Sapa rice fields, fifty shades of green as far as the eye can see

The rice terraces of Sapa (Vietnam) stretch out endlessly, from valley to valley. Shaped over the centuries by the hand of man, they have now become a tourist site in the country. The view is breathtaking from the top of the mountains, and its hiking trails are very popular. In this mountainous region, at an altitude of 1,600 meters, the French had set up their summer quarters far from the heat of the cities during the colonial era, building hotels or villas in the 1920s.

In the lands of Sapa also live several ethnic minorities of Vietnam, such as the Muong. Today they live from agriculture and handicrafts, one of the most sought after in the country. “When you work in the fields, in the sun or in the rain, it’s very hard. Now I weave under cover, and I’m happier.”confides a woman.

While the rice fields of Sapa are still synonymous with authenticity, they are becoming less and less isolated. Vietnam wants to make it a major tourist site, by developing infrastructure and hotels, for all types of clientele. Sapa has already attracted 3 million visitors in 2023.