Hoang Su Phi district, in the western part of Ha Giang province, has some of the oldest and most elaborately carved rice terraces in Vietnam. The terraces here were built by the La Chi, Nung, Dao, and H'mong peoples over hundreds of years, following the contours of steep hillsides in a way that creates rippling patterns visible for kilometres. Unlike the terraces at Sapa or Mu Cang Chai, Hoang Su Phi receives far fewer visitors and the landscape retains a quality of quiet working countryside.
The best viewing time is September to October, when the rice is ready for harvest and the paddies range from deep green to yellow-gold depending on altitude. The roads through the district are in reasonable condition by Ha Giang standards — passable by car as well as motorbike — and can be combined with the main Loop by taking the western route back to Ha Giang city via Bac Quang. The town of Hoang Su Phi itself is a simple market town; the point is the landscape surrounding it.