Dong Van
June 2015
"the tribal heartbeat"
The landscape rises steadily from Ha Giang to Dong Van. