Sapa – Bac Ha

Sapa Nestling in a beautiful valley on the border with China, Sapa is the Northwest Vietnam’s most colorful destination. A visit here give tourist a chance to enjoy the beauty of a mountainous town built during the French colonial time. Sapa is a land of complete peace and delight. Sapa is one of those rare places in Vietnam where have the ability to provide a glimpse of the tribal life as it existed years ago. The population in Sapa town is a mix of many ethnic groups like H’mong, Red Dao, Giay, Tay and Xa Pho. The people of each group can be identified through their different style of dressing, housing. In Sapa, there is the Vietnam’s highest peak – Fan Si Pan. It rises up to 3,143 meters. It has become a favorite with the young trekkers who love to conquer this peak. Sapa is also famous for its hill tribe markets. At the end of the week the H’mong, Dao and other ethnic minorities trek into town from the surrounding countryside to trade goods at the weekend markets in Sapa, Bac Ha and other small towns. The weekend market is a trading centre and meeting place for couples, friends, and relatives, and it is a typical weekly activity of the locality. It is also a good time for tourist who looks for a real hill tribe experience. The best time of the year to visit Sapa is in Autumn, Winter and Spring ( from Oct-April) though in winter it is cool and cold and temperature may drop to the freezing mark and tourist can enjoy snow. Sapa and its environs has some of the best trekking in Vietnam and there are many ethnic minority villages that can be reached in day treks from Sapa. It is possible to stay overnight in local villages. <!– table.MsoTableGrid {border:1.0pt solid windowtext; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; } p.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:9.0pt; font-family:Arial; margin-left:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-top:0cm} –> Bac Ha market Bac Ha Market is in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province; about 80km from downtown Sapa. It is a trading centre and meeting place for couples, friends, and relatives every Sunday. There are many trees around Bac Ha, and in the spring the countryside is white with blossoms. Every Sunday, Bac Ha hosts the biggest fair near the mountainous highlands and the Chinese border. It is a trading centre and meeting place for couples, friends, and relatives, and it is a typical weekly activity for the H’Mong and other minority groups living in the locality. Local products for sale or barter are carried on horseback. At the fair, adventurous gastronomes can try “thang co” blood porridge, a popular dish of the H’Mong and other local people. <!– table.MsoTableGrid {border:1.0pt solid windowtext; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; } p.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:9.0pt; font-family:Arial; margin-left:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-top:0cm} –> Attractions Cat Cat Village Cat Cat Village is 2km from Sapa Town, Sapa District. This is an age-old village of H’Mong ethnic group remaining unique customs and practices that are lots in other villages. Visitors to Cat Cat have an opportunity to admire a lively and colorful picture. That is the image of young women sitting by looms with colorful pieces of brocade decorated with designs of flowers and birds. When these pieces of brocade are finished, they are dyed and embroidered with beautiful designs. A noteworthy is that H’Mong women use plants and leaves to dye these brocade fabrics. And then they roll a round and smooth section of wood covered with wax on fabrics to polish them, making their colors durable. In addition to the brocade weaving craft, many residents in Cat Cat are good at manipulating gold and silver jewelry. Their products are fairly sophisticated, especially jewelry for women. Tourists to Cat Cat are most attracted by its unique customs, including the custom of “pulling wife”. A man can ask his friends to lure a girl he likes to his house and keeps her there in three days. During these days, if the girl agrees to become his wife, a wedding will be held. However, the girl can happily go home after three days if she does not like him. Traditional houses of H’Mong people in Cat Cat have three rooms with three doors and covered with pomu wood roof. In the house there are three columns that stand in round or square stones. The walls are made from sawn timber. The main door is always closed and only opens when people in the house organize important events. Altar, inlaid floor containing food, places for sleeping, kitchen and receiving guests are indispensable parts of the houses. Coc Leu market Coc Leu market in Laocai city – the border market between Vietnam and China, one of the biggest market in Laocai where tourist can buy every kind of Chinese product from footwear to computers with a surprising prices. Besides, there are Vietnamese souvenirs made of rattan, wood and colorful woven bags and clothing made by the hill tribes of the North. Fansipan