As the fruits of countless diligent labor seasons, these fields are becoming valuable tourism resources, contributing to enriching Điện Biên’s tourism products.

Green steps amidst primeval forests

One early morning in Kê Nênh, mist drifts lazily over mountain ridges. From a high vantage point, the whole valley appears like a giant painting drawn with lush green hues, as cascading terraced fields embrace hill slopes while peaceful homes of ethnic communities and small winding roads leading into the village peek through the green.

Located just a few kilometers from the center of Điện Biên Phủ ward, Kê Nênh gives visitors the feeling of stepping into a completely different space where urban pace fades, leaving only wind blowing through rice fields, birds calling, and the earthy scent following rain.

Phạm Huyền Trang from Thanh Nưa commune shared that she was quite surprised because just a short distance from the center lies such a beautiful and peaceful scene, noting that the green rice season covers whole hill slopes with a cool green carpet where standing in one spot allows observing mountains, terraced fields, and villages all at once, making Kê Nênh a very suitable destination for anyone seeking a relaxing space close to nature.

While Kê Nênh carries a gentle beauty, terraced fields in Pu Nhi impress with pristine, majestic traits. On hill slopes in Dê Chơ village, tiers of fields rise along the terrain, creating soft curves amidst the mountain green, with countlessly hard work and sweat of local people across generations lying behind that beauty.

Hạng A Cải, a farmer working on the terraced fields, confided that his family and villagers have worked terraced fields inherited from their ancestors, adding that whereas they previously only thought about growing rice for food, seeing many visitors arrive to sightsee and take photos made them realize their yearly fields represent a scenic view, prompting everyone to desire preserving fields and maintaining a clean environment without disrupting the landscape so more tourists visit in the future.

When terraced fields become tourism products

Not only Kê Nênh or Pu Nhi, but in recent years, terraced fields in Sín Chải commune have also become a destination sought out by many tourists, photographers, and nature lovers.

Amidst the majestic stone plateau, soft green fields seem to soften the harsh dryness of rocky mountains. Interspersed among fields are local villages still preserving numerous traditional cultural traits, ranging from housing architecture, costumes, and cuisine to highland market sessions.

Harmonious combination between natural landscapes and cultural identity creates a distinct appeal for Điện Biên’s terraced field regions, serving as the foundation for many localities to orient community-based and experiential tourism development linked to agricultural production.

Lò Thị Anh, Deputy Director of the Pu Nhi Commune General Services Center, stated that preserving terraced fields means retaining resources for long-term development.

Lò Thị Anh shared that developing tourism requires first preserving landscapes and traditional farming practices, noting that the commune continuously encourages residents to protect the environment and maintain fields without affecting the scenery, while villagers feel delighted welcoming guests as it promotes their homeland image and opens economic development opportunities.

Practical reality shows that across many domestic localities, terraced fields have become famous tourism brands. For Điện Biên, beyond Mường Thanh known for its vast basin field, terraced field areas like Kê Nênh, Pu Nhi, or Sín Chải are opening a new path, supplementing diverse shades to the provincial tourism picture.

From the water-pouring season, green rice season, to the golden season prior to harvest, terraced fields hold a distinct beauty at every point of the year, providing an advantage for localities to build seasonal tourism products, extend tourist stays, and generate additional livelihoods for residents.

To efficiently exploit this potential alongside investing in transport infrastructure, rest stops, and experience services, the essential key lies in preserving landscape pristineness, traditional farming practices, and ethnic cultural identity. When residents become active subjects of tourism activities, terraced fields will continue to be cherished, protected, and promoted for their values.

The green season will eventually turn golden as fields enter harvest. Yet along the mountain ridges of Điện Biên, the beauty of terraced fields will endure across rice seasons and generations of residents, standing as a picture of nature and labor while inviting tourists to a land rich in identity, where every green step tells a story of people, culture, and aspirations for sustainable development.