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Ha Giang: Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to Ha Giang
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Ha Giang: Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to Ha Giang
April 26, 2021
Ha Giang has long been a very popular area among those who love traveling. In recent years, due to the development of transport infrastructure and services and facilities, Ha Giang tourism is more and more popular. For a fun and safe Ha Giang travel, do not miss the detailed instructions from Explore Real Asia below.
Ha Giang is located in the North Pole of Vietnam. There are many majestic mountains, with Tay Con Linh peak (2419 m) and Kieu Lieu Ti (2402m) being the highest. Ha Giang has many famous landscapes such as Dong Van plateau, Lung Cu flagpole, Meo Vac, Quan Ba mountain, Vuong family. There are also special festivals of the nation here.
If you have not been to Ha Giang before, you can arrange to travel to Ha Giang according to your free time. Ha Giang is a destination that according to tourists, "every season is beautiful".
This way has the advantage of the cheaper expenses and being free to move to favorite places. However, it is important to ensure that the driver has long-distance driving experience and is especially knowledgeable about the road from Hanoi - Ha Giang.
If you do not guarantee quality car rental or want to go yourself to save money, you can choose this option. However, if you do not know the way, it is easy to get lost and very time consuming. One more Ha Giang travel experience I believe is quite useful for you is that from Hanoi to Ha Giang, there are not many beautiful scenes, even going at night, you would rather want to sleep seeing scenes.
Starting from Hanoi, there will be 2 directions for you to choose from, this distance is nearly 300km long, so it will take 6-7 hours to arrive.
Route 1: Take the Noi Bai Lao Cai highway
This route is quite easy to go, but only for cars. Motorbikes are not allowed to move.
Route 2: Pass through Highway 32
This route is for both motorbike and car. Although the road may be several tens of kilometers longer, in return it will be splashed. Moving will be safer and more convenient.
This way is quite time-saving. If you have to run from Hanoi to Ha Giang by yourself, it takes more than 6 hours for a distance of nearly 300km. Not to mention, if you do not know the road and the road to Ha Giang is not easy to go, many mountainous areas, the surrounding high road, not plain, it will be much harder.
During 6-7 hours on the car, you can sleep at night. For example, the car runs from 10 nights, then 4-5 am to arrive. Just in time, you can arrange your belongings and go on a trip that day. If you run a motorbike / car, when you get tired, it will take about 1/2 more days to rest. If you only have 2-3 days of weekends, then the bus ride will be the most reasonable idea.
According to the Ha Giang tourism experience of young travelers, Dong Van and Meo Vac are two areas where you can rent a hotel and motel like that.
In Ha Giang, in addition to the 2 areas with the largest number of hotels and motels, Dong Van and Meo Vac, Ha Giang, Quan Ba, Yen Minh also have a lot of hotels. In case of missing the boat, you can not rent in the other 2 places, you can move away a bit, sometimes the price is cheaper.
Ha Giang tourists should prioritize renting motels to save costs
Note: Rooms in Ha Giang are always in shortage, especially on holidays. In particular, in October-December, when the triangular flowers bloom, most hotels and houses are full of rooms. In Particular, the homestay has a view of the triangular flower needs to be preserved from a few months ago. Room rental in the peak seasons is always increasing, but if going on normal days is not too expensive.
Hotels, motels or homestays are all three popular types of accommodation in Ha Giang, because the number of visitors coming here every year is immeasurable. According to Ha Giang tourism experience, you can choose to stay at a hotel or a homestay depending on your preferences. If it is a group of backpackers, to be able to save money, you should rent a hostel, or a homestay with a large group of people.
Delicate interior inside the rustic, old homestay.
On the contrary, if traveling with family, with adults and children, you should come to Dong Van to rent a hotel to rest comfortably.
As for associations of 6-8 people, if you want to see the triangular flower garden, you should rent a homestay in Lung Cu, Dong Van or Meo Vac town. Some of the homestays have a beautiful location overlooking the flower field, imagining that every morning just opening the window is the wind blowing in. Opening your eyes and seeing a whole garden of purple heart-shaped triangular flowers fluttering in the wind is very satisfying.
There are so many beautiful roads and places that you can only enjoy the beauty of it only by traveling to Ha Giang by motorbike. Explore Real Asia will list some of the specific locations below.
Ma Pi Leng passes through three communes of Pai Lung, Pa Vi and Xin Cai (Meo Vac) in Ha Giang province - is a rugged pass about 20 km long over the top of Ma Pi Leng. Ma Pi Leng Peak has an altitude of about 1,200 meters in the Dong Van Plateau, located on Happy Street linking Ha Giang City, Dong Van and Meo Vac town.
