The third time I set foot in the land of “flowers blooming on the rocks”, I still couldn’t help but admire the pristine scenery of this great place. 5 days and 4 nights is not a long journey, but it left me with many unforgettable impressions. Ha Giang is a favorite destination of many travel enthusiasts. Ideal timing Each season, Ha Giang brings its own beauty and attraction. You can visit the rocky plateau at any time of the year. From January to March, Ha Giang mountains and forests are full of life with flowers blooming everywhere such as peaches, plums, yellow mustard, rice flowers. In the sweet spring sunshine, the weather is cold, the scenery is pleasing to the heart, making visitors fall in love. From May to June, Ha Giang is in the pouring water season. The waterfalls flowing on the green terraced fields create a charming picture of nature. In this season, people also begin to rush to the fields, sowing the first seeds for the next crop. Ha Giang is famous for many beautiful flower seasons. From September to October, the golden season returns to Ha Giang. The ripe golden rice fields spread throughout Hoang Su Phi attract tourists every year. Inhaling the fragrant aroma of ripe rice, immersing yourself in a peaceful space in the middle of the golden season is an unforgettable experience for traveling devotees. From October to December, Ha Giang welcomes visitors with the pure buckwheat flower season. Taking beautiful photos, participating in the buckwheat flower festival are experiences not to be missed at this time. Schedule, move 1. Schedule Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Hanoi – Ha Giang City Day 2: Ha Giang City – Dong Van Day 3: Dong Van – Meo Vac Day 4: Meo Vac – Du Gia Day 5: Du Gia – Ha Giang city – Hanoi Day 6: Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City 2. Move From Ho Chi Minh City, I took a plane to Hanoi at night, then took a night bus to Ha Giang in the early morning. From Hanoi to Ha Giang, there are many bus companies to choose from. I chose 2 bus companies, Bang Phan (in the afternoon) and Ngoc Cuong (in the afternoon). In the afternoon, you can choose a palace car, a single bed (about 300,000 VND) or a double bed (about 550,000 VND). Shuttle bus at Noi Bai airport, the latest trip is 22:30, so visitors need to arrange a reasonable schedule. Travel time from Hanoi to Ha Giang is about 5 hours. In the afternoon, around 16:00, there is no palace car, I choose Limousine, the seat is quite comfortable, the ticket price is about 300,000 VND. In addition, there is a shuttle bus to the center of Hanoi. Motorcycle is my main means of transportation in Ha Giang. You can rent a tourist car or go with locals to explore the northern highlands. However, I chose to travel to challenge the steering wheel, fully admire the majestic beauty on the dangerous roads. Most homestays in Ha Giang rent motorbikes. However, I rented a car at Giang Son’s house because the service here received many good reviews. Homestay also provides accommodation for visitors to Ha Giang early in the morning. You can rest and clean yourself here before embarking on a journey to conquer the rocky plateau. The host is quite enthusiastic when advising destinations, giving you a reasonable experience schedule. Car rental price is 150,000 VND. In addition, you are also fully equipped with backpacking accessories such as car straps, helmets, raincoats, rain boots, gloves… Stay The rustic homestay, combined with the majestic mountain scenery is a characteristic of Ha Giang tourism. Here are the accommodations that I had the opportunity to experience. Dust Homestay (Dong Van) : Good design but located a bit far from Dong Van town center (about 1.5 km). Those who want to experience the bustling atmosphere of Dong Van old town at night, I think this is not the ideal choice. Vi Vi Homestay (Meo Vac) : Located in the Hmong community cultural tourism village in Pa Vi commune. This area focuses on many homestays with typical ancient architecture. Vi Vi Homestay has a fairly large area compared to other homestays, the rooms and toilets are clean. This area is not near the center of Meo Vac town. You should order food at the homestay in advance. Du Gia Homestay (Du Gia) : My group booked 2 lake view apartments, the room and toilet were quite clean. You can order food at the homestay or the central area. In the center, there are many bars and cafes. When I arrived, it was already dark, so I didn’t have a chance to experience much. Ha Giang owns resorts from affordable to high-class. Vist location Milestone 0 : The first check-in point on the journey to discover Ha Giang. The landmark is located opposite the square 26-3, right in the heart of the city, so visitors can easily come here and save memories. Quan Ba ​​Heaven Gate : Located at an altitude of 1,500 m above sea level, this is an interesting place for visitors to admire the picturesque scenery of the Northeast mountains. To get to heaven’s gate, you park your car at the stop below and then walk up the steps. Quan Ba ​​Twin Mountain : Considered as a natural masterpiece of the rocky plateau. Coming here in the early morning, you can hunt clouds, save beautiful moments of the wild nature, covered with fog. Lonely tree : The stop is “hunted” by young people on the road from Quan Ba ​​to Yen Minh. A special feature is that the lonely tree has a