Colorful ethnic minorities and landscape of Ha Giang

Ha Giang province in northern Vietnam is the less frequented by tourists. Ha Giang is the place where almost 90% of the population are ethnic minorities with their culture and lifes in north west Vietnam tours. The last 20 years when the other Vietnam provinces and cities experienced the economic development, Ha Giang was the place, which had been forgotten in time. The main reason was the political situation and relations with China.

The Chinese invasion of 1979 has been forgotten and the Vietnamese Government has financially helped with the construction of the new roads and infrastructure, and there are also some modest hotels. In Ha Giang town you will find any hotels and accommodation as well as homestay. If you continue to Dong Van and Meo Vac, accommodation deals are shrinking. The attendance of Vietnamese tourists gradually increasing, but also some foreign tourists are coming here.

Ha Giang heaven gate

Starting with hills, valleys and villages with the ethnic minorities residents (Hmong, Tay, Dao, Nung, Lo Lo, Giay, Pu Peo). The farthest and the most beautiful place of Ha Giang province is Dong Van Karst Global Geopark, designated by UNESCO as one of 77 sites with the important geological and cultural heritage. This geopark is littered with the ethereal karst formations that are nearly 400 million years old, and has two protected areas.

Ethnic minorities creates a unique and rich cultural heritage of the area. Traditional practices and habits of these ethnic groups are very diverse and interesting and they attract many travellers to explore these unique aspects. Northern most place of northwest Vietnam tour is the village Lung Cu with the Vietnamese flag on the Dragon mountain. Lung Cu is known for many special foods and beverages. You can taste the alcohol from honey and corn, or Thang Co soup, which is cooked from every part of the animal.

You can go to Meo Vac town from the Dong Van town , through the mountainous area with altitude of 1500 meters. This area is one of the most beautiful that you can see in the Ha Giang province. If you manage a time to visit this city on Sunday, you can go to the Sunday Market, which takes place outside the city.

There is also Khau Vai „Love market“ 20 km from the city center. People from the ethnic minority Hmong, Tay and Lo Lo are coming here and seeking a life partner or they are changing the partner. This market is held once a year 27.day third month of the lunar calendar. Watch the video from the "Love Market".

Meo Vac town in the province of Ha Giang is an ideal place to visit the Sunday market, where ethnic residents sell mostly an cattle. They sell also dogs, goats, pigs. This market is not just a selling point, but also in terms of maintaining social relations of ethnic people. Ethnic residents (Mong, Tay) from distant areas around the town of Meo Vac will meet there. Some people go on foot at night with cattle for example 20 km. Market starts every Sunday since morning, most busy from 7-10 am and on the place you can taste local food and corn and rice alcohol.

On your way to the farest places of northern Vietnam – Dong Van and Meo Vac, visit the The Hmong king´s palace in Sa Phin. This unassuming palace is located along the road to Dong Van. However, it is very important for the local Hmong community. Residents of this area during the reign of Vuong Chinh Ð?c together with Ho Chi Minh and gained national freedom. The palace has been used as a residence and fortress during Vuong Dynasty. You can also learn something about the history of Ha Giang province.

If you stay for a while in Ha Giang town, you can visit a large freshwater Noong lake. The lake is 25 kilometers south of the city, in monsoon period may be 80 hectares large. Fascinating insight arises in the dry season, when the water depth decreases, in the lake are growing trees. Local fishermen from Ha Giang are catching fish and shrimp in the lake, and you can ask them for sailboat on the lake. It is no problem to go there with a motorbike.

After a few minutes drive from the city of Dong Van begins famous road and mountain pass – Ma Pi Leng Pass. It’s probably one of the most beautiful roads you can ride in Vietnam. History of the road falls to the period between 1959-1965, when thousands of young people from 17 ethnic groups built this way, the construction process took 11 months.

Initially, the road was only for walking or horse team, but later it was extended to cars and trucks. Hills and mountains creates here fantastic images and the roads are dangerous here, ride cautiously on a motorcycle .