This pass is one of the "four great passes" in the Northwest and is also one of the most beautiful passes in Vietnam - the dream of conquering any genuine adventurer.
The landscape of this area is rocky, in which the deep valley of the Nho Que river is cut in half, one side is the top of Ma Pi Leng and the other is the slope of Sam Pun (Sam Pun), where there are border markers and the border gate. from Xin Cai to Dien Bong, China.
Dong Van rocky plateau (or Dong Van plateau) is a rocky plateau spreading over four districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac of Ha Giang province, Vietnam.
On October 3, 2010, the record "Dong Van Plateau Geopark" was officially recognized by UNESCO's Global Geopark Network Advisory Council (GGN) as a Global Geopark. . This is currently the only title in Vietnam and the second in Southeast Asia.
Yen Minh is about 100km northeast of Ha Giang city, along Highway 4C running from Can Ty to the center of district town through three communes: Bach Dich, Na Khe, Lao And Chai has a dreamlike road that makes you like standing in the middle of Da Lat dreaming.
The beautiful road of Yen Minh pine forest starts from the section of Na Khe commune to Yen Minh town, the section of national highway 4C with both sides of the road.
Legend says that in the past, people let their horses pack their goods from the bottom of the slope up, and the horse that reached the top was strong enough to keep raising so the slope was named Tham Ma. This is the first pass that you need to conquer to step foot on the Dong Van plateau land. After you pass this slope, you will reach Cao Street.
From Yen Minh to Dong Van town, to Pho Bang junction, where a beautiful pass embracing a green valley is the highest and most beautiful point for panoramic view of Sung La. This place can be considered as the most beautiful upland commune of the whole Dong Van rocky plateau.
Looking down from the middle of the road, you will see Sung La as a peaceful and beautiful natural picture. Sung La is located among the rocky mountains of undulating, one-color dark, solid houses with fading roofs of time.
The road kept going round and round from mountain range to mountain range, the sun kept jumping halfway up the sky and the valley was so deep that there was no shadow of people until suddenly Pho Bang appeared with a valley of roses. Behind the clouds of rose flowers, the small Pho Bang lies beside the cat-ear rocky mountains. The whole town has only a few dozen roofs, scattered on the main road and a few small branches.
The reported houses are more than a hundred years old, the old wooden doors are glued with old Chinese words, the mossy brown walls, the yin-yang tiled roofs. Simple life passes every day.
The residence of the Meo King, the name used in the documents is the residence of the Vuong family, also known as the King House, located in a valley in Xa Phin commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang.
The entire residence of King Meo has an area of nearly 3,000 m2, was started in 1919 and completed 9 years later, in 1928. The construction process costs 15,000 Dong Duong white silver coins, equivalent to 150 billion VND today.
Lung Cu flagpole is a national flagpole located at the top of Lung Cu, also known as the summit of Dragon Mountain (Long Son) with an altitude of about 1,470 m above sea level, in Lung Cu commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang province. where the northernmost point of Vietnam. From the top of the flagpole looking down to the ground, there are 2 ponds on both sides of the mountain that never run out of water, called the dragon's eye, which is the water source for the ethnic people of the two villages to use.
Lung Cu flagpole is not actually the North Pole of Vietnam, this real pole is located under the Nho Que River, where it takes a whole day of traveling with the guidance of people who know you to come. . Currently, about 3km from Lung Cu flagpole, another iconic North Pole was built in Xeo Lung village.
Landmark 428 is not the northernmost point, but it is the most northern landmark of the country, this is the most Vietnam-China border landmark with the northernmost point. The landmark is about 500m from the Nho Que river along the way the birds fly. Nho Que River is a common river of Vietnam and China, so it is also the boundary of the two countries.
At Xeo Lung village (about 3km from Lung Cu flagpole) is a symbolic northernmost point. Up to the present time, this is the closest accessible point to the north pole of the country. Standing on the observatory (simulating One Pillar Pagoda) covering the boundary strip of the North Pole cone, where the Nho Que River begins to flow into Vietnam.
Conquering landmark 428 and North Pole Landmark are one of the great experiences in Ha Giang that you will definitely never forget.
Dong Van Old Town is located in Dong Van town, Dong Van, Ha Giang. The center area of old Dong Van town belongs to Dong Quan, Nguyen Binh Chau, Tuong Van, Tuyen Quang province and has a history of architectural and cultural development for hundreds of years.
The AQ was formed in the early 20th century, initially only a few families of the Mong, Tay and Chinese lived, gradually more local residents came to.
