Mù Cang Chải terraced fields have been officially recognised as special national sites by the Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on January 5. — Photo vietnamtourism.gov.vn

HÀ NỘI — The breathtaking landscape created by imposing mountains and terraced fields in Mù Cang Chải District in the northern province of Yên Bái are worth a visit, according to CNBC – a world leader in business news and financial market coverage.

In an article posted on Sunday titled 'Why this remote gem should top your 2020 travel list', writer Monica Buchanan Pitrelli extolled the virtues of the region, “a series of colorful (sic) mountain villages are encircled by fields of towering rice terraces. The fields are agricultural feats of precision – rugged mountains blanketed with emerald stairways that, seemingly, ascend to the heavens above.”

The same day, the 500ha of terraced fields, located in the communes of La Pán Tẩn, Chế Cu Nha and Dế Xu Phình in Mù Cang Chải District, were recognised as special national sites by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc. The site was first listed among national relics and distinguished landscapes in 2007.

The terraced fields in Mù Cang Chải turn to a stunning yellow in September and October. — Photo ezcloud.vn

Over hundreds of years, the local Mông ethnic minority people have created magnificent terraced fields, which turn a stunning yellow in September and October, and draw tourists and photographers from across the world.

According to CNBC, trekking, cycling and photography is what visitors should do in Mù Cang Chải.  

Local festivals, including an autumn paragliding festival that helps form the region as a new destination for adventure travel, draw a large numbers of tourists every year. In 2018, Mù Cang Chải received 90,000 visitors, compared to only 20,000 in 2015.

Sunrise in Mù Cang Chải by Vietnamese photographer Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện.

Last year, a photo depicting the misty sunrise in Mù Cang Chải by Vietnamese photographer Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện was selected as one of 12 best daily photos by the US-based National Geographic magazine on March 15. — VNS