Hoang Su Phi is less frequented area by tourists in the province of Ha Giang. But that does not mean it is not pretty. The entire area will pass huge areas of rice terraces, unspoilt nature and ethnic villages. If you stay for a few days in Ha Giang, this place is definitely worth a visit, but you need to take at least two days. Hoang Su Phi is about 70 km from the city (see map), but to get there through the winding road takes a lot of time.

There are about 3 cheap hotels (Nha Nghi) in Hoang Su  Phi town, or you can use a homestay with local people, ask the people at the city. There is also Panhou village ecolodge on the way, with higher prices for tourists. Ethnic residents are composed of 11 ethnic groups (mainly Hmong, Tay, Dao and Nung). Hoang Su Phi lies at an altitude of about 1000m, the weather is about the same as in Sapa, this place is with a little bit limited services.

Ethnic markets in Ha Giang:

It is very good option to visit a small or large authentic ethnic markets in Ha Giang province. The best day for visiting large ethnic markets is Saturday and Sunday. Some markets are take place in the working days in the week. It’s a great opportunity to see the people of ethnic minorities, who came here many kilometers from their homes. They sell mainly  fabrics, animals and food. Here is a little excerpt of larger markets, ethnic markets are called according to areas where they are held:

- Quyet Tien, Quan Ba (Tam Son) – Saturday market

- Quan Ba – Sunday market

- Coc Pai – Sunday market

- Lung Phin – Sunday market

- Hoang Su Phi – Sunday market

- Sa Phin – every 6th day

- Pho Cao – every 6th day

- Pho Bang – every 6th day

- Ma Le (Dong Van) – Saturday market

- Dong Van – Sunday market

- Khau Vai Love market (26th and 27th of the third month of the lunar calendar)

- Meo Vac – the largest Sunday market in Ha Giang province

Weather in Ha Giang:

The best time in Ha Giang is in the dry season, in the months from October to April. It is not good to go in this mountainous area during the rainy season (May to September). The average temperature is approximately the same as in Hanoi. But in mountain areas the weather can change quickly. However, the number of precipitation in the rainy season is higher than in Hanoi. The roads can be very dangerous here.

How to get to Ha Giang:

Ha Giang town is very far from Hanoi (about 300 km) and the best and interesting places are in Meo Vac and Dong Van. It is possible to use a bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang town. Bus stops in Hanoi – My Dinh and Gia Lam.

The best option is the night train to Lao Cai (Sapa) and then take a local bus from Lao Cai to Ha Giang. You can make a stopover in Bac Ha town and take a look on the local ethnic markets of Flower Hmong. Use a search engine of transport links and trains – Baolau. There is no train connection in Ha Giang province and to Ha Giang town.

Direct bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang town – Book online ticket from the Hung Thanh Travel company. One-way ticket price is 180 000 dongs. You can also use a services from the company Sapaethnic, the price for a ticket is 15 USD, you can book and buy online.

Where to rent a motorbike in Ha Giang:

Lots of travelers rent a motorbike in Ha Giang town and then go to the far north (Dong Van, Meo Vac, Lung Cu …). There are several rental bikes in Ha Giang town, there is no problem to rent a motorbike. Rent a bike for 1 day is around 7-15 USD / 1 day.

You can visit for example HaGiangMotorbike or Chothuexemayhagiang. There are contacts on this websites where you can find these rentals. I recommend choose a bit more powerful bike, not a scooter for this mountain area. Check and try your motorbike, check the tires…

Places of interest in Ha Giang:

• Noong lake (25 km from Ha Giang town)

• Hoang Su Phi, Xin Man

• Thac Tien – Ðeo Gio (Fairy waterfall)

• Yen Minh

• Dong Van Karst Global Geopark

• The valley of Quan Ba

• Thien Phuong cave (7 km from the city)

• northernmost village of Vietnam – Lung Cu

• Lung Cu flag tower

• Dong Van and Meo Vac

• The Hmong king’s palace (Vuong Chinh Sinh)