very large size, lying between the abyss and the pass with high cliffs. These are the check-in coordinates in Ha Giang that are loved by many backpackers. H’mong Village : The resort has only recently come into operation, some areas are still incomplete. You can book a room here or visit with a ticket price of 50,000 VND. There is a tram to take you to visit the area. The infinity pool is a virtual living spot not to be missed at this resort. Pao’s house The house is nearly 100 years old, the scene in the movie “Pao’s Story” is the stopover of many tourists when arriving in Ha Giang. Wooden gate, pillar and stone fence wall, yin and yang tile roof imprinted with time traces, creating a unique virtual living background. Cat King Mansion : About 14 km from Dong Van old town, the mansion was recognized as a national relic in 1993. Outstanding sights with a campus of nearly 3,000 m2 and ancient architecture. Entrance ticket price is 20,000 VND. The Vuong family residence is an attractive check-in point in Ha Giang. Lao Xa Village : A small village about 6 km from Sung La. Coming here in the spring, you will have the opportunity to admire the cherry blossoms in full bloom, yellow mustard and brilliant white plums on the roofs. Visitors can spend the night here to hunt the dawn. However, Lao Xa is only a small village, so there are quite a few resorts. Sung La Valley Dubbed the beautiful flower in the rocky plateau. This place is famous for its blooming flower gardens and stone houses close together. You can easily save beautiful frames here. Lo Lo Chai : Located at the foot of Dragon Mountain, only about 1 km from Lung Cu flagpole. With 90% of the population being Lo Lo people, this place keeps the beauty of indigenous culture. It’s a pity that I can’t stay here to fully experience the rhythm of life in Lo Lo Chai. Lung Cu flagpole : With an altitude of 1,470 m above sea level, Lung Cu flagpole is considered the sacred northernmost landmark of the country. To “touch” this milestone, from Ha Giang city, you will go through a journey of nearly 200 km of rugged mountain roads. On the way, visitors can see Lung Cu flagpole towering on the top of a high mountain, with a red flag with a yellow star fluttering in the wind. Dong Van Old Quarter : This is one of the rare and bustling places in Ha Giang. Most tourists choose to stay overnight in Dong Van because it is located at the intersection between sightseeing areas. Compared to 5 years ago when I came here, now the old town has urbanized a lot, the surrounding houses are crowded with homestays and restaurants. Many stops, beautiful scenery in Ha Giang. Tu San Alley, Nho Que River Boat trip on Nho Que river, through Tu San canyon is an experience that attracts tourists to the Northeast. Taking a boat to admire the scenery on both sides of the river, you will admire the natural masterpiece with an impressive view from the bottom up. In particular, on the journey down the water, you will pass through Tu San canyon, one of the valleys with unique geological tectonics in Vietnam. My group rented a boat (including kayaking) at a cost of 500,000 VND. To get to the boat gathering place at Nho Que River, you need to walk at the white cliff area or drive yourself down about 4 km. If you are not confident in the steering wheel, you can hire locals to drive you down the Nho Que river, costing about 150,000 VND both going and returning. Tu San alley with Nho Que river is a virtual living background for visitors. Code Pi Leng : About 20 km from Dong Van, Ma Pi Leng belongs to the four great peaks of Vietnam. This is also one of the most beautiful check-in roads in Ha Giang when one side is craggy mountains, the other is a deep abyss with the deep green Nho Que stream. Ma Pi Leng stop or the rocky snout area are suggestions for a good photo angle. Pa Vi Ha Village Cultural Tourism Community Village : 17 km from Dong Van town, the village currently has 28 households with wooden-framed houses, walls, and 2-storey yin and yang tiled roofs. The houses are adjacent to each other and most develop homestay services for visitors to visit and experience. Come here, do not forget to discover the culture of the Mong ethnic group. Ban An Stream, Tham Lin Cave : 15 km from the center of Mau Due, Ban An stream is considered as a green pearl hidden in the middle of Ha Giang rocky plateau. Currently, the stream is still quite wild and has not been exploited for tourism much. The road here is not too difficult to go, but visitors need to be careful when crossing the degraded concrete road. From Ban An stream, you can rent a raft to go to Tham Lin cave. Ticket price here is 20,000 VND/person. You should book food and picnic here in advance. The wild beauty of Ban An stream. Du Gia About 70 km from Pa Vi tourist village, Du Gia owns a dangerous check-in road, attracting backpackers and paparazzi. In particular, in the season of carpentry, nature fascinates visitors by undulating cliffs and crimson trees spread along the path. There are peaceful and poetic homestays such as Du Gia Homestay, Du Gia Paranoma. If you have a lot of time, you can trek Tham Luong waterfall or experience shooting stream fish here. Cuisine The cuisine of the Northeast mountains is quite diverse. The dishes not to be missed when coming here are Thang Co, five-color sticky rice, kitchen buffalo meat, Au Tau porridge, Thang am, rolls, roasted pork next to… In general, the restaurants in Ha Giang prepare dishes that are quite easy to eat and the prices are also affordable. I have the opportunity to experience many quality restaurants and bars. Some food suggestions : Toan Thuy Restaurant (Yen Minh) Quan Quang Dung (Dong Van Old Quarter) Di Lan restaurant (Dong Van old town) Nga Thuong Restaurant (Mau Due)

