Kevin arrived bright and early and rescued us from a terrible breakfast promising us some great food and some spectacular scenery to feast our eyes upon. He was true to his word.
After climbing higher and higher up the steep mountain passes and winding up hair-pinned roads, after a few hours we finally arrived in a small village, Lùng Tám, located in the northernmost point in the province of Ha Giang. The village consists of 200 H’mong families and is considered the regional center of the seven surrounding smaller villages.
Rice laid out drying on tarpaulin along the roadside intermingled with sheets of drying pig corn - bright orange and almost plastic like. This mountainous village belongs to the Flower H’mong ethnic group (one of the 5 H’mong groups). They are originally from the mountainous regions of southern China, northern Vietnam and Laos.
Laying out the tarpaulin for drying rice.
A simple machine removes the corn kernels. This young girl’s job is to remove any missed kernels - they all count.
In an age seeing the decline of traditional cultural people, the Flower H’mong are the survivors. They are visions of colour, they cling to their traditional dress as other minority communities have begun to give in to conformity and modern dress.
The Flower Hmong wear beautifully bright and intricately woven clothes.
We visited the Lung Tam Co-operative where Hemp is woven on traditional looms. Batik is used to create the intricate patterns that the group are recognised by. Having collected some pieces myself of traditional Hmong textiles in Vietnam and Laos, I was delighted to witness their creative skills. A 95 year old lady meticulously draws her patterns in hot wax with the steadiness of hand I could only wish to have myself.
Flower H’mong skirt showing embroidery and batik.
95 years young and still going strong.
Drawing pattern with hot wax.
Hemp is naturally a rough material so in order to soften it, the fabric is placed on a huge roller and then pressed under a stone slab. The weaver then rocks the stone up and down like a seesaw. It’s more difficult than it looks. The hemp is beautifully soft afterwards.
Wearing their traditional dress is important to them.
H’mong people still stretch far north into China, Laos as well as across the Vietnamese mountains. They have a challenging life so high up in the steep mountains. Market day for them is not just about selling but to socialise. Now in the age of the motorbike transporting market produce is made marginally easier. A return visit to this part of the world is now on my dream list.
Enroute, we witnessed the huge groups of easy-riders taking their passengers along the Ha Giang Loop, many vocally comparing sore-butt stories from the hours spent on the motorbike. I didn’t envy them at all. We had Kevin showing us the most spectacular places and stopping to pick tea, taste cinnamon leaves and drink coconut coffee. He really was the most perfect driver ever.
We began our descent home from Quan Ba’s Heaven Gate, a unique, majestic rock plateau leading us ‘to the heaven of Ha Giang’. (I don’t think our commune quite fits into that description).
Fairy Bosom hills in Tam Son Town.
Not a bad view - from a Loop cafe.
This adorable little boy helps his mum collect the recycling. His mother runs a cafe on the Ha Giang loop.
Winding down the huge mountains, Kevin noticed a track he had never seen before, so up we went to a village he didn’t know existed. He was delighted to find a hamlet belonging to a group of Tay People. This is the same ethnic group as himself. He was so pleased and it wasn’t long before we were eating freshly picked dragon fruit, pears and pomegranite in a huge house in the Ban Hinh village.
The daughter prepares fruit for us with her dad.
The owner built the house in 2018. This one was different. No palms grow here so he has a heavy corrugated roof. Having an internal fire-pit is too hot so they built a huge indoor kitchen attached to the wooden structure.
One half of the kitchen extension. The other half is already full of rice.
The lady of the house. Such a happy smiley lady.
Every home has a Buffalo, chickens and pigs.
Recently their daughter got married. Each of the villagers give a donation and come to the wedding party held in the house. The daughter will leave home to live in the ethnic group her husband belongs to. Although they each have their own language they all speak Vietnamese so communication is not a problem.
The Tay group is the biggest ethnic minority group in Vietnam, they live in the mountain’s valleys and along rivers. Whist they haven’t abandoned their traditional dress made from indigo dyed cotton and colourful head scarves, nowadays the Tay are often seen wearing Viet and western clothes.
Beautiful home, beautiful family.
As we arrived back in Ha Giang town the national election confernce posters and flags are in abundance.
Roughly translated to ‘This is a beautiful day to give love to the country. Sing the song ‘Chao Mung Dai’ in Ha Giang’.
We spent one more night at the commune, it didn’t matter that the food was a bit rubbish we had eaten plenty of lovely food today.
We left the commune and made our way back to Hanoi - a much nicer 6 hour drive thanks to Kevin’s friend agreeing to take us. A few days remain to soak up the last remaining bits of atmosphere before returning back to the UK.
After 6 weeks it was good to see somethings haven’t changed!
Gosh I’m so pleased we took that amazing detour. The last few weeks have been incredible. Infact the whole trip has been a revelation, it will take a while to process everything we have seen and experienced.
Welcome to London Heathrow and it’s 8 degrees!!