Pu Peo ethnic minority people live only in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang. According to the 1999 survey, there were only 705 people living in the districts of Dong Van, Meo Vac and Bac Me. The Pu Peo ethnic group ranks 53rd in the Vietnamese community in term of population.

The Pu Peo in Vietnam were first mentioned as the La Qua by scholar Le Quy Don in his book Kien Van Tieu Luc written in the middle of the 18th century. In early 19th century documents, the Pu Peo were mentioned as the Penti, Pentilolo, Kaobeo and also Pu Peo. In Ha Giang province, the Pu Peo, with a small population, live scattered on high mountainous areas along the Vietnam-China border. Different from the H’Mong people who live high on the mountains, the Pu Peo establish their villages on the flat grounds in mountainous areas. They reside in Pho La, Sung Trang and Phu Lung which has a sub-tropical climate. In this natural condition, the Pu Peo can grow wet rice and make use of forests to earn their living. They believe that the success or failure of each family and each individual depends largely on the position of their land and house. That is why their house building process follows very strict religious procedures, from selection of the land, trees for pillars and the building itself to the relocating ceremony.

The Pu Peo worship three generations including Pe, or parents, Te Ngan, or grand-parents and Te Gao, or great grand-parents. For each generation, they put a loog ten or jar on the altar. Offerings to ancestors on the first day in the new house will be put in the jars. Very often, in each jar, they put a chicken, five small balls of cooked rice and some meat. All procedures must be fulfilled before dawn. After that, relatives and neighbors will come, each bringing a chicken, a bottle of wine or some money to wish the host good luck.
The Pu Peo use the calendar of China’s Zhou dynasty. According to this calendar, a khuop mai or cycle comprises 12 years and a year comprises 12 months. Twenty-nine or 30 days will make a month and 12 “hours” will make a day. Similar to the current lunar calendar, there is a leap year every three years. So, the Pu Peo also celebrates the lunar New Year festival (Tet) as other ethnic groups do.
   
   

Hagiang Giay people mainly live on planting water rice and farming milpa. Every years, they organized the “Roong Pooc” ceremony to begin their farming season. Giay built pigsties and hen-coops far away from their houses to fields. Their noteworthy handicraft making are weaving and bamboo knitting.

 The dress of Giay people is simply, almost without embroidery and design. Men’s clothing consists of shirt opened at the right armpit with wide sleeves and wide trousers shortened down to the knees. Women’s dress consists of a buttock covering robe, opened at the right arm pit, broad sleeves with a piece of differently coloured cloth.

The Giay live in stilt houses with the middle compartment reserved for ancestor worship. The altar has 3 joss-stick bowls for the Land God, the Kitchen God and the ancestors. When the youth attains the age of marriage, their horoscope has to be taken and only suitable couple can marry. The Giay folkloric culture is very rich with poems, proverbs, phrases, parallel sentences.

The Mong is the largest ethnic group of seventeen ethnics community in Dong Van karts plateau Geopark. Mong people in Ha Giang province is similar to that in some northern mountainous border Viet Nam - China originated from China, then migrated to Vietnam more than 300 years ago. They mainly concentrate in the mountainous provinces, including Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, etc. Mong in Ha Giang account for 32 percent total population of province, comprises two main sub-groups: White Mong and Flower Mong.

 The Mong people are famous for traditional farming milpa, planting rice, maize and other crops. Handicraft productions of Mong ethnic minority achieved high levels of skillfulness such as weaving, knitting, forging and casting, making wooden furniture's.
The H’Mong house is made from earth with three compartments, the middle one is reserved as the altar for ancestor cult. The main and extra doors are opened inward. Traditional clothing of the Mong women are very unique. A suit of women clothes consists of a skirt, a blouse, a shirt parceled at the breast couple with a brassiere, a belt, leggings, and a turban winded around the head. The skirt is usually in the form of a truncated cone with a series of creases which can spread widely. Sometime the skirt is in the form of a tube dress with creases at the two haunches. Decorative patterns on the dress are butterflies, snakes, flower, harrow teeth, eyes of birds, pig feet with the harmony of colour.

The wealth of traditional culture of the Mong people are quite abundant with customs, habits, ceremonies and rites, religion and beliefs. The Hmong families have different ways of ancestor cult. Some principal worships are “ door ghost worship”, “ great mother ghost worship” with different number and content of worship, arrangement, eating and drinking place. the literature and art of the Mong shows their community psychology and awareness, and other issues about nature, society and history. Prominent things are love songs using pan-pipe, flute, leaf-horn, lip-horn. They all are invaluable assets of the Mong community which have been conserved and inherited generations by generations.

