Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam Jul. 7, 2024

Amidst the rolling hills of Vietnam"s Yên Bái province, the rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải district are a mosaic of agricultural excellence. The Hmong people, an ethnic minority known for their rich culture and vibrant attire, have meticulously carved these cascading hills for generations. The Hmong migrated to northern Vietnam in the 19th century from China. They were skilled in shifting cultivation—an agricultural system in which lands are cultivated temporarily and then returned to their natural vegetation—of crops including millets, rice, corn and barley.

© Kiatanan Sugsompian/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A chocolate lovers favourite fruit
A light in the coastal darkness
Jul. 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr. 20, 2024Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Dec. 10, 2023Sand dunes in the Sahara, Algeria
Jan. 8, 2026Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brightons West Pier, England
Sep. 1, 2024River Thames, London, England
Apr. 9, 2025Naxos, Cyclades, Greece
Sep. 17, 2024Mid-Autumn Festival
Sep. 25, 2024Sequoia National Park, California, USA
Sep. 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, United States
Starry, starry night
The old castle at sunrise
Dec. 29, 2025St. Gregory Church in Ani Ruins, Kars, Türkiye
Aug. 2, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta
Sep. 18, 2025Dunquin Pier, County Kerry, Ireland
Feb. 7, 2024St. James Tidal Pool, Cape Town, South Africa
Oct. 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
Apr. 28, 2024El Capitan in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA
Nov. 26, 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
Stripes in sight
The butterfly effect
Zion National Park turns 103
Sep. 12, 2024World Dolphin Day
Feb. 3, 2026Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, United States
Jun. 11, 2024A group of Southern gemsbok in the savannah, Botswana
There’s more to Pisa than leaning towers
Oct. 29, 2025Ancient til trees in Fanal Forest, Madeira, Portugal
Sep. 20, 2025Oktoberfest begins!
Pick your paradise
Dec. 8, 2024Notre-Dame reopens
Like paint on a canvas
An oasis in a sea of sand