in the heart of every tourist, the magical beauty of early morning amidst the sea of clouds remains - from the rolling white cloud layer on Tằng Quái Pass, the soft mist streaks hugging Chóp Ly peak, to the quiet sea of clouds soothing Kê Nênh village.

Điện Biên in the cloud hunting season appears as a harmony of heaven and earth: Both vast, gentle, and pure. For those who have once stood amidst that sea of clouds, the name Điện Biên will forever be a promised land of enchanting mornings, finding themselves touching the most beautiful moments of the westernmost land.