A bustling Sa Pa
It is not an exaggeration to say that everyone knows how attractive Sa Pa is. Located modestly at the foot of Hoang Lien Son mountain range, Sa Pa has a cool, fresh climate all year round. People have talked too much about it, to the point that I almost wanted to remove Sa Pa from my list of destinations.
However, by some fate, I still went to Sa Pa and was quickly held to this place. At the end of October, I went to Sa Pa on a trip with the agency. According to the schedule, we have a "free" day and the whole agency is divided into many groups, people go to conquer the "roof of Indochina", the group goes together to the Dragon May glass Bridge, go "checkin the border"...
My group of 3 people, all of whom just want to wander around the town and visit 2 famous villages: Ban Cat Cat and Ta Van.
Early in the morning, we moved together to Cat Cat village. No need to introduce much, here as a miniature world of tourism, we can experience many services: cosmetics, photography, visiting the scenery of human life blending with nature, shopping for specialties...
The dreamy Tien Sa waterfall is surrounded by ancient rammed houses that have created a poetic scene, enough to help Cat Cat village attract tourists who love photography.
We rented "hot trend" outfits together, transforming into H'Mong girls, local guys... to pose by waterfall or elaborate miniatures. Not only has it impressive natural scenery, Cat Cat village also offers many culinary services so that visitors can immediately recharge their energy for the discovery journey.
We had a prosperous lunch prepared with a tray of specialties such as black chicken, stream fish, bamboo shoots... after walking around the village on a winding, steep stone road. Taking a lunch in the middle of the view of Tien Sa waterfall on one side is white foam, hidden around the houses with sewing walls at a quite interesting feeling. It makes us feel full for a trip: There are beautiful landscapes, full tourism services, and also hidden local cultural characteristics.
The "soul of the mountain" hidden behind rough hands
After lunch, we returned to the town center to rest, then continued to Ta Van village. The time in the town center was enough for us to walk around the stone church grounds and the busy square.
Here, we encountered many colorful brocade shops displayed along the slopes. But what attracted me was not those colorful items, but the image of women in national costumes, both tirelessly tailored, embroidered, and happily chatting together.
They gathered in groups of 2-3 people, one side displayed goods, some even carried their children, struggling with bunches of belt and brocade. Those hands were rough and rough but seemed unstoppable.
Along the way to Ta Van village, the image of the tireless H'Mong woman with belt and brocade always appears in our sight. With that curiosity, I asked the taxi driver who took me to Ta Van village.
The friendly driver told me that he is also a H'Mong, so that image is no stranger to him. The H'Mong woman, when her full moon was old, had mastered the ripping of a belt and a fiber, practiced brocade embroidery and painting bee wax on a flax cloth. Because according to tradition, brocade fabric with elaborate embroidery shapes is the "examination" of the ingenuity and diligence of women.
Because it is done entirely by hand from the step of sewing, weaving fabric to embroidering, each brocade item will have different patterns and motifs, bringing the unique cultural features of the people of each area.
Therefore, women's hand-carving with bunches of belt and brocade embroidery items is not only a livelihood but also a way for them to preserve the beauty of their traditional culture.
As the driver said, when we arrived at Ta Van village, we visited many weaving frames and many unique brocade stalls. Because Ta Van is a village famous for brocade weaving in Sa Pa.
Not only that, Ta Van also makes us fall in love because this place is like an isolated small village with the noise and excitement of the town. The village is located in a precarious position at the foot of Hoang Lien Son mountain range, surrounded by mountain passes and winding terraced fields, creating a very typical peaceful and "healing" scene.
Without solid concrete buildings, nor many modern entertainment services, every corner of Ta Van can become a picture of lush green nature.
The stopover of our group is La Dao coffee shop, operated in an ancient house with wooden walls and traditional brown roofs. Enjoying a cup of herbal tea with eyes spread among young mountains, trees and a relaxing, quiet space will be an experience for visitors to discover: In the middle of a bustling town, there is still a primitive corner, where people live slowly, breathe slowly and preserve the soul of the mountains and forests in every fiber.
Leaving Ta Van when the sunset began to fall on the ancient houses, we could not help but miss that peaceful, pure moment.
So, in just a short day in Sa Pa, I was able to recognize the "soul of the mountain" penetrating in each unfinished issued issued a certificate, in the hands of a bottle of a woman by the curse frame, and in the peace of Ta Van at dawn. All are blended together like colorful, embroidered threads, so in my heart there is a truly different Sa Pa - a wild and profound place.
