The Western Highland used to be divided into 3 provinces: Lam Dong, Dak Lak, and Gia lai-Kon Tum, but now it has 5 provinces: Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum.

Apart from Kinh people, the Western Highland also has the other communities like Ba Na, E de, Gia Rai and other minority people such as Xo Dang, Mo Nong, Ma, Co-ho…

Those people lived under a matriarchy; it means their child will bear their mother’s surname. Women are those have the right to make a decision in most important events in family and also are the breadwinner of their family. As a result, women will choose and then decide who will be their husband. If you have the chance to visit an E de family in Dak Lak, you will have more insights into this matriarchy. They have to do all of the hard work so their hands and feet are really rough and big. In the other side, men seem to run errands so that their hands look elegant.

The families that are blood-relations will decide whether they will live together in the same house or not depending on their custom. Their Rong houses are next to each other, there is one more house if there is a small family appearing in a big family. That house is called long house.

The characteristic of the minority’s houses in the Western Highland all have the only room. The floor is made of wood and has the staircase. Their house tends to have 2 staircases, one for men and the other for women.

All of the minority communities in the Western Highland have a Rong house in their village. ‘Rong’ House is the communal house used for the whole community. There is also a bigger and taller kind of Rong House than other Rong Houses in the village. Nowadays it is really hard to find an original ‘Rong’ house across the Western Highland area because almost of them have been destroyed. Today Rong House is just a kind of Rong House model.

The materials used for Rong House construction is from bamboo, woods in forests, alang grass. In the past, it often takes 2 to 3 years of preparation to build a build a Rong House. They need to come into the forest to collect some kinds of wood, chop them off and bring them home to make house’s pillar. Alang grass used to make house roof needs to be dried before using. Most Rong Houses have the shape of the hammer blade. But the Rong House of Ba Na people has the low floor and roof that is called the short Rong House in order to distinguish with other Rong House of Ja Rai people. Ja Rai’s Rong Houses are much taller. Their height can soar up to the sky (around 20m). If you have ever read the work called “the nation stands up” of Nguyen Ngoc writer, you can understand more about Ja Rai’s Rong House.

If you come to the Western Highland these days, the Rong House you can find is made of the cermet and their roof is made of tin.

One amazing thing is that most minority people live under a matriarchy yet the village head is men. Each village has 3 or 4 village heads. For example, the head of Rong House is supposed to focus on overseeing and maintaining the Rong House. Other village heads responsible for the water in village concentrate on overseeing and take the water into the village. The village in charge of culture and economics will make a decision on food, particularly beef, and entertainment during the festival. The village in charge of the economy will determine what plants village people will choose to grow in a certain season and so on.

The Rong House is where living activities of the whole village occurs. If there are any serious things happening, village people will have a discussion together at the Rong House. As a result, this house is considered the divine place of the Western Highland villages.

One amazing thing is that women are not allowed to set foot on the Rong House. Ba Na people these days still remain that custom. A few Ja Rai people’s villages have been destroyed. So women are allowed to come to the Rong House that village uses the Rong House as a church.

When it comes to women who are not allowed to come to the Rong House, when I come to the Western Highland for the first time, I follow some of my friends to Ba Na village. A few King women teachers that come with me don’t know this custom. Because they saw the Rong House for the first time, they are too excited to run straight away along the staircase. After setting their feet on the floor, they were arrested by village people. They did it because they suppose that women who come to the Rong House will touch the village ghost. Eventually, the authority here must involve in this in order to settle the problem down.

The Rong House of the Western Highland people is where village people have a meet and single young men can come to sleep. Any single village men have the age of 15 and up have to come to the Rong House for sleeping.

When mentioning the Western Highland culture, it is necessary to mention the Rong House and H’mo Roong Rau festival. This is a really important festival of village people here.

Mu Cang Chai (Mù Cang Chải) is a mountainous district in Yen Bai Province, locating approximately 280 kilometers from Hanoi. This place is widely well-known for its breathtaking terrace fields. In every harvesting season, thousands of visitors across the country pour to Mu Cang Chai for this unique scenery. If you have never been to this place, we highly recommend you to immediately pack your bag and be right on the road, as you will never regret of your time spent there.