The Dao is called by different names such as, Kem Mien, Ku Mien, Man, etc. “Le Cap Sac” of Dao people in Quan Ba Ha Giang is one of the festival reflecting clearly the cultural features of this ethnic minority. “Le Cap Sac” is necessary for the men of Dao ethnic group. It is similar to thanh dinh ceremony of the Mong people which marks the maturity of a man in a family.

 Dao people has custom of opening “le cap sac” for boys at the age of 13 that is requested, the Dao ethnic group has the concept of making the ceremony to thank the god of the forest, water god, the god of new rice, the god of earth…and report to the gods that their son had grown up. When boys are recognized as mature man, they can attend the big works in villages, hamlets and lineage. Mature concept of the Dao is simple enhancement of ethnic pride but it is also a deep spiritual meaning in their intangible culture. “le cap sac” often take place within 3 days and 3 nights with many pigs and chickens slaughtered in a big number depending on the economic condition of the owner. It can be said that “le cap sac” is a mature ritual of the growing-up boys. This is an important part of belief in the spiritual culture of the Dao people.

  Dong Van Highland is situated 1,025 m above sea level and is inhabited by the Tay and H’Mong ethnic groups, Ha Giang. The temperature is approximately 1oC in winter and reaches 24oC on the hottest days. The plateau provides famous products such as Hau plums, peaches, and persimmons without seeds. Dong Van apples are as big as pears. In Dong Van, numerous valuable plants used for their medicinal value are found, including ginseng, anise, and cinnamon.

Dong Van is very beautiful with mountains, forests, hidden grottoes and caves, multicolored orchid forests, plum and peach trees, persimmon orchards, and more. Visiting Dong Van, one can see Pho Bang, also called Pho Bang Street, which was built a long time ago and features multi-storey houses made of clay bricks and tile roofs. Visiting Dong Van on Sundays, one can shop in a very original mountain market where all kinds of goods and multicolored clothes can be purchased.

  The national road No.4C, Ha Giang – Dong Van – Meo Vac, is very sinuous. Ma Pi Leng Pass – Meo Vac mount with the length of 7 km, lies between Dong Van and Meo Vac districts where a lot of workers recruited from such provinces as Cao Bang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang worked very hard for 11 years to build this road. It is, now, invested to build a stop for tourists taking photos of Nho Que river scenery and enjoying a thrilling feeling.


Ma Pi Leng commune is the vast region which is situated in the middle of Dong Van and Meo Vac district, is 16 kilometer from Meo Vac township. This place is considered as “the most spectacular grandiose”.

 During the French time there was no road like we see to day that connected Ha Giang Town with DVKP. Traffic and transportation was all done either by foot or horse and it took 3 days to get to DVKP from Ha Giang Town.

The National Road No. 4C Ha Giang-Dong Van-Meo Vac was decided to be built after North Vietnam was liberated and it took 6 years (1959-1965) to build a distance of app. 300km. So difficult to build and so happy when it was done that the road was called “The Happiness Road”. More than 2 million workdays were spent by youngsters of 16 nations from 8 provinces of North Vietnam. But what is unforgettable is the construction of the Ma Pi Leng Pass, the most difficult pass to build but also the most fascinating and beautiful pass to enjoy in Vietnam. It took the youngsters one and a half year to connect the 24km distance between Dong Van and Meo Vac Towns but the Ma Pi Leng Pass alone already took them 11 months or more than 330 days of hanging themselves on rock cliffs to make it through.

Ma Pi Leng, in Hmong language means “Horse nose bridge”. Some other literature sources argue it actually is Mau Pi Leng, describing the feeling of a mouse when it is going to fall into the clutches of the cat. Both explanations mean nothing else than the dangerous, breath-taking feeling of the traveler when passing by this pass. But perhaps only on this pass can the traveler feel the greatness of Mother Nature, due both to the deep canyon of the Nho Que river underneath and the surrounding high mountains, resulting in the height difference of more than 1km, which is added by vertical cliffs and barren rock deserts all around.

