Sa Pa is located near Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam. It is a quiet mountain town and home to a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples. Most of the ethnic minority people work their land on sloping terraces since the vast majority of the land is mountainous.
Ever since Sa Pa town was introduced as a tourist destination, tourism has become one of the main source of income for this region.
Along the path at Sa Pa valley, you will see the minority people selling handmade gifts to tourist and some of which, spoilt by tourist, will ask for a token after a picture was taken of them.
Bac Ha which is a 3hrs drive from SAPA is the home of the flower Hmong community. The name is derived from the beautiful colors of their costume.
I have made a day trip to Bac Ha Market, famous for its Sunday Market, where you will see the Hmong get-together for all sort of purpose.
In my short stay in SAPA, i felt that the life here is simple and the people here are generally pleasant and kind.
Something that amazed me was that there was no beggar along any of the streets.
The adults here would rather trade with you by persuading you to buy their hand made products and children posing for your picture in return for a token.
If you would like to see a place with strong culture and yet away from the urban life, this is definitely the place to visit.
Photographer: Jackson Wong
Blog
