Ha Giang Local Tours

Often hailed as the last frontier for true off-the-beaten-path travel in Vietnam, this mysterious, underdeveloped area of the country lining the Chinese border is blessed with some of the most exhilarating roads and views I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Hiking opportunities are bountiful, but the real allure for me was something a little more “extreme” — an infamous 350km road that rings around the outer edges of the region, dubbed by many as the Ha Giang Extreme North Motorbike Loop.

On the way to go to D**g Van Geopark, the road is winding like snakes. There are many blind corners running around the mountains which create an amazing landscape. Mountains in Hagiang are different from others, there are only karst rocky mountains here. The ethnic groups who live in this area are Hmong, Dzao, Tay, Lolo, Nung, Bo Y, Cao Lan, Hoa… They live in the small villages around the rivers and forests. They cultivate rice and corn on the terraced fields, raise animals, have different ways to build house and wear different traditional costumes which create rich traditional culture. In the same mountain, the Hmong people love to live on the top of the mountain and far away from the crowded area because they consider themselves as “The King of the mountains and forests); the Dzao, Lolo, Pu Peo live in the middle of the mountain where there are convenient water source and trees; Tay, Nung and Kinh are different, they live at the foot of the mountains – the flat area where it is easy for selling and buying things.

When you make a trip to the loop, you will go through 4 mountainous districts of Hagiang: Quan Ba, Yen Minh, D**g Van and Meo Vac.

* Quan Ba

- Climate Quan Ba district has been influenced by the Northeastern climate, the tropical monsoon climate: It is hot and humid in summer; cold, dry, less rain in winter.

- Population, ethnic groups

- This is the residence of 14 minority ethnic groups, with 60% Hmong, 14% Dzao, 11% Tay, and others. Especially, Quan Ba is the only district where Bo Y ethnic group live (only 881 remaining people and most of them live in Quyet Tien commune).

The ethnic groups have a rich spiritual and cultural life. Each of them has their own culture and festivals, for example:

+ Maturity Ceremony of Dzao ethnic group (Lễ Cấp Sắc)

+ Festival for Blessing of Hmong ethnic group - kind of blessing for having a baby, good health or a good farming season (Lễ Gầu Tào)

+ Going to fields Festival of Tay ethnic group, they pray for a good farming season (Lễ Lồng Tồng)

- There are many attractions here, such as: Bac Sum pass, Heaven Gate, Twins mountain, Nam Dam village, Bat Dai Son village, Lung Khuy cave, Lung Tam linen weaving village of Hmong people. At the weekend, there are also many local markets here, namely:

· Provincial market in Tam Son town on Saturday morning.

· Cao Ta Tung market is the local market of 3 communes: Cao Ma Po, Ta Vai (Cao Mã Pờ, Tả Ván, Tùng Vài) which take place on Friday.

· Tung Vai market takes place every 5 days.

· Bat Dai Son market is built near the border (along with Nghia Thuan market) in order to facilitate the exchange of goods with China.

· Quyet Tien market takes place on Saturday morning.

· Trang Kim market (belong to D**g Ha commune) takes place on the Goat and the Buffalo days.

· Nghia Thuan market takes place on the Dragon and the Dog days, the day before in Vietnam, the next day in China.

* Yen Minh

- Climate Yen Minh is located in the sub-tropical climate, influenced by the monsoon. It is hot and humid, with lots of rain. The winter is cold and less rain.

- Population are mainly Hmong, Dzao, Tay, Pu Peo, Lolo, Giay, Nung, Bo Y. The ethnic groups have rich spiritual and cultural life. Each of them has their own culture and festivals, for example: + “Cọi” singing of Tay ethnic group

+ “Phươn” singing of Nung and Giay ethnic groups

+ “Giao duyên” singing of Hmong, Dzao ethnic groups.

There are many tourist attractions here, for example: Yen Minh pine forest, Buc Ban cultural village, Du Gia village, Na Luong cave, or the historical French guardhouse, Lung Ho wall, Co Cai revolutionary base.

· Local markets

- Yen Minh market takes place every Sunday morning.

- Bach Dich market

- Du Gia market takes place on Friday morning.

