Story: Huong Quynh
Photos: Heritage Photo Tour – Sony

For photographers and journalists, Ha Giang has long been a top destination in the S-shaped land of Vietnam, offering endless creative inspiration. Its breathtaking landscapes and the rich cultural heritage of the 19 ethnic groups who live on this rocky plateau have sparked countless works. Heritage magazine regularly organizes photo tours, with Ha Giang as a key destination. The latest Photo Tour united writers and photographers to capture the beauty of Ha Giang’s spring flower season while exploring themes of local people, traditional crafts, and ethnic identity amid the region’s untouched rocky mountain landscapes.

Peach blossoms near Lung Cu Flagpole

“The Heritage – Sony: Ha Giang – Flowers on the Mountain Rocks Photo Tour” was a four-day adventure through landmarks filled with the spring colors of peach, plum, and pear blossoms, plus countless alpine wildflowers. Stops included bustling Tham Ma Slope, where tourists and locals greet visitors from afar with small, charming bundles of flowers. In Pho Cao, rows of peach and plum blossoms lined the road, making the drive feel like a dream. In the small village of Lao Xa flowers intertwined with rocks, and people worked in the terraced fields.

We explored the cultural village of Lung Cam, where mist draped over fields of white and yellow mustard flowers like a soft carpet. In Sao Ha village, tucked away in the ancient forest of Van Chai, simple houses stood enclosed by stone fences. We also visited small villages at the foot of Lung Cu Flagpole, where tourism has been developed in ways that preserve the rich cultural traditions of ethnic Then Pa and Lo Chai people. Here, locals continue to live in earthen-walled houses, farm using traditional practices, follow established customs, and hold vibrant festivals.

Lo Lo residents in Lo Lo Chai Village

Our final stop was in Can Ty commune, Quan Ba district, where we learned about the long-standing flax weaving craft. Local Hmong women greeted us with bright smiles, their hands constantly at work, either spinning threads or drawing patterns with beeswax. Ms. Cu Thi My, a fourth-generation artisan in a family of traditional fabric-makers, guided us through the entire process—from growing flax, and harvesting and separating fibers to spinning, weaving, dyeing with indigo, and decorating the fabric with wax. The essence of the rocky mountains is preserved in each bolt of fabric, in the intricate brocade patterns, and in the strokes of beeswax.

A Mong girl in Lao Xa Village

The participating photographers were not only inspired by the scenery and local residents but also by Sony – Alpha Vietnam’s support of this Photo Tour. They had the opportunity to experience high-end equipment, including the Sony Alpha 7 Mark V, Sony Alpha 7R Mark IV, Sony Alpha 1 Mark II, and lenses like the Sony 70–200mm F4.0 Macro G OSS II and Sony 28–70mm F2.0 GM. The photographers expressed their trust in these reliable “assistants” to capture precious moments during their creative journey.

People often say that Ha Giang is not a place you visit just once, as there is always more to explore after a single trip. We, too, promised to return to the small villages and winding roads that cut through the towering mountains in the northernmost region of our homeland.