Best season to visit Mu Cang Chai?
Although the normal scenery of Mu Cang Chai is not very distinctive from other places, there are two particularly outstanding seasons which is really a must for your trip:
• Harvesting season falls from mid-September to mid-October.
During this time, Mu Cang Chai is exclusively covered with bright yellow paddy fields. As the weather is also favorable, your trip to visit this place is nothing but convenient.
• From May to June is the season of pouring water.
This is the rainy season when summer rains continuously pour down the nearby mountain. Water follows the channels from these mountains, spilling into the terrace fields and softening the dried land and making it cultivable. This is the time when the locals prepare for their new cultivation with eager. It also explains the reason why there is only one harvest in the terrace fields of the northern mountainous areas. Terraces of fields which are full of water “literally” glisten by reflecting the final sun lights of a day – this creates a breathless moment that makes even the toughest tourist amazed at.

Transportation to Mu Cang Chai

From Hanoi, you can directly head for Mu Cang Chai by motorbikes, or choose sleeping buses (buses with beds) as a means of transport. Most of buses in the route from Hanoi to Lai Chau do go through the territory of Mu Cang Chai so you have quite a good choice. In case you choose to travel by buses, you can also rent motorbikes to explore more about Mu Cang Chai and the surrounding areas. This vehicle is extremely convenient and flexible for sightseeing, posing photos and enjoying the paddy fields. Regarding renting motorbikes, you can either directly ask for help from your hotel/motel or contact the motorbikes stores called Huan Tuan Tuyen (mobile: 0166.568.4574).

Hotels and Motels in Mu Cang Chai

If you intend to visit this place at peak times (e.g. in the festival of terrace fields), it will be relatively difficult to reserve a room. In fact, there are not many hotels and guest houses in Mu Cang Chai. Thus, if you only spend only 1 day in Mu Cang Chai, or this is just stop in your journey, you had better rent a room in the surrounding areas, such as Tu Le or Nghia Lo, etc.

In order to capture the most magnificent photos of Tu Le field, it is advisable to get to Khau Pha mountain top pass at around 7-9 a.m. (after this period, it may be still sunny but rather dim and misty). Here is our tip for you: You can choose either to sleep the night right in Tu Le, or go 7 kilometers further up to Khau Pha mountain pass where there is system of restaurant-hotel with more than 20 rooms available. From this point, it takes you about 15 minutes to get to the mountain top pass.

about 15 minutes to get to the mountain top pass.

Specialties in Mu Cang Chai

• Tu Le sticky rice

Sticky rice in Tu Le is a well-known long-standing specialty which is cultivated in the fields of Muong Lo (Yen Bai Province).

• Tu Le “Com”

Tu Le commune (Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province) has long been famous for special sticky rice with large, round and pure white grains. “Xoi” made from this rice has a particularly unique aroma; meanwhile, when cooking into “Com”, the rice also has a sweet and refreshing taste.

To retain its charming flavor, seductive aroma and the special feature of Yen Bai mountainous region, the treatment of Thai ethnics must be extremely sophisticated. When the top of rice plants starts to bend down and still remains its milk, the locals harvest them and start the process to make ‘Com’. Instead of threshing, rice is plucked and got rid of straw as well as immature grains, then dipped into water and finally roasted in the pan. Stoves used to roast “Com” must be built from coal shreds and burned by firewood.

The pan used in this process is usually made from cast iron so that the grains of ‘Com’ will not be burned but soft, glutinous, aromatic and tasty after roasting. Fire in the stoves must be small and ‘Com’ in the pan should be turned frequently to receive intensive heat. Once roasting is done, ‘Com’ is left until cool then put into a mortar for pounding until the rice husk comes out. After that, the husk is removed the rice is further pounded.

Depending on how mature the rice is, the locals will estimate the time for pounding but it falls around approximately 10 times of pounding. ‘Com’ is usually served with ripen bananas, persimmons, or used in a number of dishes such as duck porridge, sticky rice, sweet glutinous soup, or even used as a seasoning for fried spring rolls, fried shrimp, fried meat, etc.

