A paragliding festival is scheduled to take place from  May 18-20 on Khau Pha mountain pass in Mu Cang Chai district of the northwestern province of Yen Bai.

Mu Cang Chai terraced paddies are in form of glittering ponds before locals transplant rice seedlings. The so-called "rising water"period often takes place in April and May

The festival, themed “Flying over rising water on terraced paddies”, will draw the participation of about 70 domestic and foreign pilots.

The pilots will join 100 flights for visitors wanting to see the landscapes from above.

The three-day event will be co-organised by the Vietwings Hanoi Club and Yen Bai Department for Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Khau Pha pass is one of the longest mountain passes in Vietnam at more than 1,200 metres above sea level.

Mu Cang Chai has 500 hectares of rice terraces in La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh communes, cultivated by the H'mong people for centuries. The local terraces are among the 2,500 hectares recognised as national heritage sites in 2007 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

The locality is about 1,000 metres above sea level, making it impossible to adopt rice farming method from the deltas. Local residents grow rice in terraced fields to prevent water flowing downhill. 

Terraced fields in Mu Cang Chai are beautiful all year round. Visitors in March can see glittering ponds before locals transplant rice seedlings from April to May. After May, the hills are covered in green until the fields start to turn yellow with ripe rice in early September. During the harvest in October, the golden rice fields stand out amidst green forests.-VNA