A café nestling in the middle of rice paddies in Hanoi’s suburban Chuong My District has become a popular weekend destination, drawing hundreds of visitors as harvest season arrives.

The café has thatched huts amid the lush rice fields that can be reached by wooden walkways.

Tram Anh, the owner of the café, drew inspiration from similar places in Hoi An and Can Tho cities. Once while on a cycling trip to Tram Mountain in Chuong My District, she was captivated by the setting sun casting a glow over golden rice fields, and later decided to open a café there.

“Life in the capital is hectic, and so I wanted to create a space where people can relax and breathe the fresh air of the countryside,” she explains.

Since early June every day the place has been attracting around 100 customers — and 400-500 during weekends — who come to savor coffee and admire the rice fields ripe for harvest.

Minh Anh, 25, has traveled over 20 km from the capital’s Ba Dinh District with her painting paraphernalia to capture the images there. This is the first time she has smelled the scent of ripe rice, and feels fortunate to admire the scene of the farmers harvesting, she says.

“I’ve been sitting here drawing for over five hours until dusk. The scenery is so beautiful that I don’t want to leave.”

Nguyen Thanh Trung (in black shirt), 24, a local, has visited the café a few times, and finds it an idyllic place to sit and chat with friends.

“Though I live just 10 km away and am familiar with the rural landscape, I had never thought of setting up a café amid rice fields like this,” he says.

Le Thuy Oanh of Ha Dong District visits the café for a weekend getaway with her grandchildren.

She calls it a “perfect spot for the kids to experience and breathe in the fresh air of the countryside during the summer holidays.”

Her granddaughter is thrilled to see rice being harvested for the first time. She adds: “We have bought some rice ears as souvenirs. At this place, my grandchildren have the chance to experience crabbing, catching snails and flying kites with locals.”

A group of cyclists from Hanoi visit the café to chill and take photos. One of them says: “Earlier we only came here en route to Tram Mountain. Now we have a new rest stop with drinks and beautiful scenery.”

After harvest, some paddy is sold to visitors as mementos and the rest is taken home for hulling.

According to Anh, the owner, those who miss the rice ripening season can come earlier to see the seedlings and sprouting of the crop.

“At night the place glows with twinkling lights, and occasionally hosts live music, persuading guests to linger.”

Published Date: June 24, 2024