Ha Giang Province in the mountainous far north is home to 23 ethnic minorities brought together by hard work and natural beauty. Bui Quynh Hoa reports.
The sounds of pan-flutes and of Mong children resound across the northern province of Ha Giang, nestled amidst mountains and river valleys.
At the highest latitude in Viet nam Ha Giang is home to 23 ethnic minorities, including the Mong, Tay, Nung, Bo Y, Lo Lo and Pa Then.
The area 350km-ride north of Ha noi is characterised by limestone highlands, karst outcroppings and hospitable people. Tourism has not yet tainted its charms and it is an area rich in Legend
When visiting, the site of the Lo River is a good place to start. It flows gently through the mountains and past Mong stilt houses, which are hidden up the slope of the land, obscured by trees.
Though beautiful, getting to Meo Vac District is extremely harrowing. Only 150km from Ha Giang Town, the trip can exceed eight hours. High passes, steep drops, deep ravines and razor sharp turns force vehicles to a crawl through the cloud-covered roads.
From the mountain ridge, Meo Vac looks like a chessboard, new steel-roofed houses dotting the green of the land below.
Khau Vai markets
One of the things that sets Meo Vac apart is its famed Khau Vai Love Market or Phong Luu Love Market, which local elders say originated in 1919.
In the market area there are two temples: Ong (Mr) and Ba (Mrs). The
legend is that once a boy and girl were born in different places in Dong Van Plateau. The boy’s surname was Linh and the girl’s, Loc. They loved each other very much despite the deep rivers and rocky mountains, which often kept them apart.
Their families forbid their marriage and so they fled together to Khau Vai, where they began cultivating the land. They did not have a child, but they lived happily until death.
In honour of their efforts in converting the wild into rich cropland, the local people built two temples. On every lunar March 26th and 27th, Khau Vai attracts couples of varying ages, including those seeking partners. Those that come in greatest numbers are the couples, very much in love, whose marriages are prohibited.
On the day of the market, both the wives and husbands also attend together, but once there, they look for other partners. If one of them has to stay home on market day, jealousy is supposedly not an issue because marketplace dating is considered to be a purely emotional exchange.
But even for those not interested in love at all, the festival still holds some allure. With food and drink, performances, folk games, and displays of ethnic dress, jewellery, musical instruments and art, there’s a little something for everyone.
Passing through
Ma Pi Leng Pass, located between Meo Vac and Dong Van, is another regional highlight. The pass stretches around 15km along the side of a stunning mountain range. It parallels a section of the Nho Que River, which curves in a thin silver stream below.
People come to the area for the cliffs and the mountain view, particularly at this time of year when the sun clears away the cloud cover and the landscape stretches forth unobscured.
Ma Pi Leng peak, also called Heaven’s Gate, is the best place to watch a sunset. Looking down over the terraced fields and farmers, toy-like from such a height, once can understand why.
Tens of thousands of workers from 16 ethnic minority groups built the road between Dong Van and Meo Vac, the so-called "Road to Happiness", from 1959 to 1965, despite the back-breaking nature of the work, the difficulty of slicing through ravines.
Dong Van Plateau
Dong Van District is equally stunning, a stark plateau covered with jagged rocks.
Crucial to the daily lives of local people, the rocks are used to form houses, fences, mills and benches.
Silky green corn, yellow cai (kale) flowers and violet radish flowers dot the rugged landscape. Here a living must literally be scraped out as people live off the very rocks upon which they sit.
Though the work is hard, the people are not and on Dong Van market day lines of Dao, Mong and other ethnic groups converge. The old and young greet one another after their long journeys shouldering bamboo baskets of rice and vegetables or carting livestock.
Many of the ethnic people, especially young girls, dress in colourful costumes for their journey and adults carry their children to eat regional dishes. Mong youngsters drink wine, khen (pan-flutes) sound and cheeks redden.
