Ngo Dong河两岸的稻田美景，越南宁平省 Boats float by rice fields on the Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh province, Vietnam (© Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images)

Ngo Dong河两岸的稻田美景，越南宁平省 Boats float by rice fields on the Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh province, Vietnam (© Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images)

A river runs through rice fields

We're peering down the winding Ngo Dong River at a group of rowboats meandering through rice paddy fields. This is the Ninh Binh province in Vietnam, about 60 miles south of Hanoi. On these two-hour tours by traditional Vietnamese rowboat, visitors wend their way between limestone karst peaks, through grottoes, and, if they're lucky, by workers harvesting rice in the fields, their wide-brimmed hats shielding them from the sun. Perhaps the most spectacular time to take this river cruise is around harvest time in late May and early June when the paddy fields are awash in a golden glow with a backdrop of bright green hillsides. But don't be surprised if the person rowing your boat moves the oars from hands to feet. It's tradition here for rowers to take a break and let their legs take over.

一条河穿过稻田

我们在蜿蜒的鄂东河上眺望，一群划艇蜿蜒穿过稻田。这是越南的宁平省，在河内以南大约60英里。在这两个小时的传统越南划艇之旅中，游客们穿梭于石灰岩喀斯特山峰之间，穿过石窟，如果幸运的话，还可以乘坐工人们在田里收割稻谷，他们戴着宽边帽遮挡阳光。也许最壮观的时候，采取这条河游轮是在丰收的时候，在5月底和6月初，当稻田淹没在一个金光闪闪的背景下明亮的绿色山坡。但是如果划船的人把桨从手移到脚，也不要感到惊讶。这里的传统是让划船者休息一下，让他们的腿来代替。