Paragliding festival set for northern mountains
A paragliding festival over terraced rice fields will take place from September 20 to 22 at Khau Pha Pass, Mu Cang Chai district, northern Yen Bai province.
"Flying in the Yellow Season" paragliding festival to be held from September 20 to 22 at Khau Pha Pass in Yen Bai province.
The annual “Flying in the Yellow Season” festival was first organized by the Vietwings Club in Hanoi in 2013 and is the largest such event in Vietnam. After six holdings, it has become one of the most attractive cultural and sporting events in the country, attracting thousands of travelers to Vietnam’s northern mountains in September every year.
Khau Pha Pass is known as “one of the four most winding passes in Vietnam” and is also one of the most attractive paragliding destinations in the country. The area is at its most beautiful in September and October, when rice becomes yellow on the terraced fields. From the point of flight on Khau Pha Pass, pilots and visitors can see the entire golden valley of Lim Mong and enjoy spectacular mountain views and fresh air while marveling at the ingenuity needed to create the extensive network of rice terraces.
The festival’s first holding in 2013 attracted over 30 pilots and 1,000 spectators. This year it’s expected to attract 20,000 spectators and 200 Vietnamese and foreign pilots, who will also give private paragliding trips to over 150 visitors.
Visitors can also make creative costumes with pilots and local residents, with creators of the best winning the opportunity to take a flight over the fields.
The “Flying in the Yellow Season” paragliding festival contributes significantly to promoting local tourism and helps reduce poverty among ethnic minorities in the mountainous area.
Some 280km northwest of Hanoi and about 1,000 meters above sea level, Mu Cang Chai has a special topography, with steep hills and deep valleys, and is home to local ethnic minorities such as Hmong, Thai and Dao. They have cultivated about 500 ha of rice terraces for centuries, in La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha, and De Xu Phinh communes.
Since 2007, the fields have been recognized as national heritage sites for their amazing landscapes. They look especially stunning during the rice planting season in June and September, but the best time to visit is the harvest season, in late September and early October. Crops turns yellow, while new crops are dotted with water and the green of young seedlings that make the entire scene ideal for photographers and trekkers.
Established on September 30, 2007, Vietwings is one of the oldest paragliding clubs in Vietnam, a place where passionate pilots can get together. The club now has more than 100 members licensed to fly at more than ten destinations nationwide.
“Flying in the Yellow Season” and “Flying in the Flood Season” are the two paragliding festivals founded and organized annually by Vietwings at Khau Pha Pass.
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