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Story DO BICH THUY
Photos VINH DAV
If there exists a land where you long to return again and again, never tiring of its wonders both familiar and newly revealed, as though it were a home you never knew you had, then that place is Ha Giang.
Ha Giang is resilient, enduring many ups and downs with its hundred-year-old earthen houses and “cat-ear mountains”, which millions of gusts of wind have not been able to erode. On roads that weave out of sight, you may feel as if you are blending into the cliffsides. Like the locals who follow in their ancestors’ footsteps to walk daily to their fields, tending to the crops while waiting for the rare rains to nourish the corn and rice, you become part of this timeless place.
Here, you can step into any house, utter a simple greeting, and hear the homeowner reply with “chi pâu” (I don’t know). If you’re friendly, all doors will open for you. If you arrive during a meal, the host will invite you to join them. If there happens to be a village festival, you’ll be offered wine, a taste of various cakes, and an opportunity to listen to some folk songs. Listen to the distinctive music – it may captivate your soul and bind you to this region.
The Tay people live at the foot of the mountains, the Dao people on the mountain slopes, and the H’mong people on the peaks. Everywhere you go, there’s a sense of gentleness, warmth and familiarity without distance. A kindness suffuses the people, lending character to the landscape. When you come to Ha Giang, all you need to prepare is a heart ready to love life, to embrace the fresh sunsets and dawns in a place where the wind is the prevalent sound, and mountains, rocks and the sky fill your vision.
Come to experience and explore the majestic, rugged, breathtaking province of Ha Giang with Heritage Guide – a smart travel handbook available from March 15, 2024, on all Vietnam Airlines flights.
