HA GIANG – Then Pa, located at the foot of the Lung Cu flagpole, still retains many traditional features of the Mong people such as lifestyle or walled houses with yin and yang tiled roofs.
Then Pa village in Lung Cu commune, Dong Van district is located at the foot of Dragon Mountain, where the Lung Cu flagpole is located, considered the northernmost point of Vietnam. At the foot of Dragon Mountain, there are two freshwater lakes called “Dragon Eyes” by locals that never dry up all year round. The lake on the left is located near Lo Lo Chai village, and the lake on the right is near Then Pa village.
Located about 26 km from Dong Van town, Then Pa still retains many long-standing traditional cultural features of the Mong ethnic people.
In particular, in a small hamlet of the village, there are 10 households who are brothers from the Vang family, who have lived here for more than 100 years.
Loving the majestic landscape and peaceful life of the people in the far North, Nguyen Sy Duc (Bac Ninh) has come to Ha Giang to live and work for 4 years now.
Arriving at Then Pa on October 26, Duc impressed Duc with the peaceful scene, imbued with the traditions of the small village. The houses are all mud-walled houses with yin-yang tile roofs. People wear brocade costumes every day for work and daily activities.
In the early morning, the village was covered in mist. “People are awakened by the sunshine and the sound of a rooster signaling a new day, not the sound of crowded car horns like in the city,” Duc said.
At the entrance to the village there are two rows of ancient sa moc trees, hundreds of years old. Sa Moc is a woody, coniferous tree with a straight, cone-shaped trunk and horizontal branches that grow in layers. They are also a symbolic tree for the Dong Van stone plateau (Ha Giang) because of their strong vitality.
Then Pa possesses its own beauty in every season of the year. In spring, the pink of peach blossoms and the white of pear blossoms cover the mountain slopes, village roads, and people’s gardens with bright colors. Summer is the season of green corn fields, watching Dragon’s Eye Lake with clear water.
In the fall, terraced fields of ripe rice create a poetic golden season scene. Entering winter, the village is covered in fog in the early morning.
In the past, Then Pa people’s lives revolved around fields, livestock, and farming.
In 2021, realizing the tourism potential of the village, Mr. Vu Gia Dai, a native of Thai Nguyen who came to Ha Giang to do tourism in 2008, invested in building a number of tourism services in Then Pa.
The traditional walled houses of the people have been renovated according to the old architectural style, combined with homestays to serve tourists. Besides, he also opened another restaurant serving local specialties such as thang co, black chicken hot pot, and men men.
Mr. Dai wants to convey the natural beauty, people and traditional culture of the Mong ethnic people in the top region of the country to tourists.
“The slow, peaceful pace of life of the people in the village is a simple way to help tourists live slowly and enjoy life,” Mr. Dai said.
Currently, tourists visiting Then Pa can stay in homestay rooms in local people’s houses with prices ranging from 150,000 – 180,000 VND per night.
In the village, there are indigenous people who provide services to take tourists to tourist destinations such as Lung Cu flagpole, the actual northernmost point or other pristine villages.
Located near the Lung Cu flagpole, but compared to Lo Lo Chai, Then Pa is not known to many tourists, although the number of visitors “has improved”, Mr. Dai said.
After spending a day here, Duc plans to return to Then Pa during the pear blossom season (around March of the solar calendar). Duc believes that the tiled roofs, earthen walls tinged with time, and the fresh atmosphere in this place are always suitable for resting at any time of the year.
The village is located right at the foot of the Lung Cu flagpole, convenient for visitors to experience watching the sunrise at the beginning of the country.
Standing on the top of Dragon Mountain, looking out into the distance, visitors will admire the panoramic view of Then Van valley on the left and the upstream of Nho Que river on the right.
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)