Since the establishment of the Hua Na hydropower reservoir, people in Thong Thu and Dong Van communes (Que Phong district) have had more fish cage farming (photo). Up to now, on this lake surface, there are about 80 households participating in raising 326 fish cages of all kinds; in which many species have high economic value such as sea bass, mackerel, climbing fish, beetle, carp … With the selling price of about 50,000 VND / kg of carp, 100,000 VND / kg of climbing fish, ladybug, 120,000 VND / kg of sea bass and fish has provided farmers with a high and stable income. Among the people who have succeeded in making a living on the reservoir of Hua Na hydroelectricity include Mr. Lang Van Mao from Tuc village (Dong Van commune). In addition to the model of raising fish cages, this Thai ethnic boy also accepts to zonize, plant and protect forests on a floating hill in the lake bed, combine raising pigs, chickens … bamboo) has given him an income of over 100 million VND / year. In addition, Mr. Mao also took a boat carrying tourists to take wedding photos, admire the lake scenery, serve food … earn more income. In addition, at the Ban Ve hydropower reservoir, there are about 338 fish cages currently raised by people in Luong Minh, Huu Khuong and Yen Na communes (Tuong Duong district). In addition to raising fish in cages in the lake bed, people also add fishing in the wild, setting up farms along the lake to raise goats, cows, pigs …

The most checked-in spot for tourists when exploring the North Pole of the Fatherland is Lung Cu flagpole in Lung Cu commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang province. Lung Cu flagpole (Ha Giang) is always a check-in point for many tourists. Lung Cu flagpole, which marks the first place in the country, is located on Dragon Mountain. To reach Lung Cu flagpole, visitors pass through the majestic Dong Van Stone Plateau with many bends on the sleeves. The way to the flagpole has been built so it is easy for visitors to go up here. The best time of the year to conquer Lung Cu is late September and early October, when the rice season is golden, the sky clears, and the terraced fields are golden yellow. Or if you want to learn about traditional festivals, you should go to Ha Giang. However, the polar point of the North Pole in terms of coordinates will be a few kilometers north of Lung Cu flagpole, where the Nho Que River flows into Vietnamese soil. Because the road from Hanoi to Ha Giang city and next to Dong Van and Lung Cu is quite convenient, it attracts with this kind of popular tourism. 2. The Western Pole – A Pa Chai, Dien Bien A Pa Chai is home to a landmark border between three countries: Vietnam – Laos – China. For travelers, the crossroads of Vietnam – Laos – China border is also known as the zero milestone or zero milestone. A Pa Chai landmark (Muong Nhe, Dien Bien). The road from the border station to A Pa Chai landmark is about 11 km, but about 3 km of dirt road, the rest of the road has been poured concrete quite easy to go. Since this is a border junction, it has an important position in terms of security and defense, visitors come here to register with the Border Guard Headquarters of Dien Bien or directly at the Border Guard Station of A Pa Brush and will be Border guards lead the way up to visit landmarks. The road from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu (nearly 500 km) and then going to Muong Nhe (200km) and to A Pa Chai (60 km) is quite convenient, the road is smooth, quite comfortable. According to Dien Bien Tourism Promotion Information Center, the route to A Pa Chai compared to previous years was much easier. In addition to the locals, visitors can use the caravan (self-driving car) to experience this road. Coming to A Pa Chai at any time of the year is beautiful. However, visitors can choose to travel to Dien Bien in March to see the flower forest, in spring, cherry blossoms bloom or in summer there are golden rice fields. 3. The Eastern Pole – Double Cape, Khanh Hoa The first place to receive sunlight on Vietnam’s mainland was identified as Mui Doi, Khanh Hoa. The Easternmost point of Double Cape (Khanh Hoa). Photo: Khanh Hoa newspaper Mui Doi is located in Van Thanh commune, Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa province. The most appropriate time to conquer the East Pole – Mui Doi is from January to May every year, this time is not yet the rainy season and the sunshine in the Central is not yet harsh. To conquer Double Cape will be difficult if you go by road because you have to cross hills, sand dunes, which requires health … The road to Mui Doi is determined the most difficult in the journey to conquer 4 poles. on the Vietnamese mainland. Before Mui Doi was officially recognized as the easternmost point on the mainland, Mui Dien in Hoa Tam commune (Dong Hoa district, Phu Yen province) held this title. Compared with the road to Mui Doi, Mui Dien is easier to conquer. If you go from Tuy Hoa city, you can go through Ca Pass, Vung Ro port, then follow the big road to Cape Dien. Cape Dien (Phu Yen) with easier access is one of the spots to catch the sunrise on the mainland. When you see the Mui Dai Lanh lighthouse, that’s when the journey to conquer Cape Dien begins. From the lighthouse, go down to the place marked Mui Dien not far. Visitors can stay one night to get up early the next morning because this is one of the first places to catch the sunrise on Vietnam’s mainland and swim in Mon beach. 