Ma Pi Leng Pass is probably the most worth sightseeing of DVKP, both in terms of landscape and history, but moreover, also in terms of geoheritage. The informed traveller can find here evidence of faulting, folding, karstification, stratigraphic type sections, stratigraphic unconformities, chrono-stratigraphic boundaries and different types of both karst and non-karst landforms – a superbly high concentration of geosites wherefore one would otherwise have to spend days to find. Practically it would not be exaggerating to call Ma Pi Leng Pass a super-geosite. At present a stopover station has been built for the traveller to stop by to enjoy the thrill of the landscape. An explanation board on the geological values of the site was also prepared and a lot more would be provided to completely convince the traveller that he is in the Heaven. The Province is preparing to have it recognized by the Government as a national historic-cultural-landscape vestige to which geological values would be significance addition.

Stand in the peak of Ma Pi Leng, tourists can view the whole scene of huge highland area with endlessly range of mountain of all sizes, particularly interesting shapes. Due to geological changes, a lot of vertical cliffs were formed like giant walls. Bottom the feet of Ma Pi Leng is The Mong’s village loom in the fog, Nho Que river runs like a colorful thread through the cliffs.

Ma Pi Leng not only is beautifully natural landscape but also a historical evidence for memorizing the volunteer youth.

Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau valley.
This morning we enjoy a half day city tour starting with the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This famous site contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace , the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts  and the One Pillar Pagoda. The following sights are the Temple of Literature and the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem with its sacred temple. We also make stop at  the impressive Ethnologic Museum, dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities, some of which we will see on our forthcoming days. Heading out of the town, we travel by road to Mai Chau, an idyllic valley populated by the many White Thai people. There are some opportunities en route to visit the Dao Son Dau and the Muong hill tribe groups. O/N in Mai Chau

 Day 2: Mai Chau – Son La.
Upon leaving Mai Chau the roads begins to deteriorate; however many villages dot the hillsides and undulating terrain make for an interesting journey. Along the way we stop in Xa Linh for a two hour trek past many timeless hill villages which are home of the Hmong hill tribe people. Travelling across the Moc Chau Plateau  we catch a glimpse of the many tea plantations and see the Black Thai hill tribe people. They belong to the same Thai ethnic group, but are  different from the White Thai in Mai Chau by their tradition and habits. O/N in Son La.


Day 3: Son La – Dien Bien Phu.
The provincial museum and the nearby old prison are some of this hill town’s major sights. We have a chance to visit these before we leave for our next destination. The winding roads cross over the Pha Din Pass before reaching Dien Bien Phu, the site of the decisive battle in Vietnam’s struggle for independence in 1954. After checking into our central located hotel we  enjoy a walk around to see this fast growing town. Our  main stop  is Dien Bien Phu’s Museum which details the event in place. We also pay a visit to the old battle field where the lush vegetation grows behind many war relics including old French tanks and artillery pieces. O/N in Dien Bien Phu .

Day 4: Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau.
The journey north continues on to Lai Chau Town, our base for exploring the surrounding areas These back roads are a great way to explore the real Vietnam. We see very few other travellers, mostly rural dwellers who are just as interested in finding out about our lives as we are of theirs. After checking into hotel, we embark on a boat for a two hour trip along the Da River, passing through the stunning mountain landscapes. The pace is very relaxed, a perfect way to observe the local lifestyle close up. O/N in Lai Chau.


Day 5: Lai Chau – Sin Ho – Tam Duong.
Today we continue venturing into northern Vietnam with the next stop being Sin Ho which is home land of  the Red Hmong, Kho Mu, Mang and Dao ethnic minorities. They are settled there longtime ago and still retain their traditional culture and habits. The trip to Sin Ho is occasionally suspended due to the restriction of the local authority. Departing Sin Ho we make our way past the hilly region to Tam Duong. This timeless town is surrounded by  stunning mountain backdrops and lush tea plantations. O/N in Tam Duong.


Day 6: Tam Duong – Sapa.
The scenery of the north is unequalled although the conditions are very simple. After breakfast we drive following the main artery of trade in northwestern region. This bumpy road links to many hill towns and villages. At an elevation of 1,500 meters, Sapa was founded in the early years of the last century as a hill resort for French administrators when the heat on the plain became unbearable. After checking into hotel we can soak up the fresh climate as much as we want by spending our time wandering around this charming town and some legacies of the French period. O/N in Sa Pa.