• Salmon and Sturgeon

From the foot of Khau Pha mountain pass on Tu Le’s side, if you go uphill approximately 7 kilometers, you will reach the area of Khau Pha restaurant which is also one of the largest salmon farms of the Northern region. The number of fish here can be as high as 10,000 fishes with fish breeds imported and raised following European technology. Various delicious dishes made from salmon (or sturgeon) are prepared right here to serve to tourists. If you travel in a group, it will be absolutely wonderful to choose Salmon hot pot for lunch.

• Roasted grasshoppers

Grasshoppers live throughout the year, however, they appear with substantial number in harvesting season from May to September. During this time, dishes of grasshoppers, which is considered as an tourist attraction to Mu Cang Chai, are always impressively stunning.

In addition, in Mu Cang Chai, you can also enjoy stream crab roasted with salt. However, this dish is not always available; thus, you should reserve in advance with the restaurant. In fact, tourists usually wander around the area sightseeing and posing photos before going back to Mu Cang Chai, at this time, restaurants are usually in short of food.

• Stream crabs roasted with salt

Unlike sea crabs or field crabs, stream crabs reside in small rock niches around the stream on highlands. Crabmeat is uniquely aromatic and firm so that it can be cooked into various good dishes including roasting with salt. When crabs are caught, their shells are removed and the remaining is washed with water then left until dry. Pour oil into the pan and wait until it boils, then add a little of garlic, put the crabs in and turn frequently, and finally season the dish with an appropriate amount of salt. When crabs are done with an attractive yellow, it is ready to be served.

• Tao Meo (cardamom) in Mu Cang Chai

In Yen Bai, Son Tra trees usually live in the mountainous areas to the west of the province, especially in three districts: Mu Cang Chai, Tram Tau, Van Chan where the temperature base is quite extraordinary: it is sunny and hot in summer when affected by the southwest wind, while it is extremely cold in the winter at highlands. This tree (Tao Meo) possesses various marvelous features not only in daily life of the locals but also in medicine.

Tao Meo trees naturally flourished in forests and reach an average height between 7-10 meters with woody trunks and broad foliage. These trees can widely expand their habitat thanks to human and animal activities. Due to this reason, their habitats lack concentration but spread to many places. Tao Meo trees blossom in spring and fruit in autumn. Around September or October, Tao Meo fruits start to ripen in mass number. During this time, every market in the district, especially in Yen Bai station market, is flooded with Tao Meo fruits. The gourmets will not choose those with big or beautiful appearance, they tend to prefer small and wormy fruits as these are much sweeter.

There are two types of Tao Meo fruits: one is usually sold at markets (more popular), and the other is wild fruits in the forests. The latter type is small, when ripening it turns into light pink or translucent yellow, sweet, crispy and extremely charmingly aromatic. Wild fruits of Tao Meo are always pure sweet with no bitter or sour like the first type o fruits. According to senior sellers of Tao Meo in Yen Bai station market, the most delicious fruits of Tao Meo are those from Tram Tau or Mu Cang Chai where Tao Meo trees live in pine hills or wild forests. Though this type is not beautiful enough to be bought as gifts, it is attractively delicious and is usually reserved by many buyers. At the end of the season, the price of Tao Meo in Yen Bai can be up to 40,000 VND/kilogram. This finding even further proves the meaning and vitality of Tao Meo in the life of local people as well as in the socio-economic development of the western district of Yen Bai Province.

In traditional eastern medicine, Tao Meo is referred to as Son Tra. This is a valuable medicine which is used to cure dyspepsia, heartburn, diarrhea, low blood pressure or to improve cardiac operation. What is special about Tao Meo is that every part of it is totally usable. Its nuts and inner part prove to be helpful in reducing fat, treating hypotension, tranquilizing or physiologically balancing as well as preventing the complications caused by hypertension, etc. Due to this, Tao Meo is used as herb to nourish mental nutrition or treated into wine as appetizers – a favorite drink of many people. Tao Meo is also used to make cooling and refreshing drinks in summer. Furthermore, a handy person can use Tao Meo to make valuable and delicious gifts such as syrup, jam or fermenting with salt, etc. This is the reason why people from many places really appreciate this marvelous gift.