4. The South Pole Point – Ca Mau Cape, Ca Mau The southernmost point of the country is located in Dat Mui commune (Ngoc Hien district, Ca Mau), about 110 km from the center of Ca Mau city. The southernmost point, Ca Ma cape with the symbol of a boat facing the sea. Previously, visitors who wanted to reach Dat Mui mainly had to travel by canoe. However, from 2019, when traffic on the Ho Chi Minh route from Nam Can to Dat Mui, visitors can reach the southernmost point of the country by road more convenient. Visitors to the southernmost part of the country want to take pictures with the symbol of a boat facing the sea. Also on this road to the southernmost point, the landmark Ho Chi Minh Road – the end of Ca Mau km 2436 is also becoming an ideal check-in point. Weather in Dat Mui is divided into two distinct seasons: rainy season (from May to November) and dry season (from December of previous year to April of next year). If you go in the rainy season, you will encounter long, heavy rains, sometimes it can be rainy all day. Tourism activities are affected quite a lot. The time from December of last year to April of next year will be suitable for tour groups with beautiful sunny scenes.

This is the work with the most unique architecture of Ha Giang province, ranked by the State as a national architectural monument. This has made many tourists curious and determined once to come to Ha Giang to explore. “The King’s House”, the name Ha Giang people still used to call Vuong Chi Sinh mansion area Entering the mansion, the first impression is the tall, straight rows of sandwood trees that are hundreds of years old. The stone gate of the palace appeared superficially carved subtly. The gate is curved, winding with bat wings – the symbol for the word “blessing”. The wooden gate roof is exquisitely carved, with many patterns. The palace is nearly 100 years old, King Meo has hired many excellent Chinese and Mongolian craftsmen and thousands of workers, built the mansion day and night and built within 8 years to complete, the total area is up Up to 1,120 square meters, the owner of the house had to spend 15,000 dong Dong Duong white silver to build, equivalent to 150 billion Vietnamese Dong at that time. The mansion architecture simulates the citadel architecture of Qing China, combined with Mongolian patterns and selected with French architecture such as fireplaces, bunkers … The Vuong Dynasty is the residence and fortress of the Vuong family, the Mong ethnic group in Dong Van district. The palace has 3 palaces, middle and queen, with 64 rooms, large and small, can accommodate about 100 people. Between the rows of closed 2-storey bungalows is a large, light courtyard. Surrounding the house is a garden with many types of trees: safflower, cinnamon, peach, pear, flowers … The unique feature of the mansion lies in the structure and layout of the rooms. The mansion is like a solid fortress, with thick walls, built of green stone, terracotta tiles and wooden furniture in the rows of stone pine. The owner of the house is Mr. Vuong Chinh Duc (1865 – 1947). More than a century ago, with the profession of growing and trading opium, the Vuong family dominated the entire vast highlands and was called the Meo King by local people. The opium warehouse in the Meo King mansion. The palace has 2 basements for defense, with a storage of assets, an arsenal, opium warehouse, and the layout of the rooms is like a miniature citadel. The house was built of eternal green stone, very hard rocky mountain pine and was very resistant to termites. Tile green gray yin and yang can resist heavy hail The “cat” symbol is engraved on the stone column. At the time of building the mansion, there were no tools to help, the roads were extremely dangerous. Therefore, the mansion is completely handcrafted by the Mong people. All stone materials are carved by the local people by hand and then transported from 7 km away to build houses. Another highlight of the palace is the sculpture art in parts of the house, bearing the imprint of the royal family, the mark of opium trade. Many stone details of the building are elaborately carved, cleverly bearing symbols for wealth and prosperity. Many stone details of the building are elaborately carved, cleverly bearing the symbols of wealth, longevity, prosperity. This residence is recognized by the State as a National Monument in 1993. All wood of the previous house is made from stone pine. Since it became the property of the State, the wood materials of the house have been altered about 60% by ironwood and crushed wood. The pillars are carved into the shape of a large jar-like poppy stalk, which resembles every detail, and is polished in white silver. The stair piers are also precious stone sculptures, bearing the silhouette of poppy flowers. The eye-catching, opium-shaped motifs on the rafters, left houses, doors and windows.