Day 7: Sapa.
The huge range of Phan Si Pan boasts Vietnam’s highest mountain and lends an alpine feel to the area surrounding this hill station. Today we have enough time to visit the bustling Sa Pa Market where the Red Dao, Black Hmong, Tay and Xa Pho ethnic minorities converge from the nearby mountainsides and valleys to trade their goods and buy provisions. We get well off the beaten track as we embark on a walk to discover this beautiful mountain region. Along the way we traverse several rustic villages and see many mountaineers doing their daily works such as logging, herding buffalo and tilling the field. O/N in Sa Pa.


Day 8: Sapa – Bat Xat – Laocai.

Heading out of town, we make our way through the breathtaking mountain landscape to Bat Xat. The weather  in this region is cool due to the high altitude. On arrival, we embark on a short walk, passing through several villages which is populated by the Phu La, Dao and Giay ethnic minorities. They are very poor, but have an interesting local culture and a colorful history. A part of the pleasure of travelling in this region is the simple joy of seeing hill tribe people. We continue our  trip to Lao Cai border town, our final destination. O/N in Lao Cai.


Day 9: Lao Cai – Bac Ha.
The weekend market of Muong Khuong also attracts a wide variety of ethnic minority groups such as Hmong, Dao, Thu Lao, Pa Di, Tu Di and  Phu La. After breakfast, we embark on a  two hour drive delivering  to Muong Khuong Town. There is a wonderful experience to wander around this colorful  congregation. In the early afternoon, we travel by roads  to Bac Ha. This is basically an overnight stop to break our long journey. After checking into hotel we can enjoy walk to visit the Hmong King’s former residence and Ban Pho where  villagers make the potent local maize alcohol. O/N in Bac Ha.

Day 10: Bac Ha – Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang.
Upon leaving Bac Ha we set off on a full day journey through Sin Man and Hoang Su Phi to  Ha Giang Town. The rough but scenic route traverse a dense jungle before crossing over a pass and dropping down to Sin Man. This day is a real challenge for our driver as we travel by winding roads with many uphill and down hill drives. Along the way we may encounter the Nung Ing, Tay, Red Dao, Dao Ao Dai, La Chi and Co Lao, just some of the many hill tribe groups who have settled there. O/N in Ha Giang.


Day 11: Ha Giang – Sa Phin – Dong Van.
The remote region of Dong Van and Meo Vac is a land of rugged mountains and beautiful hill villages  which are unchanged for centuries.  Today we head north west out of Ha Giang Town towards this northernmost tip of Vietnam. The former H’mong royal house at Sa Phin is a primary attraction of the region but the blend of hill tribe people’s colorful costumes and the majestic mountainous scenery make this long and  bumpy trip an unforgettable experience. O/N in Dong Van.


Day 12: Dong Van – Meo Vac.
The ethnic minority people are frequently seen in this hill town and small vendors along the street sell local textiles and handicraft. We have time to visit Dong Van Town  before continuing to Meo Vac which is conquered by the Lo Lo and Pu Peo ethnic minority people. They still retain their age old cultural traditions and are recognisably distinct from each other by their dress. The remoteness and the simple lifestyle of local people are a highlight of Meo Vac although conditions are very basic. We return to Ha Giang via Yen Minh, using a shortcut way.  O/N in Ha Giang.


Day 13: Meo Vac – Bao Lac – Ba Be Lakes.
An early morning start to drive through the rolling hills and the picturesque scenery to Ba Be National Park. The roads are very bumpy and zigzagging however we will have a  chance to meet the Hmong, Dao, Tay and Nung ethnic minorities who make for the main population of this region. We are sure to attract their attention as this part of the country receive very few visitors. Depending on road and traffic conditions we arrive in Ba Be by  late afternoon or early evening, but it is till an interesting day. O/N in Cho Ra.


Day 14: Ba Be Lakes.
The legendary lake of Ba Be is just one continuous water body although the name means” three lakes”. Today we embark on a  boat cruising down the Nang River which is the main water source of the lake. This exciting river trip  will give us a taste of the tranquil countryside and an enjoyable exploration of the Ba Be National Park. We traverse  en route the Poong Grotto before stopping at some nearby hill tribe villages and getting off the beaten track to the scenic Dau Dang Waterfalls. O/N in Cha Ra.


Day 15: Ba Be lakes – Hanoi.
Enjoy a full day drive from Ba Be lakes to Hanoi.