Mountain Fansipan Mountain is located 9km south-west of Sapa Town in the Hoang Lien Mountain Range. Fansipan is branded “the Roof of Indochina” at the height of 3,143m; Fansipan is to be approved as one of the very few eco-tourist spots of Vietnam, with about 2,024 floral varieties and 327 faunal species. The topography of Fansipan is varied. Muong Hoa Valley, at the lowest altitude (950-1,000m), is created by a narrow strip of land at the base on the east side of the mountain. The French came to Vietnam and in 1905 planted a landmark telling Fansipan’s height of 3,143m and branded it “the Roof of Indochina”. Very few people climbed to the top of Fansipan at the time. Then came the long years of war and Fansipan was left deserted for hunting and savaging. The trail blazed by the French was quickly overgrown by the underbrush. Ham Rong Mountain In center of Sapa Town, Sapa District, Lao Cai District; 33km from Lao Cai City. Ham Rong Mountain is an attractive tourist area in the center of Sapa Town. Legend has it that in the distance past, all animals lived together in a chaotic environment. One day, Jade Emperor gave an order that every species of animal had to find for them an area to live. Having heard the order, they scrambled for a place to reside. The three brothers of dragon who were living in a large lake hurriedly ran to the east but could not find any place; they then ran to the west. The two older brothers ran fast and came to the destination first. The youngest brother ran slowly and strayed into the crowds of lions, tigers and big cats. Fearing that these animals would attack it, the dragon opened its mouth to defense itself. At that time, the order of Jade Emperor was no longer available, so the three dragons petrified. The two older dragons, which were waiting for their brother, face Lao Cai City, and the youngest one raising its head and opening mouth faces the Hoang Lien Mountain Range. So the mountain is named Ham Rong (Jaw of Dragon). Hoang A Tuong Castle Hoang A Tuong Castle is located in Na Hoi Tho Hamlet, Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province; 300m from Bac Ha Market. It is a unique construction work, which harmonizes the Oriental and Western architectural styles. The castle was built at the beginning of the 20th century (between 1914 and 1921). Its owner was Hoang Yen Chao of Tay origin. He was the father of Hoang A Tuong, a tribal mandarin under the domination of the French colonialists. The castle covers an area of 4,000m² in which the main building occupies 420m². In front of its arched doors are earthen banks. Occupying a pivotal position overlooking the Bac Ha valley, the castle serves both as the residence of Hoang Yen Chao, then Hoang A Tuong and as a fortress. Its network of walls, bunkers, and battlements were reinforced by a mortar mixed with sugar molasses. In a distance, the white castle jutting out from the valley looks imposing and majestic. Ta Phin village Ta Phin village of the H’Mong and Red Dao minority people, a remote village around 12 kilometers from Sapa which still retains traditional customs and lifestyles of ethnic minority groups. Something special awaits visitors at Ta Phin. The villagers will invite visitors to visit their homes to show how they live and what they have, and tell about their families. When heading off to Ta Phin village from Sapa, hiking up and down the 12 kilometers of hilly terrain is a good choice as travelers will see local people working in terraced paddy fields, or traveling back and forth from the market to their homes or tourist can stop to see an old French monastery. Especilly after a long day of walking on the windy roads and hills around Sapa town tourist can soak your bones and muscles in a traditional Red Dao herbal bath at Ta Phin. Sapa Ancient Rock Field Sapa Ancient Rock Field is in Muong Hoa Valley, Hau Thao Commune, Sapa District, Lao Cai Province. Sapa Ancient Rock Field is between the terraced rice paddies of ethnic minority groups. The first exploration research, in 1925, recorded that there were 200 stones of various dimensions concentrated in the area. Hon Bo, which is 15m long and 6m high, is the biggest of theses rocks. The engravings on the surfaces of the stone are either pictographic or decorative. Remarkably, among the engravings are drawings of humans, stilt-houses of the ethnic minorities and symbols believed to be a primitive form of writing. But their meaning has not yet been deciphered. In addition, impressive images include a Da chong (the husband stone), Da vo (the wife stone), as well as stones that look like tigers and a Stella with an incantation written on it by the carver to help his people defeat the tigers. The da chong and da vo tell the story of faithful love between a couple who overcame all difficulties to be together; even though they turned to stone, they are still dedicated to each other. Archaeologists have proven that this area has been inhabited since ancient times. These fascinating Viet remains have drawn the attention of scientists and tourists.