Dong Van Market is an old market, located in the population of Dong Van old town, this is the largest center of economic exchange, commodity exchange and culture in the Dong Van rocky plateau.
Every week the market has a single session on Sunday. On the day of the fair, the small, quiet old town became noisy and crowded like a festival with colorful costumes of the Dao, Mong, Tay, Nung, Giay, Lo Lo ..., pouring from Reclining the mountain to the market.
Khau Vai market (Khau Vai in Tay language, Nung means pass of gai) also known as Phong Luu market, Khau Vai love market, has been around for nearly 100 years. Sources say since 1919.
The market is located in Khau Vai commune, Meo Vac district, Ha Giang province, Vietnam and meets only once a year on March 27 of the lunar calendar. Khau Vai love market, also known as Phong Luu love market, is famous for its unique "unique" on the rocky plateau where the north pole is located.
Pao's house is located in Lung Cam village, Sung La commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang This is the house of Mr. Mua Sao Pao, from the Mong ethnic group. The two-story house in "The Story of Pao" is like a villa in the rock plateau
The house "four great roads" was chosen by director Ngo Quang Hai as the filming setting for "The Story of Pao", adapted from the work "The sound of lips behind the rock fence" by writer Do Bich Thuy. The houses here are built according to the walled way, dating back to about 100 years. The main ethnic group is the Mong, accounting for 85%.
Pao's house now becomes a tourist destination not to be missed for visitors every time to Dong Van (Ha Giang). Inside the premises of the house, there are many goods and souvenirs made by the people themselves.
From a very ordinary flower, the vascular triangle now becomes a symbol of Ha Giang
As the first stop on the journey to discover the rocky plateau, Quan Ba currently has about 12 hectares of triangles planted in Thach Son Than areas (Quyet Tien commune), the stop on Heaven Gate and along the national highway. 4C to Dong Van.
As the center of the annual Triangular Circuit Festival, Dong Van is always the place to grow the most flowers with an area of several hundred hectares. Vascular triangles in Dong Van are grown in communes such as Pho Fox, Lung Apple, Ma Lé, Lung Cu, Sung La, Sung Trai, Pho Bang Town and Dong Van Town.
Meo Vac is one of the places with many beautiful triangular gardens in Ha Giang. Currently, the district has about 8 hectares planted at places such as Ma Pi Leng pass, the field of Pa Vi commune, along the way through the communes of Ta Lung, Sung Tra, Sung Mang, Giang Chu Phin.
Egg rolls, a delicious dish not to be missed when traveling to Ha Giang
In the cold rocky region of Ha Giang, people have to eat something hot and spicy to withstand the gloomy atmosphere emanating from the mountain rocks. But the egg rolls, a specialty here, is "cold food", served with a cup of hot and sweet broth.
Ha Giang's delicious egg roll cake is due to the combination of the cake flour is flexible enough, the meat is rich, especially the bowl of sauce has a distinct taste.
Eggs are not fully ripe so that they have a greasy taste. Sauce is simmered from the bones, different from the usual fish sauce. Diners can also choose to add a piece of white rolls to serve. Egg rolls are mainly sold in the morning in Ha Giang city, Dong Van old town and in some markets.Buffalo leather salad
Do not forget to enjoy buffalo leather salad when coming to Ha Giang
This is a rather strange dish, also a unique culinary feature of Ha Giang. Buffalo skin must be exposed on a fire to remove thick and hard fur, then the hard and black outer shell will be scraped off, leaving only the yellow skin inside. After this process, the skin is boiled in boiling water to remove dirt, hair and to create softness. More importantly, buffalo skin has to be sliced in the thinnest way, to be crunchy. Finally, buffalo skin will be evenly spread in its own spices (indispensable for short) and herbs to form a delicious and greasy buffalo skin dummy.
In Ha Giang, there is only one restaurant selling this dish, if you like, you can stop by to try it after finishing the journey to explore the rocky plateau.
GIANG SON
Address: Km3, Cau Me, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang
Phone: 0988 470 863
Store location on Google Maps
Every day the shop owner only makes 50 items, if you go in a large group and have a lot of needs, remember to pre-order.
The community of ethnic minorities in the northern mountainous region possesses an extremely diverse and unique culinary culture. In which, the five-color sticky rice converges to traditional values, which have the meaning of cosmic conception, the philosophy of yin and yang and the meaning of noble human life.
You can easily find five-colored sticky rice in any market in Ha Giang
It is called five-color sticky rice because it is different from ordinary sticky rice. Five-color sticky rice is created by five kinds of sticky rice with five different colors. It is red, yellow, blue, purple and white. You can easily find five-colored sticky rice at markets in Ha Giang.