Harvested Tao Meo can be preserved in natural conditions very many days. As syrup, Tao Meo fruits need to be peeled, removed of seeds and got rid of the inner part and cleaned. Then they are cut vertically into 4 or 6 pieces, put in brine for several hours to remove the sap. Next, take them out and drain, then mix them with white sugar and leave them untouched for 1 week. After that, Tao Meo combined with sugar turn into a gold glutinous soup like honey. Its taste is cooling sour, purely sweet with gentle aroma. If intended for use in a short time, this drink is delicious, refreshing and suitable to all ages. In case you want to set aside syrup for later seasons, you need to boil the syrup then pour the sauce into bottles. This sauce can be preserved in the long term with no fear of fermentation or deformation.

To make ‘o mai’ from Tao Meo, after collecting the fruits, the shell needs to be remained to retain the flavor. Then get rid of the inner part, cut horizontally, dry and cook them with white sugar. Then dry them again. If you like spicy taste, you can add ground ginger and cook just the same as instructed above. Tao Meo ‘o mai’ is a special and attractive dish in winter months, especially during the Lunar New Year.

Otherwise, Tao Meo fruits can be fermented with sugar, salt and chili. As a result, you have a special dish with spicy, salty, sweet and crispy taste with distinguished aroma that can never be mistaken.

Recommended restaurants in Mu Cang Chai:

• Thắng Nguyệt Restaurant. Tel: 0914.998.825. Note: delicious mountain frogs.
• Tuấn Bò food store. Tel: 0948.929.223.
• The food store at the junction (next to the petrol station) near the sigh ‘Di xa Che Tao’ (To Che Tao).
• Houses on stilts in Thai ethnics’ villages.

Recommended restaurants in Tu Le:

• Chuyền Dung Tú Lệ Restaurant. Tel: 029.38.78.914. Note: famous for sticky rice and chicken.
• Phố Núi Tú Lệ Restaurant. Tel: 029.38.97.115.

Ethnic markets are trading markets taking place weekly or monthly on specific days. This type of market is distinguished in a number of rural areas in Asian and African countries, usually among minority ethnic groups.

In Vietnam, Lao Cai is among the provinces where ethnic markets are extremely unique and intriguing. This is also a tourist attraction to the province.

Monday – Bản Phiệt market

Ban Phiet market is held in Ban Phiet commune, in the border district of Bao Thang. The market takes place weekly on Monday and adjacent to Highway 4D. As compared to other ethnic markets in Lao Cai, Ban Phiet market is relatively small and not very crowded, however, it is still distinguished as this is the trading place among ethnic communities within the region. The majority of people in this market are from the White H’Mong minority. The market starts very early in the morning when the cold mist is still lingering in the air. As a norm in this mountainous area, people are usually dressed in their most beautiful and colorful clothes to go shopping.

Tuesday – Cốc Ly market

Coc Ly is an ethnic market in the highland district of Bac Ha, taking place every week on Tuesday. The market is divided into separated zones which trade different items, such as: zone of brocade and weaving products, zone of mountainous commodities, zone of cattle, food court, etc. People going to this market are mostly from H’Mong Hoa ethnic, Black Dao ethnic or Nung ethnic. Coc Ly market is famous not only for its ‘item for item’ practice, but also for its location next to a suspension bridge across Chay River, which becomes one of the most appealing attractions in the area.

Wednesday – Cao Sơn market

Cao Son market locates in Cao Son commune, Muong Khuong district. This is the market of people in H’Mong, Phu La, Dao and the Black Han ethnics who live in the 4 biggest villages of Muong Khuong district. Like Coc Ly, Cao Son market is separated into different zones: zone of fruits and vegetables, zone of cattle and poultry, and especially the zone selling the most famous specialties of these ethnics such as: ‘thang co’, corn wine from Coc Dam, etc. On the ways to the market, you can easily catch sight of groups of people with utterly colorful dresses eagerly walking towards the market, which creates a vivid picture of this beautiful highland.

