I’m a photography enthusiast, and the landscapes in Northwest Vietnam seem incredible for capturing scenic views. Are there any specific spots that are particularly photogenic...
Renowned for its flower-filled gardens, the Sung La Valley, regarded as a brilliant flower garden in the middle of the karst plateau, always attracts visitors by its very idyllic and rustic beauty. The verdant cornfields, the rows of buckwheat flowers covering all the slopes, the roofs of the clay cottages, etc., make those who have set foot in this land dwell an indescribable emotion. In the Ha Giang travel journey, visiting Sung La will be a unique experience. You will fall in love with the beauty of nature and the people here.
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1. Sung La valley overview
Where is the Sung La valley located?
Located on Highway 4C connecting cities of Ha Giang province, more than 20 km from Dong Van district, Sung La is located on the Dong Van stone plateau. This land is known as "oasis", "flowering rocky valley", "captivating fresh flowers of the limestone plateau". Coming here, visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in poetic nature, live with local people and moreover learn many interesting stories.
Local people favourably give Sung La valley the nickname The place where rocks bloom
The terrain here is mainly steep cliffs, soaring towards the horizon. However, that hardness does not prevent flowers from proliferating, creating a beautiful and gentle flower valley that captivates visitors.
The whole valley is filled with flowers
Road to the Sung La Valley
To explore Sung La, you can walk, take a taxi or rent a motorbike. Most young tourists rent motorbikes in Ha Giang to travel at very cheap prices.
If you are a backpacker, love to move and love adventure, the road to Sung La valley in Ha Giang will help you fulfil that desire. For a panoramic view of the valley, you go in the direction of Yen Minh to Dong Van, to the intersection of Pho Bang town, you can stop to admire the romantic panorama of Sung La.
From a distance, Sung La valley looks like a giant natural picture with many different colours: green of leaves, purple of buckwheat flowers, yellow of mustard flowers, brown of simple houses of ethnic minorities. . If you want to go to Sung La, pass Pho Cao for about 2 km, you will see a sign to turn left into Pho Bang, but do not turn but go straight for another 2 km and you will reach Sung La valley.
The best time to enjoy the Sung La Valley beauty on karst plateau
If you have the opportunity to travel to Sung La Valley in the spring, don't miss the natural beauty here. Spring is considered the most beautiful season, flower beds bloom, dispelling the usual gloomy atmosphere. Everything seems to glow with life so visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery. In particular, you can also comfortably take photos between the fields of brilliant yellow canola flowers or verdant corn fields.
Not only attracted by the beauty of nature, in spring, Sung La also makes visitors fall in love with the people here. Although located in the remote border region of Vietnam, Sung La always welcomes all visitors to visit and feel the warmth and hospitality of the local people.
Coming to Sung La, visitors will be mesmerised by the fairy scene as a picture adorned with images of Hmong girls sitting at the door weaving, the innocent children caring for their little siblings. Along with that are Lo Lo women in colourful shawls, or beautiful Dao and H'Mong girls in traditional costumes.
Pictures of children innocently enjoying themselves
2. What to do on the trip to Sung La Valley?
Visiting Lung Cam village
Lung Cam village in Sung La valley is home to 60 families of different ethnicities such as Han, Mong, Lo Lo... This village was once chosen as the setting for the film "The Story of Pao" directed by Ngo Quang Hai in 2005.
Lung Cam Village - where Pao's famous house is located
The 100-year-old house is currently being planned as a tourist destination. You can tour and learn about the space of the house. It seems to have all the most typical features of the beaten-cob houses in Ha Giang from mud walls, doorways, tiled roofs to courtyards. In particular, in January and February, Pao's house is decorated with peach blossoms, plum blossoms, pear blossoms... making the house even more attractive in the eyes of visitors.
Going to the Pho Bang market
The Pho Bang market is special because local people only gather once every six days. People often call it Cho Lui (market move backward). Because the market is organised soon one day of the next week compared to this week. For example, this week it happens on Thursday, so next week it will happen on Wednesday, and so on.
The market is an opportunity for local people to meet and exchange
Unlike markets in the delta, Pho Bang market is considered a festival day. Although it is held in a short morning period, it is enough to dispel the quiet and melancholy atmosphere of this plateau. People come to the market to sell all kinds of agricultural products, textiles, including cattle, poultry, etc. Everyone flock to gather here. Functioning not only as a trading place, it is also a cultural space where people meet, chat, and an opportunity for beautiful boys and girls to make friends and meet each other. Attending the market, you can go shopping and enjoy delicious culinary specialties from the Dong Van Plateau.
Discovering ethnic people's life
Visiting Sung La Valley, you have a chance to understand more about the life of local people. H'mong and Lo Lo are very friendly. They live quite simply in their daily life. They grow buckwheat and mustard flowers in the high hills, rice and corn in the valleys. Surrounded by mountains and forests, the scene of working people on the field creates a vivid real life picture.
The simple life of the people in the Sung La Valley
Wandering through the narrow streets, visitors may cross small paths. Standing there are the children playing or the ethnic girls and boys in traditional dress, parents with baskets on their shoulders working in the rice fields, etc.
3. Extra notes when visiting the valley of Sung La Ha Giang
- You can visit to Sung La Valley, Ha Giang at any season of the year, especially in spring, the scenery are even more beautiful
- No matter what season you come, remember to bring a light jacket because the weather on this high mountain is quite cold, especially in the autumn and winter's evening
- If you want to experience and live like a local, choose to stay at a local people's house
- Sung La life is quite difficult, so prepare some kinds of medicine and snacks
- When you meet the village children, you can start a conversation with them, but remember not to give money, only cakes, candy and fruit
Sung La valley is so beautiful and peaceful. So if you are looking for a place to leave all the stress behind, pack your bags and go. Certainly this valley will not disappoint you with its scenery and people.
To see more about Ha Giang:
>> Pho Bang Town - The Ancient Town in the Northeast Mountain of Vietnam
>> The Serenity of Tha Village in Ha Giang
