What to Do in Bac Ha Vietnam ?

Bac Ha is an attractive place for tourists in Lao Cai Province, located 70 km away from Lao Cai city. It has pleasant weather, beautiful pristine scenery, and a diverse culture with 14 different ethnic groups. These features make it a great destination for people who want to visit and discover new places. Bac Ha has numerous fascinating and distinct tourist spots that are worth exploring. Let's take a look at the most stunning attractions in Bac Ha Vietnam together.

1. Bac Ha Sunday Market

Bac Ha Sunday market is located in the centre of Bac Ha district and takes place only on Sunday weekly. It is considered one of the top 10 famous weekend markets in Southeast Asia by tourists. When you visit the market, you'll feel like you're in a colourful flower forest due to the vibrant costumes worn by the Hmong, Dao, Phu La, Tay, Nung, La Chi, and other ethnic groups. A unique aspect of this market is that goods are sold on the ground. If you visit Bac Ha, don’t miss Bac Ha Sunday market to learn more about the highland culture.

Hmong people attend Bac Ha Sunday Market

Most of the things for sale at the market are local produce and live animals that the Bac Ha people grow and raise. The market is divided into five main parts. The first part is for livestocks, including a special area for dogs, birds and buffalo. If you like Hmong tailless dogs or Bac Ha poodles, you should go to this part of the market. There's also an area for groceries where you can find tools like ploughs, hoes, shovels, and knives that local people use. The cloth area sells products like brocade, clothes, jewellery, wool, and colourful threads. In the food area, you'll find pots of Thang Co, a dish made with well-cooked horse meat, and the delicious aroma fills the air. Finally, there's an area where local people sell alcoholic drinks they make, and you can experience the warm and strong flavour of the famous Ban Pho corn wine there.

2. Hoang A Tuong palace

The next unmissable site in Bac Ha is Hoang A Tuong Palace, which is in the centre of Bac Ha District, only 1 km away from the ethnic market. It was built between 1914 and 1921 by the former owner Hoang Yen Chao, a powerful ruler of the region. The mansion's charm lies in its special design that blends European and Asian styles. Moreover, there are some  intriguing and mysterious stories about the family who lived there. It can be said that this place is a living museum of Bac Ha's history.

Hoang A Tuong palace in Bac Ha Vietnam

3. Ham Rong Cave

Ham Rong cave is situated in Nhiu Co Van B village, Ta Van Chu commune, approximately 30 km away from Bac Ha town. It is a spacious cave with four floors in Dragon Mountain. Ham Rong Cave, found at an altitude of more than 1000 m above sea level, maintains its original and enigmatic charm with numerous impressive formations of stalactites. It spans a total length of around 470 m. Thien Long Cave, which is a section of Ham Rong Cave, has been recognized as a national heritage site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Ham Rong cave in Bac Ha Vietnam

4. Ban Pho village of flower Hmong people

Situated over 1 km away from the city, Ban Pho village is inhabited entirely by Hmong people. This village has been famous for its long-standing tradition of producing corn wine. While several regions in Bac Ha engage in making corn wine, the most renowned and delightful ones can be found exclusively in Ban Pho village. Remarkably, the village benefits from a refreshing water source originating from a stone cave. Additionally, the locals use a unique type of natural yeast called Hong My yeast, which imparts a strong aroma and impeccable quality to the alcohol. Interestingly, consuming this alcohol will not leave you feeling fatigued or give you a headache, even if you become drunk. When you visit Ban Pho village, you will have the opportunity to savour this schnapps and learn about the traditional craft directly from the local residents.

Hong My plant to make wine yeast

5. Trung Do village of Tay people

Trung Do village is located near Provincial Road 153, on the way from Lao Cai to Bac Ha town. In the village, it is easy to see unique architecture of houses on stilts built by the Tay people, along with beautiful natural scenery and an open space that visitors love. There is also a Trung Do temple that is recognized as a national relic. Additionally, tourists should not miss visiting the ancient citadel of Trung Do, which was built in the 1630s to protect the Chay River area during the war. This town played a crucial role in defending the frontier areas. Moreover, tourists can experience the cultural richness of the Tay ethnic community through traditional songs, dances like Xoe, and festivals like Long Tong festival.

During your trip to Trung Do village, visitors can take boat rides or canoe along the Chay River. During the 2-hour journey from the village boat station to Coc Ly Hydroelectric lake, visitors can admire the majestic natural scenery along both sides of the river, explore the fairy cave, etc.

Trung Do temple in Bac Ha Vietnam

Besides the attractive destinations mentioned above, Bac Ha also has many interesting and unique cultural events:

• Traditional horse race: held annually in early June
• Red Dao Fire Dance Ceremony: is held from the 3rd to the 15th January of the Lunar calendar. Through fire dances, people hope that the fire will dispel the misfortunes of the old year and bring good luck to people in the new year
• Trung Do Temple Festival: is held on the 15th July in Lunar Calendar
• Bac Ha Temple Festival: is held on the 10th February in Lunar Calendar
• Long Tong Festival: one of the most important festivals of the Tay and Nung people
• Gau Tao festival of the Mong people: it is held on the occasion of the Lunar New Year for the purpose of praying for luck and prosperity.

Above are the fascinating things to do in Bac Ha, Vietnam. It will take around 2-3 days to discover all of these things. If you don’t have too much time, spend at least a night at a Bac Ha homestay to indulge yourself in local culture. Bac Ha awaits you to discover !