From an
Exotic City
to a
Tranquil
Village in
Northern
Vietnam
Ngoc Khue
Nort hern Viet nam has long been known
for it s diversit y of cult ure and people. I n
perspect ive of
t he nat ion?s hist ory,
Viet namese t radit ions most ly originat e
from t he Nort h. Therefore, t o explore
t he root s of t he nat ion, t here is no bet t er
way t han set t ing out on a journey,
wandering from t he heart of t he count ry
? Hanoi t o t he fart hest Nort hern point
and a gorgeous corner of Viet nam ? Ha
Giang.
The eight - hour drive from Hanoi t o Ha
Giang is t he loop bet ween t he bust le of
t he cit y and t he quiet
ranges of
mount ains and valleys. Coming t o Dong
Van Plat eau, which has recent ly become
a t ourist dest inat ion, we can begin t o see
et hnic cust oms flourish.
The most st riking feat ure t hat we
cannot pass unnot iced is t he way et hnic
people appreciat e st one. The t radit ion
st ems from Ha Giang?s geography wit h
most lands covered by st one rat her t han
soil. The majorit y of houses around t he
t own are surrounded by st one fences,
which bot h adult s and children spend
years select ing st ones for and building
up. They spend leisure t ime sit t ing
around t he st one fences t elling ghost
st ories, t urning t he ground around t he
fences int o places for
gossips and
t rading. Gradually, a small communit y
are built around t hese fences, signifying
a considerable part in t heir spirit s.
37
36