Sapa Local Customs

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If you decide to do a trek through some of the local villages, you'll encounter some amazing rural life. We walked through the village of Lau Chai with Red Dzao women past pigs, ducks, buffalo and some lovely wooden houses.

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The Flower Hmong are like a rare type of tropical bird - pretty, colourful but hard to find. I only saw two during my stay in Sapa. One was in the towns market while another, a young girl, sat down next to me on the street and was having her photo taken every couple of minutes by tourists as she was wearing a very colourful head-dress.

When I was in Sapa at the end of January, I was told that they were dressed in either their best or new clothes in order to attract a mate. Young girls were checking out the boys playing on a huge swing in the square. Girls as young as ten years old can get married and often have two children by the time they are 20 years old. This is especially the case for the more beautiful ones.

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Around the market entrance on the main tourist road, Cau May, you'll find children buying large sticks of sugarcane which they particularly like to chew on as a snack like we would a chocolate bar back home.

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The Red Dzao are, probably, the second largest ethnic minority group, here. You'll see them selling textiles along the main tourist street and around the towns square. They have distinctive red head-dresses which, supposedly, determine how rich they are depending on size. They have a more Chinese look about them with plucked or shaved eyebrows and foreheads.

Young Red Dzao used to come to Sapa to sing songs to the opposite sex. Girls sang the songs hidden in the dark, when a boy found them, and if they matched together, they disappeared into the forest for three days. Some of them got married after that. Currently you may spot some young locals singing in the dark, but they are not looking for a partner, they are looking for you. They will sing a song, and ask for a tip afterwards.

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The Black Hmong are by far the largest ethnic minority group in and around Sapa and you'll see them walking between Sapa and the surrounding villages. In Sapa, you'll see them playing in the square in front of the church and along the main tourist road buying large sticks of sugarcane which they particularly like to chew on as a snack like we would a chocolate bar back home. They're called Black Hmong due to the colour of the clothing they wear which is actually hemp that's dyed violet from a plant that grows locally. The dye stains the hands and transfers to their faces which gives them a rather dirty look. When I was in Sapa at the end of January, I was told that they were dressed in either their best or new clothes in order to attract a mate. Young girls were checking out the boys playing on a huge swing in the square. Girls as young as ten years old can get married and often have two children by the time they are 20 years old. This is especially the case for the more beautiful ones.

If you decide to do an organised trek, expect to have several girls and women tagging along with you. A few of them started chatting me up on my trek and a young French girl came over to rescue me by claiming that I was hers!

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In and around Sa Pa we were seeing these tree branches set up in prominent places along the streets and particularly around Quang Truong Square.It became apparent that people were buying these "tree branches" and walking off with them or transporting them on bikes or motorbikes or anyhow they could be moved.

This was the first time in our South to North journey of Vietnam that we witnessed this and we were left scratching our heads.

What we learned was that the Peach Tree blossom is used to decorate the houses of peoples homes as a part of the celebration of Tet..or Chinese New Year.The colorful blossoms add to the nature of the celebration...maybe sort of like " Christmas" lights of Western culture.

Traditionally the color of the blooms symbolizes the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring.The blooms bring "good luck" to peoples homes and happiness.Unfortunately we didn't get to see the branches in full bloom but I can imagine that it would be quite spectacular.

Anyhow...if you're visiting during Tet or close to the arrival of Tet you'll see this and NOW you'll know..they're EVERYWHERE...

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The women and girls wear indigo turbans, skirts, vests, leggings and may big silver hoop earings (Bigger earings means they are married). Men wear baggy shirts and trousers and a long vest, as well as silver and bronze necklaces.