As the sun sets, couples rise and help each other sway towards home.
Architecture
Dong Van District is well known for its ancient streets, its old Mong houses made of clay bricks and tile roofs.
But the district is also home to the royal palace of Vuong Chinh Duc, who was once considered to be the king of the Mong ethnic people in Ha Giang Province and ruled a vast area from the province’s Dong Van Plateau to Meo Vac Town in the early 20th century.
Dubbed Vua Meo (King of the Mong people), he was also the founder of the famous Vuong Dynasty, the largest in the province at the time.
Named Vuong Palace, his home was built of stone, fir wood and terra cotta tiles in ancient Chinese style typical of the Qing era. Though it seems out of place, the palace itself is interesting almost because of this incongruity.
Today, no one lives at the 1,120sq.m palace. It is maintained and managed by the Government and open to those interested in learning more about the period.
The Vuong Palace tour moves through 64 rooms divided into front, centre and back areas. According to a local tour guide, the palace is unique in that it was built on a tortoise shell-shaped site, chosen by a Chinese fortune-teller under the order of Vuong Chinh Duc, who believed it would bring luck, wealth and happiness for him and family.
From there, one can also visit Lung Cu flagpole, Viet Nam’s northernmost point, 1,800m above sea level.
Situated on the border between Viet Nam and China is the Dong Van-Lung Cu Plateau. In this area, there is a mountain named Rong (Dragon) whose peak, Lung Cu Peak, is marked by the flag station, a sacred symbol of Viet Nam.
The huge, 54sq.m flag on Lung Cu Peak represents on 54 groups of people of Viet Nam, and the area offers a truly spectacular view.
Developing tourism
Ha Giang provincial authorities say local life in the highlands has improved since the adoption of State projects 134 and 135, which target hunger eradication, poverty reduction and the establishment of basic infrastructure in the region.
"Although local living standards have improved considerably, we want to continue to maintain the speed of development," said Nguyen Truong To, chairman of the Ha Giang Provincial People’s Committee.
The provincial tourism industry has already gained encouraging results.
"The number of tourists visiting Ha Giang Province keeps increasing – from 46,582 in 2003 to 165,838 in 2007," said Nguyen Hong Hai, deputy director of Ha Giang Province’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.
"This has raised the provincial income from tourism from VND44.7 billion (US$2.6 million) in 2001 to VND135 billion ($7.9 million) in 2007.
"At present, we have nine national heritage sites and two others at the provincial level, so paying attention to boosting tourism is a key task," Hai said.
"From now to 2015, we’ve also drafted specific measures to attract more investment projects, diversify offerings, develop labour sources, build legal regulations and strengthen Ha Giang tourism promotion," he added.
Along with provincial efforts to improve locals’ lives and develop tourism, Ha Giang provincial authorities are trying to promote Dong Van Plateau for its beauty.
The Ha Giang provincial People’s Committee in collaboration with the Viet Nam Science Institute and the Department of Culture Heritage have held seminars and meetings to evaluate the park’s value and facilitate the country’s work toward winning further UNESCO recognition.
"Dong Van Plateau in Ha Giang Province should be recognised as a World Geological Park by UNESCO," said Pham Van Luc, director of the Viet Nam Nature Museum.
According to chairman To, the park will cover the entirety of the four mountainous districts including Dong Van, Meo Vac, Quan Ba and Yen Minh, around 3,500sq.km.
"The area itself is an invaluable cultural and natural heritage site. It is one of the oldest geological structures, composed of numerous natural caves and rocks of all sizes with a beauty that has remained intact despite the flow of time. The ethnic culture of local inhabitants complements the natural surroundings, forming another side to the park’s unique charm."
(Source: VNS)
Tag: Culture , Festival , Ha Giang , Ha Giang Tourism , Ha Noi , Investment , Tour , Tourism , Tourist , Viet Nam Rock-hewn gardens of human diversity - Ha Giang
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