• Khau Vai love market (once per year)

• Ma Pi Leng Pass and Nho Que river

• sunday market in Meo Vac, Dong Van, Yen Minh…

• Male market in Dong Van

• ethnic minority villages (Pho Cao, Pho Bang, Sung La, Lung Cu…)

Ha Giang tourism developes

Ha Giang department of Culture and Information in corporation with Tourism Promotion Centre has organized a training course on "Community Tourism of Ha Giang in 2015". Attending the course are 42 students who are in charge of cultural affairs in the villages with community tourism, management board and households offering homstay service in Phuong Thien and Phuong Do communes of Ha Giang town.

Ha Giang in Vietnam

The training course is attended by lecturer from Hanoi Tourism College with content: Overview of the tourism development of Ha Giang province, the role of eco-environmental protection with development of tourism activities, characteristics and needs of tourists coming to the community-based cultural villages, some models of management, operation and distribution of profits for community tourism products. Practice how to decorate, arrange furniture in the house, methods of processing some traditional dishes to serve tourists, some principles in interacts with tourists. The training course is not only to equip people with basic knowledge of business, community tourism activities, but also help people orient the economic development in a sustainable way according to the model of economic tourism, thereby contribute to local economic development, 

In order to raise the level of knowledge for professional management team, directors and deputy directors, business owners and service staff in hotels, motels and restaurants in town and also helps operate the business activities more effective, the training course on "Business Management for customer service at hotels, guesthouses and restaurants" was held in 2 days at Ha Giang museum hall, there were 20 people attended including 5 participants from hotels and restaurants in town. Content of the course was to convey to students necessary stills such as basic communication skills with tourists, objects and mentality of tourists, promotion and marketing in the hotels, restaurants, handling situations in operating hotels, guesthouses and restaurants. This is an opportunity for accommodation establishments and restaurants in the City and other districts in Ha Giang province to exchange, share of experiences to serve guests better.

Ha Giang is the province with great potential for tourism development. However, to put up the smokeless industry development, Ha Giang is trying to build and implement successful strategies for tourism development. Since Dong Van Plateau has officially become a member of network of global geoparks, Ha Giang is determined to implement the strategy to become a tourist centre in north Vietnam. This determination is expressed through the building of Ha Giang's strategic development with the goal to receive 1.9 million visitors in 2015, with 340 thousand foreign tourists, revenue from tourism, services reach 2 trillion Vietnam Dong.

To accomplish this goal, Ha Giang province is expected to improve the existing accommodation facilities on 122 hotels and guest houses with 1,687 rooms, 45 village community cultural tourism. By 2020, Ha Giang tourism sector is expected to receive about 3 million tourists, with 650 thousand foreign visitors, total revenue of over 3 trillion Dong. The accommodation facilities are raised to 150 motels, hotels and resorts, with a total of 4000 rooms, 88 community-based tourism cultural villages

Fortress in Sa Phin valley

Hmong King Palace of Vuong house was built by Vuong Chinh Duc, a Hmong rich and powerful man in 19th century, the house is located in Sa Phin valley, about 125 km from Ha Giang town, this is an attractive site for tourists to Ha Giang attractions.

Vuong house in Ha Giang

In the French time, Ha Giang was the kingdom of opium, Hmong people in the region made their living by growing opium and Vuong Chinh Duc earned a lot of silver money by selling opium to the Chinese across the border, he hired a Chinese Fengshui expert to come all over the place in Ha Giang and chose Sa Phin as the location for his mansion.

The house was built in 3 months like a fortress on a low hill in the valley with precious wood and rocks, total area 300 square metres surrounded by dense Sa Moc trees. For a long time the Vuong family ruled the rocky Dong Van plateau with 4 districts Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh, Quan Ba. The Palace was owned by his descendants until 2004 when it was donated to as the national state.

From top of the pass, the Hmong King palace stands magnificently like a turtle in the mountains.