The beauty of the northern mountainous provinces appeared peacefully in Pham Xuan Quy’s eyes, after a journey of more than 6 months.
Pham Xuan Quy, 34 years old, currently lives in Dong Nai. He has many feelings for the northern mountainous area. The wild scenery and rustic people here have held the southern boy’s feet. At the beginning of 2022, Quy just had a return trip to give gifts to children and then traveled for more than 6 months, going to all the northern provinces. Your trip has just ended in early July.
Quy’s photo captures Tu San Canyon (Ha Giang), which is considered the deepest canyon in Southeast Asia with a cliff height of up to 700-800 m, a length of 1.7 km. Below is Nho Que River.
Ha Giang is the place where you meet many young people in the South traveling, together with them visit unknown spots and give gifts to highland children. “The feeling of going for a long time and meeting people with the same passion and speaking with the same Southern accent makes me feel happier and less homesick,” Quy said.
A small bamboo forest in Meo Vac, creating a scene like a historical movie. Quy said that on this return, he often goes to the highland communes of Meo Vac to take pictures, because this place is still relatively unspoiled, few people know, with winding roads next to corn hills.
A highland commune located on a hilltop in Meo Vac, with the main road peeking through the woods.
One of Quy’s memorable experiences in Ha Giang was when he enjoyed Tet with the H’Mong people in Sa Phin (Dong Van) in the cold weather. “The first time I sat in the house warming up by the fire, but my nose and mouth were full of smoke. Hot food that had just been laid out for a while was fat. There were meals that only consisted of menmen and mustard greens soup but Corn wine, laughter and cozy atmosphere are never lacking,” Quy recalls.
Another exciting moment of Quy was when he witnessed the sea of clouds in Sin Ho (Lai Chau). “Sin Ho is likened to Sa Pa of Lai Chau, with a relatively cold climate. When I arrived, it was covered with clouds in the early morning and evening. I met the sea of clouds when I was near the center of Sin Ho town, It feels like being in a completely different place, a town in the clouds.”
Besides Sin Ho, Quy also visited Si Thau Chai, a highland village not far from Tam Duong town. He took a selfie of himself playing on the swing as the sun slowly descended from the mountain, creating a backlit effect when the front was a vast mountainous area.
“I played the swing for more than two hours because it was so beautiful there, I could see the whole town below even though it was a bit foggy. If I have a chance to come back, I will come here at dawn to watch the clouds and hunt the dawn.” Quy said.
With a curious and adventurous personality, Quy also discovered a plum garden still hidden in Moc Chau (Son La), while looking for a spot for photography and fishing. “I have known this plum garden since 2021. At that time, the plum trees here only had leaves, but I guess when the flower season comes, it will be very beautiful, and it was not unexpected. That time, tourists went to take pictures. plum flowers are very crowded, almost every plum garden is full of people, but this plum garden is only me,” Quy said.
In Cao Bang, you visit Ban Viet lake, sit on a raft of local people. The lake has clear blue water, surrounded by maple-leaf forests. “This lake is as beautiful as the lakes in Japan and Korea. If there is a stop for tourists to visit and kayak, it will be more interesting than just standing on the view,” Quy suggested.
You also have the opportunity to admire Ban Gioc waterfall from a very different angle, thanks to the guidance of the local people. He said: “I was told by a Tay woman how to climb to the second floor of the waterfall to take pictures. The road was quite arduous, had to climb over trees, wade through a small stream, it took about 20 minutes. When I got there, I broke down. I feel like a waterfall is next to me.”
You take photos by the continuous bends of the Me Pja pass, a 14-storey pass 2.5 km long, connecting Xuan Truong commune to the center of Bao Lac district (Cao Bang). Quy said that the pass is relatively easy to go, when reaching the top, you have to climb about 1 km to open spots to capture the whole scene.
When stopping at the top of the pass, Quy often stops at a small grocery store, giving bags of fruit jelly to two girls with congenital anemia who are living with an elderly aunt here.
The Southern boy said that his feelings about these destinations are gradually becoming familiar. He advised: “If you want to experience the northern route, prepare to have good health and an open heart. The highlands, besides the beautiful scenery, have simple people. Come to them with sincerity.”
Photo: Xuan Quy