As I was following the national road 32 that crosses the heart of the Great Northwest, I came across an authentic place, Mu Cang Chai, North of Tonkin. This hamlet, yet of a great beauty, is known only among bikers and professional photographers. Culminating at 1,300m, this site is a must for travelers looking for uncharted places and picturesque landscapes. Hidden behind the Khau Pha Pass (celestial horn pass), the panorama will allow you to take stunning photos. And the kindness of local people will make up for the 280km separating the village from Hanoi!

Dominating the whole area of Mu Cang Chai for a hundred years, the Hmong kept to this day their singularity. Dressed in their traditional clothes, speaking their own language and refusing the modern way of life, they acquired a know-how allowing them to live in perfect autonomy. From maize grown in mountain rock, terraced rice fields, to the linen used to sew their clothes, everything they need is entirely produced by this century-old folk. Each year, when the first drops of rain fall on the treetops, you will find the villagers working the land to prepare the next rice crop but you will not find any machine. They only use their animals and their simplest instruments to plow, reform the borders and work the land. Immersing myself with the locals and their unique Hmong culture was an incredibly heartwarming experience.
I left a piece of my soul there and promised myself to come back later and to share this little piece of paradise with my family, my friends and of course, you!

Mu Cang Chai – reasons to go there 

-    Several hikes in a fairy-tale scenery
-    Encounters with many local ethnic groups
-    Homestays and warm welcomes
-    A breathtaking landscape

Did you know?

-    There is only one rice season in Mu Cang Chai due to its difficult to access location. If you’re enthusiastic about terraced rice fields, you cannot miss this beautiful region between June and October. The Hmong begin to work the land in June and plant the rice a few weeks later. The rice takes four months to grow and in late October, the entire region is dyed a coppery yellow.
-    The Hmong, a minority ethnic group dominating the Great Northwest, represents 90% of the local population in Mu Cang Chai. They reject modern life and the Vietnamese cultural stagnation. Nowadays, most of them do not speak Vietnamese and practice the abduction of the bride.
-    The hotel rooms are not very comfortable. Instead we advise you to spend a night at a homestay in one of the Thai or Hmong villages.
-    A mountainous road connects Mu Cang Chai and SaPa. It crosses rice paddies, hills covered with tea trees and the highest pass of Indochina. An earthly paradise!


 

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