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The sounds of pan-flutes and of Mong children resound across the northern province of Ha Giang, nestled amidst mountains and river valleys.
At the highest latitude in Viet Nam, Ha Giang is home to 23 ethnic minorities, including the Mong, Tay, Nung, Bo Y, Lo Lo and Pa Then.
The area, 350km-ride north of Ha Noi, is characterised by limestone highlands, karst outcroppings and hospitable people. Tourism has not yet tainted its charms and it is an area rich in legend.
When visiting, the site of the Lo river is a good place to start. It flows gently through the mountains and past Mong stilt houses, which are hidden up the slope of the land, obscured by trees.
Though beautiful, getting to Meo Vac district is extremely harrowing. Only 150km from Ha Giang town, the trip can exceed eight hours. High passes, steep drops, deep ravines and razor sharp turns force vehicles to a crawl through the cloud-covered roads.
From the mountain ridge, Meo Vac looks like a chessboard, new steel-roofed houses dotting the green of the land below.
Khau Vai markets
One of the things that sets Meo Vac apart is its famed Khau Vai love market or Phong Luu love market, which local elders say originated in 1919.
In the market area there are two temples: Ong (Mr) and Ba (Mrs). The legend is that once a boy and girl were born in different places in Dong Van plateau. The boy's surname was Linh and the girl's Loc. They loved each other very much despite the deep rivers and rocky mountains, which often kept them apart.
Their families forbid their marriage and so they fled together to Khau Vai where they began cultivating the land. They did not have a child but they lived happily until death.
In honour of their efforts in converting the wild into rich cropland, the local people built two temples. On every lunar March 26th and 27th, Khau Vai attracts couples of varying ages, including those seeking partners. Those that come in greatest numbers are the couples, very much in love, whose marriages are prohibited.
On the day of the market, both the wives and husbands also attend together, but once there, they look for other partners. If one of them has to stay home on market day, jealousy is supposedly not an issue because marketplace dating is considered to be a purely emotional exchange.
But even for those not interested in love at all, the festival still holds some allure. With food and drink, performances, folk games, and displays of ethnic dress, jewellery, musical instruments and art, there's a little something for everyone.
Passing through
Ma Pi Leng pass, located between Meo Vac and Dong Van, is another regional highlight. The pass stretches around 15km along the side of a stunning mountain range. It parallels a section of the Nho Que river, which curves in a thin silver stream below.
People come to the area for the cliffs and the mountain view, particularly at this time of year when the sun clears away the cloud cover and the landscape stretches forth unobscured.
To read the rest of the article please go to www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?id=42&sec=11
July 16, 2008
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