- Duong Thuong market takes place on Friday morning

- Mau Due market takes place on Sunday morning

- Sung Trang market takes place on Sunday morning

* D**g Van

- Climate

The climate in D**g Van is temperate climate with different sub-climate. There are 2 clearly seasons in a year: rainy season from May to October) and drying season (from November to April). It is usually foggy and dry with a high average of rainfall, from 1600 to 2000mm/year. Weather is extreme in the winter.

There are 16 ethnic groups living in D**g Van: Lolo, Pu Peo, Co Lao, Dzao, Giay, Tay, Kinh, Hoa… The Hmong ethnic group occupies 88% of the population in here.

Lolo ethnic group divides into 2 small groups: black Lolo and flower Lolo. They often build houses back on the mountain with the view into the valley. Most of them build houses by soil.

The people in D**g Van province have rich spiritual and cultural life. Each of the ethnic groups have different traditional culture, asserting their longevity in the process of forming their own development such as: Lolo bronze drum, Pu Peo, bronze drum, Hmong ethnic group mouth organ, or traditional folk songs of Tay, Nung Dzao, Giay.

Animal breeding in D**g Van is developing, people raise animals such as: cows, goats, horses for meat, pulling and transporting goods.

- The tourist attractions in D**g Van: Lung Cu Flag Tower, H’mong King Palace, Pho Bang village, Pao’s house in Lung Cam Village, Don Cao mountain, Ma Pi Leng Pass, Lo Lo Chai village, Sang Tung Cave.

There are some specialties such as: men men (steamed corn wheat), Au Tau porridge, bee larvae, mint honey, Lung Phin tea, horse intestine soup.

Schedule of local markets in D**g Van

- The center market – D**g Van market takes place on Sunday morning.

- Sung Trai market takes place on the Buffalo and the Goat days every month.

- Lung Phin market takes place on the Tiger and the Monkey days.

- Pho Cao market takes place on the Dragon and the Dog days.

- Sa Phin market takes place on the Snake and the Pig days.

- Lung Cu market takes place on the Goat and the Buffalo days.

- Pho Bang market takes place on the Horse and the Mouse days.

* Meo Vac

- Climate

The climate divides into 2 clearly seasons in a year: rainy season from May to September) and drying season (from October to April). The weather is harsh in drying season, it is very cold, frosty, foggy, and even snowy some years.

There are 17 ethnic groups living in Meo Vac: Lolo, Dzao, Giay, Tay, Kinh, Nung, Hoa… The Hmong ethnic group occupies 90% of the population in here, this is one of the area that Hmong people chose to settle down when they moved to Vietnam.

Because of the characteristic of soil here, people in Meo Vac can grow only corn, soy bean, and some medical plants, fruit trees such as: notoginseng, peach, pear, plum,.. raising big animals such as cows, goats, horses.

Each ethnic group in Meo Vac has a unique culture with its own identity: Offering new rice festival, Praying for Rain festival of Lolo ethnic group; Dancing with Drum of Giay ethnic group, Going to fields Festival of Tay ethnic group, they pray for a good farming season (Lễ Lồng Tồng). Especially, Meo Vac is well-known not only with Vietnamese but also foreigners by the Khau Vai Love Market. This market takes place only once a month on the late 26th and early morning 27th March in lunar calendar in Khau Vai village.

In addition, Meo Vac also attracts tourists by specialties, such as: dried beef, fermented soy bean, Tat Nga green tea, Ha Ia corn wine and traditional medical plants of the ethnic people.

Schedule of local markets in Meo Vac

- The center market – Meo Vac market takes place on Sunday morning

- Niem Son market – taking place every 5 days.

- Khau Vai market takes place on the 2nd, 7th, 12th, 22nd, 27th (lunar calendar) every month.

- Sung Tra market takes place on Saturday.

- Son Vi market takes place on Sunday morning.

The tourist attractions in Meo Vac

- Lolo village (there are many highlight festivals in Lolo village, for example: jumping trees festival (or spring festival) taking place from 25th December to 15th January in lunar calendar, Corn Harvesting Festival, Praying for Rain Festival (on March and April in lunar calendar) and lunar new year festival).

- Sam Pun border gate

- Travelling by boat on Nho Que river

- Dragon cave in Ta Lung B village – Meo Vac