The cooking method of the five-color sticky rice of the regions is basically the same. However, depending on the conditions of each region, they can mix or use different colors in addition to the above basic colors to create five-colored sticky rice. Five-color sticky rice ingredients include: sticky rice, the forest leaves to dye. In red, use Gac fruit, red rice leaves. Green using ginger leaves, green sticky rice leaves, or grapefruit peel, bitter bamboo shoots, burning ash soaked in water mixed with lime. In yellow, use the old turmeric to crush the water. In purple, use black rice leaves, or the following leaves ... Before dyeing sticky rice, clean glutinous rice is soaked in water for 6-8 hours so that the rice grain has a moderate bloom. Divide the rice into 5 parts, each corresponding to a color. After dyeing, to the last stage is sticky rice. This stitch requires a lot of skill to have the desired sticky rice dish. Rice with the most fading color is added first, followed by the remaining colors, white on top. Must have a separate color for each color. There are places displayed as 5 petals, each petal is one color, some are displayed in the shape of terraced fields, each step is one color, some places use wooden molds to build towers, many floors ...
The aroma of cardamom, guava seeds and lemongrass roots, mingled with the greasy taste of meat, warms up the chilly atmosphere. H'mong men who go to Dong Van market all want to eat a bowl of ‘Thắng cố’, and drink some alcohol with their friends.
‘Thắng cố’ is rarely lacking in upland markets
Bitter porridge (Ấu tẩu porridge)
In Ha Giang, there are many unique dishes that will never be forgotten by visitors once there. Bitter porridge, or Ấu tẩu porridge is such a cuisine.
Ấu tẩu Porridge, a dish not to be missed when coming to Ha Giang
A cold winter night, wandering around Ha Giang town, finding a corner of the shop and ordering a dish of porridge. The porridge bowl looks very attractive because of the harmonious combination between rice, minced meat, bone broth, herbs ... It is not easy to cook a real bowl of porridge. After soaking in the water, the tubers are soaked in condensed rice for one night and then simmered for 4 hours. The yellow flower sticky rice is mixed with fragrant non-glutinous rice cooked in pure rice broth and eggplant powder. Add a little minced lean meat, a little extra seasoning. Porridge when eaten has a bitter taste, so many people call it bitter porridge.
Triangular circuit cake
At the end of the triangular flower season, local people will harvest the seeds and sell them to cooperatives at quite high prices. This helps people have more income. This seed is very small, about half the size of a black bean. Because it is grown in nature, the triangle circuit here is not affected by toxic chemicals.
To make such a delicious cake, people have to go through many stages. First, the triangular seeds must be dried enough and then grinded by hand. The grinding process also needs dexterity to make a very fine dough, avoiding the pigmentation after processing. People knead the ground flour with water and then mold it into a mold, and bring it to bake. The price of the product after the oven is hot is 10,000-15,000 VND per cake. Although not as expensive as many other items in other places, triangular circuit cakes are contributing largely to the culinary, tourism and economic development of the rocky plateau.
Fin Ho after drying (Photo - FB Fin Ho Tra)
Snow shan tea trees in Phin Ho live thousands of meters high in the mountains of Sin Ho with a cool climate all year round. Fin Ho Tea is made from tea buds of 1 shrimp and 2 young leaves picked from ancient snowy Shan tea trees over 200 years old in the high mountains of Lin Ho village - Thong Nguyen commune, Hoang Su Phi. The farming and processing process does not use chemicals. The taste of tea here is especially delicious and pure, bestowed by nature by the soil climate at an altitude of over 1300m.
If you come to Bac Me, remember to enjoy the rice dish
Ha Giang is a fertile area with famous and delicious sticky rice. Bac Me lam rice is gradually becoming a typical specialty of the Tay ethnic minority here.
Lam rice processing technique is very simple. The ingredients are sticky rice, soaked carefully. The cooking water is usually the innermost underground water, put in the bamboo tube and covered with banana leaves. The young bamboos are used. Each bamboo tube is cut off one end of the tube, the other end acts like the bottom of the pot. Sticky glutinous rice, sprinkle with salt, mix well, put the rice in a bamboo tube, the amount of water poured over the rice surface. The mouth of the tube is plugged with fresh dong or dried banana leaves and baked on Bamboo tube with rice which is held over a fire or on a pile of embers, slowly spinning and turning to apply heat evenly around the tube shell. About an hour or so later (depending on whether the rice tube is big or small), the smell of sticky rice emits aromatic, which is a sign that the rice is cooked.
