As an ethnographer, I am always interested in reaching the people who still live by their traditions to understand their culture and the way they see the world. And meeting the Hill Tribes of Sapa was on my bucket list for Vietnam!
Before going to Sapa, a town in the North of Vietnam, we were warned that it is packed with tourists and locals doing everything to sell you “handmade” souvenirs. Which, by the way, proved true. But if you only dare to go off the beaten track like we did, you will be able to discover the real hill tribes. Kids walking their buffalo at the dusk, men working in the rice fields. Mothers with their babies waving to you from their homes. Idyllic. All of them wearing traditional clothes – not for tourists, but because this is how things were since they came to Vietnam from China ages ago. Get lost and discover the authentic life of Hill Tribes of Sapa, this world will mesmerise you. The price you will pay is sweat, sweat and sweat. Hills are difficult to climb in a summer heat, but that only makes you appreciate the breathtaking views of the rice fields mountains even more.
We met the authentic Hill Tribes of Sapa thanks to Xuan, our guide from the Red Dao tribe
Like most girls in the village, she got married when she was very young. In many villages, there is a place called a “love market”, where teenagers are allowed to meet and get to know each other with the permission of their parents. If they fell in love and feel like it is a good match, the boy asks his parents to marry their daughter. And her parents accepted. In a patriarchal society, the bride always moves in with the groom’s parents. Imagine you are preparing lunch for the whole family, and you don’t know how to pack rice in the banana leaves. I asked: “Why didn’t you ask your mother how to do that?”. “There was no phone in the village, and I had moved far away from my family, so I had to learn by myself”, she said. And this is pretty much the definition of Xuan – all she achieved is thanks to herself!Every tribe has its own traditional textiles and clothing
Parents rarely refuse the marriage, if so, it is probably because the boy is from another village or tribe. You would say, “Why does it matter if they live next to each other anyway?” In the Dao culture where worshipping your ancestors is the main religion (shamanism), providing the continuity of tradition is almost an obligation. On a very rare occasion, the young wife coming from a different tribe will learn it the hard way. Among many things, the wife’s responsibility is to make traditional handmade clothes for the family, and as they vary a lot between tribes, she would be in a pickle. Honestly, the level of detail and embroidery is outstanding. Look at that dress Xuan made herself for her little daughter. It took her over 3 months!
Shamanism in practice
For all Hill Tribes of Sapa ancestors blessing is important, it can provide you with a happy life. You have to watch out not to mistreat them (I am talking about ghosts, yes). For example, after finishing your meal in the fields you should never leave banana leaves (with rests from the meal) in a place where buffalo can eat them. You are not wrong, buffalo’s stomach can take some banana leaves with rice pretty well, however, it would mean that ancestors will get full and won’t “send” any food for their family. As we passed by a dead snake on our hike, I asked Xuan if there is any animal that they consider particularly important. She said “Buffalo”. The surprising connection between Buffalo getting his stomach full and his ancestors not being hungry anymore would most surely confirm that! We were able to ask her all sorts of things, as her English is amazingly good, especially for someone who went only to a primary school because her parents could not afford her further education. She is the only person in the whole village that speaks English and she learned it herself by memorizing a new word every day (no Internet in the village FYI!).
Discovering feminism in Hill Tribes of Sapa
Until now, no one in the village (apart from her husband) comprehends completely what she is doing. Trekking all day in the burning sun with “Europeans”? Why would they pay you for that? Some ask her husband: aren’t you worried that she is out there? She just laughs at that. A tender, loving mother and an amazing wife. She believes men and women are equal and she puts it into practice. With everything she does, she trusts herself: “Listen to what people say like it’s the wind- goes in one ear, goes out another”. Xuan fascinated me as a woman. She managed to respect the tradition and yet, live her own way. As I listened to her one night, I realized that it is what feminism is all about, ladies. It is easy to refuse everything that culture enforces on you as a woman like we can afford to do nowadays in a Western world. Be as independent, manly, and strong as we want. What is hard though, is to be the first one that dares to be different in a small, traditional community. Cheerful, hard-working, grateful, and yet fearless. This is Xuan, a woman that leads the past gently into the future… wearing sneakers and embroidered Dao trousers.How to enjoy Sapa with Xuan
Xuan May is one of the guides of Sapa O’Chau. She does the trekking called “Off the beaten track”, so when booking just make sure you ask for that trekking with her. To get there, you can do it by train or bus. We got a sleeper bus for a night ride and it was very comfortable (only 10$ per person).Day 1 (17km)
You will be picked up in Sapa town around 8 am and taken a little bit up the hills in a van. The trekking starts in a small village and you will be the only tourist there (it is truly off the beaten track). There are 17 km of hiking ahead of you, but the views will make it worth it! The journey will take you through mountains, valleys, forests, and terraced rice fields. TIP: Because the trekking will last the whole day, wear comfortable clothes and shoes and don’t take a massive backpack. You won’t need much anyway- clothes for the next day, basic toiletry and a camera to capture these amazing views! Don’t forget the sunscreen. You will have lunch in an amazing setting – up the hills with a panoramic view of Ban Khoang valley.After arriving to Xuan’s village and getting some rest you will have dinner with her family- the food was amazing!Day 2 (12km)
Rise and shine! Time to go down and appreciate the views of rice fields in the mountains. We haven’t seen a single tourist during these 2 days, but plenty of locals from various tribes that greet you with a smile. The trek ends around 3 pm in Sapa town. Just on time to have a quick shower and catch a bus back to Hanoi.
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