A visit to Sa Pa (Sapa), in Northwest Vietnam,  offers contact with local tribes (ethnic minorities).

The Red Dzao is one of the ethnic groups that live in the north of Vietnam. They are called Red Dzao because they use red to decorate the clothes they wear. There are two unique features of this tribe. The first is that you can know how rich a woman is by the size of her hat. The second is that to be beautiful it is thought that women should have as little body hair as possible...thus they often shave their hair and eyebrows.

Black Hmong and Red Dzao live in neighboring villages in this region.  An interesting feature of Black Hmong women is to bind the calves with material and leather string to hold it in place.  This is thought to prevent this area from growing large and muscular. Small calves (and feet) are a sign of beauty for women. Black Hmong like to wear their hair over the crown of their heads. Often wigs made of horse's tail are used to add more body to the bun and then wrap it to form a tall “pin box” type hat.

It was told to me that women generally marry around the age of 16, at that time men often “steal” these young women and bring them to their homes. If the woman refuses to eat for three days she is let go to return to her home. Should she take food, she is “accepting” of the man and will likely marry.

This minority group is also said to pick up languages very quickly. Many of the women selling textiles in town have picked up english and possibly french from the tourists and may end up becoming local guides.

I met this woman during a walk to the village of Ta Phin,Ta Phin, a lush valley nine miles out of Sapa near Sapa and spent the morning with she and her friends, visiting one woman’s home and watching the rice harvest.

Lodging Details:

In Spa I stayed at Chau Long Hotel (new wing) in Sapa before heading out for my homestay experience  in the Tay village. I then on to the Topaz Eco Loge (aprox one hour drive from Sapa).