The beauty of Sa Pa is not only from its wonderful landscape, but also because of the mysterious harmonization of many Sapa Ethnic people living together. Coming to the market, tourists will unsurprisingly be pleased with all the tribe people in here, namely, H’Mong, Dao, Tay, Giay, Xa Pho, …. They bring many interesting aspects of Sapa with significant differences in costume, lifestyle, cultural identities, and traditional customs.
H’Mong Ethnic People
H’Mong Ethnic People
In Sa Pa, H’mong is the most widespread village, from Cat Cat – San Sa Ho, Sa Pa, Lao Chai, Seo Mi Ty, and Ta Giang Phinh. Visitors enable to blow their mind with the difference in their daily routines, enjoy cocktails, chicken soup, corn wine, clam chowder, corn tortillas and unique dish from beans, …. The H’Mong people live mainly in Sa Pa is Black H’Mong, highlighting with black costumes. In the traditional festivals of the H’Mong people, Gao Toc festival celebrated on January 12, is usually held in large fields or hills with the desire for peace and prosperousness from God. Some interested activities in the festival are archery competitions, dancing, martial arts, horse racing.
Dzao Ethnic People
Dzao Ethnic People
If the H’Mong people are popular in high mountains, Dao people choose the valley or mid-mountain to plant maize, rice and cardamom. They live most in Ta Phin, Nam Cang, Thanh Kim, Suoi Thau and Trung Chai communes. They are mainly Red Dao because the Dao women often wear red scarves or red hats, many red and white patterns in the neck, and dress, performing the most beautiful in every Sa Pa market. For the Dao, dogs are invaluable gift from nature, and the Dao men are considered as mature when they are awarded the ritual. In addition, they also have many special customs such as family who are making wine, they have to put leaves in front of the house, do not allow strangers to enter the house because of the conception that wine will be sour and missed of flavor when strangers enter the wine house. There are many special festivals annually made of the Dao culture such as the Tet Festival held on the first and second day of the first lunar month, the singing festival on the tenth day of the first month in Ta Phin village. This village is also familiar with many kinds of colorful brocade by handful talents of the Dao women.
Tay Ethnic People
Tay Ethnic People
In Sa Pa, they live in some Southern communes such as Ban Ho, Nam Sai, Thanh Phu, typically with flat, fertile valleys convenient for farming and fishing. The Tay traditional costumes are relatively simple, the only color is a dark indigo (blue). Men and women wear a four-breasted blouse, a round neck with two front pockets, and a large waistband wrapped around the waist. On the occasion of the festive season, they often wear a long shirt, cut underarms, chiseled cloth or chamois, and women perform diagonal square scarf. In terms of art and culture, the Tay people have many folk songs, such as “luon” and “khap” singing. “Luon” singing often occurs in the night or when having visitors from far away. “Khap” singing is almost like Quan Ho Bac Ninh, being well-recognized in the world. In January, they organize many special festivals such as the dragon carving festival in Ta Van village on the day of praying to Than Nong, the god who governs the fields, gardens, … who brings to the village a good harvest; “Xoe” festival in the center of Thanh Phu commune on the 4th; the singing festival in Ban Ho on the 6th day of the first lunar month. Tourists like to explore cultural activities of the Tay can visit Ban Ho about 15 km or to Ban Den about 18 km from Sa Pa, where the mountain road is rubbed but the scenery is extremely original. They possibly sleep on the stilts, eat fishes in the stream, enjoy pork “cap nach”, grilled chicken, spin threads as well as make brocade, and enjoy the “Xoe” dance performances by the Tay girls.
Giay Ethnic People
Giay Ethnic People
Giay is a tributary of the Tay-Thai ethnic groups, accounting for only 2% of the Sapa population, concentrated in villages around Ta Van and Lao Chay valleys. Like the Tay, Nung, Thai, Giay people also performs the exclusive tradition of ethnic groups in here. Annually, they farm on flat rice fields til the end of the year, they gather and celebrate the special Tet festival days. Specifically, after the Lunar New Year, they held a festival maned “Gion Pooc” on the special Lunar Day to pray for a great coming year. Also, Giay is well-known for unique cultural costumes, being simpler than other ethnic groups, less embroidered and only colored bands around the neck and lapels. Reminded to Giay, no one unable to forget Giay folk songs being sung in all Giay social activities such as funerals, weddings, blessings, festivals and especially special occasions for couples. For Giay people, Giay folk song is to enjoy their life as the traditional lifestyle from ancestors.
Xa Pho Ethnic People
Xa Pho Ethnic People
Xa Pho belongs to the Phu La ethnic group and its population is only 4,000. For Sa Pa tour within 2 or 3 days, tourists are rare to see a lot of Xa Pho people in here, only a few people in Xa Pho living in the village of Nam Sai commune located to the South of Sa Pa district, which is a remote place, far from the car park so it is difficult to travel and not often exposed to other places. Hence, Xa Pho will be the special place for tourists want to enjoy adventures and unique cultural performances in here. Xa Pho people often cultivate on the field and work together in the crop. They build stilt houses, typically with small rice paddies. In addition to raising poultry, they are good at planting cotton weaving and knitting bamboo rattan. Even as a poor group in Sapa, they are very generous villagers and always be happy to sing and dance whenever tourists come to visit Xa Pho.
If have the opportunity to travel to Sapa on the occasion of the first year, let participate in many unique festivals showing many mysterious traditional culture of the peoples here. Have a nice trip!
