19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Mobile
Daily life

H’mong woman making the daily trek to Sa Pa in the Lào Cai Province, Vietnam. It is a stunning region with its gentle juxtaposition of human intervention and untamed nature. Cultivated farmland nestled amongst dense forests, rice terraces weaving around steep mountainsides, slippery muddy pathways that are barely passable winding through the valleys that the H’mong use for the miles long walk to the market in Sa Pa. Every corner you turn on a path brings something new. You might encounter water buffalo lounging about, orchids dripping from trees, early morning mist burning off to reveal sweeping colorful vistas, or simply a rooster standing guard over its little kingdom.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2017
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Vietnam
Camera: iPhone SE
Copyright: © Sara Duarte