Terraced Hills of Vietnam

Internet “Fact” and “Earth” pages often circulate incredible images showing terraced hills in Vietnam. Are these images real or fake?

They are real.

These images depict the Mù Cang Chai district of Vietnam, known for its stunning terraced rice hills. One image – or one vantage point – however, seems to be the most debated online. Let’s take a look at a photo posted recently by an internet “Earth” page.

Terraced Hills, Vietnam pic.twitter.com/RnDUoLgLiv

— Earth Pics (@ThatsEarth) March 23, 2015

Analysis

The photo above appears to be an altered version of a popular vantage point of the Mu Cang Chai District in the Yen Bai Province. That particular photo looks as though it were skewed horizontally and filters may also have been applied. Some readers suggest it could merely be a painting, but it is difficult to ascertain from the low quality of the image. Other images from this point of view, however, confirm that it is a real location.

Take, for example, the two photos below. Each offers a slightly different vantage point with minor differences in details. You can see low-res versions of those images below.

The blog Collecting Wonder cites the images from this vantage point as being at coordinates 21° 49′ 58.8″ N, 104° 10′ 1.2″ E.

Terraced Rice Hills

Rice terraces in this area of Vietnam are popular among tourists and photographers due to their unique and stunning appearances. To see more photos of the terraced rice hills of Mù Cang Chai, see this post at Vietnam Coracle.

Bottom Line

Photos showing terraced rice hills in Vietnam are real, although a popularly-shared photo on Twitter appears to be highly altered. If you have additional information on the particular vantage point shown above, please leave a comment below.

Updated June 26, 2016
Originally published March 2015