Make your way through the challenging 30 U-turns along a winding road hidden in the clouds to reach Sam Sip mountain peak, 2,000 meters above sea level, to arrive in Ngoc Chien commune.

Ngoc Chien village (Photo: baosonla.org.vn)

On the way, you will be captivated by the “symphony of nature” that Ngoc Chien has to offer: soft breezes, murmuring springs, many of which have natural hot water, and spinning water wheels in ethnic villages. Walking across huge stones and suspended bamboo bridges, and sitting in a tent while the water wheels churn the running spring water is an unforgettable experience. 

During the harvest season you can see with your own eyes the shiny yellow terraced rice fields stretching endlessly to the horizon.

Water wheel in Ngoc Chien commune

Tourist Hoang Thuy Dung of Hanoi said, “This is the first time that my friends and I have come to Ngoc Chien commune, Son La province. We are astounded by its unspoiled beauty. Every house here has a stone entrance gate. Everybody is very friendly and passionately tells us everything about this place. I feel like each of them is a professional tour guide.”

The unique green architecture adds another layer of excitement for anyone visiting Ngoc Chien commune: thatched roofs, bamboo furniture, pebble walls, and flowers lining the communal roads. The gates to 15 hamlets in Ngoc Chien commune are made of environmentally-friendly materials.

Lo Van An, chief of Muong Chien hamlet, told VOV, “We encourage local people to do community-based tourism. We crowd-fund to build dazzling gates at the entrance to all hamlets to have tourists at hello. Each gate costs us around 2,000 USD.”

Homestays in Ngoc Chien commune are bold in northwestern ethnic identities: stilt houses, bamboo bridges, swimming pools, flower gardens, pine forests, and specialty cuisine.

Unique entrance gates are found in all hamlets of Ngoc Chien commune.

The creative entrance gates are the highlight of each homestay that cannot be found anywhere else.

Lo Van Phoi of Dong Xuong hamlet said, “We take pebbles from nearby springs to build the entrance gate, big or small depending on the area of each homestay. We also use pebbles, not bricks, to build walls and trench to grow flowers.”

In the middle of a large rice field in Ngoc Chien commune stand a couple of ancient trees called “lovebirds”. They are neither high nor giant but the tree bark is full of moss and algae.

It’s cool all year round in Ngoc Chien commune as in Sa Pa and Da Lat.

Ngoc Chien residents offer tourism services. (Photo: VNA)

Bui Tien Sy, Secretary of Ngoc Chien commune’s Party’s Committee, said, “We try to make every tourism product of Ngoc Chien commune distinctive. Culture is defined as the core engine drives tourism and economic development. Cultural preservation is our top priority.”