Located 300 km northwest of Hanoi, Mu Cang Chai district in northern Yen Bai province had become a hit with foreign and local tourists alike before the coronavirus pandemic. The spectacular terraces -- which lie up to 1,000 metres above sea level -- mostly belong to the Hmong, a minority group who make up most of the area's population. The paddy fields are particularly beautiful in September and October, when the crops turn a shiny yellow, the French agency assessed. Before the pandemic, the paddy fields were really a magnet attracting a lot of tourists to check in and enjoy their beauty, and this helped locals earn a rather good source of incomes, the agency said. It added that Vietnam has recently started to open its doors to the outside world, and some international visitors arrived earlier this month on the island resort of Phu Quoc and in other tourist areas further south./.