Thursday – Lùng Khấu Nhin market

Lung Khau Nhin market in Muong Khuong district is held on every Thursday morning. This is one of the most widely-known ethnic markets in Lao Cai and even in the vast territory of the Northwest mountainous area. Like other ethnic markets in this highland, Lung Khau Nhin is also flooded with the most vibrant colors of dresses and blankets, the charming green of cabbages and the brilliant yellow of tangerine. These dazzling colors are really distinguished among ranges of mountains, and visible even from the top of the slope which is rather distant from the market. Buyers and traders here are usually from H’Monh, Nung, Man or Kinh ethnics.

Friday – Chậu market

Since nineteenth century, many ethnic markets have been held in Muong Khuong district to serve the need to exchange goods of the locals. In addition to some famous markets like Muong Khuong, Cao Son, Pha Long or Ban Lau, Chau market locating in Lung Vai commune has long been the trading center in the eastern area of Thuy Vi. This market is comparatively distinguished as it not only serves the trading purposes, but it also a social meeting where people meet and exchange feelings with the others. When the market takes place, boys and girls from the villages take this opportunity for meeting, talking and even dating with each other. Going to Chau market, tourists stand a unique chance to explore the spectacular Muong Khuong with its rich traditions and cultures which are cherished and passed down to the descendants until now.

Saturday – Cán Cấu and Pha Long markets

Can Cau ethnic market (Si Ma Cai district) takes place on the roadside of Street 153, which is the only raddle road connecting the town of Bac Ha and the borderland of Si Ma Cai. Can Cau market is held among H’Mong, Hoa and Giay ethnics, however, it follows the trading rituals of Dao ethnic. This is also considered as the largest market trading buffaloes in the North highlands.

Pha Long market (Muong Khuong district) is the trading center of local people from some communes of the district such as Pha Long, Din Chin, Ta Ngau Cho, Ta Gia Khau, etc. During the market, people of H’Mong, Lo Lo, Tay, Nung, Giay ethnics congregate for trading and shopping, which creates a bustling and crowded scene among the quite mountains. The area of brocade is the most hectic, humming and eye-catching area in the market. Especially when you go to Pha Long market during spring (on Lunar New Year holiday), it is highly likely that you can join the very famous and interesting Gau Tao fair. Also on Saturday, you can conveniently visit Y Ty market which is also an attractive market near the Vietnam-China border.

Sunday – Bắc Hà, Sapa and Mường Khương market

Among the ethnic market on Sunday in Lao Cai, the most prominent one is Bac Ha market which is voted one of the 10 most unique ethnic market in the South East Asia. Bac Ha market is also the only place in Vietnam where horses are traded in a specific area. Hundreds of horses are traded every time when the market is held.

Sapa market lies in the heart of Sapa center. Every Sunday, there are various products are traded here such as medicines, rare forestry commodities, traditional products of the ethnic minorities here like handmade brocade, ethnic cuisines and other precious forestry products. This is not only the trading time of local people of the highland, but also the opportunity for boys and girls to meet, sing love songs and find their partners through songs, flutes, a special trumpet of the ethnics here and even lip trumpets.

Muong Khuong market locates about 50 kilometers from Sapa, lies right at the center of Muong Khuong district. Normally, Muong Khuong market is similar to other highland ethnic markets for its colorfulness, bustle and hustle. However, what really distinguishes Muong Khuong market from others is the area trading horses, and especially the area trading forestry birds. This market is the destination of ‘bird hunters’ around the region, making the bird area in the market the most crowded and humming. Birds traded here are usually nightingale caught in the surrounding forests, these birds not only have a strangely wide beauty but their voice is also mind-blowing. On gathering day, tourist can easily see the ethnic men eagerly bring a bird cage heading for the market. They come there to sell, exchange or even fight their birds with the others’ in order to prove their talents to their lovers. What an elegant hobby of the H’Mong ethnic!

Besides, you can also choose to visit Lung Phin market (Bắc Hà) or Mường Hum market (Bát Xát) on every Sunday of the week. If you’re keen to explore ethnic markets of northwest Vietnam, just contact one of our specialists who will plan an ideal trip for you.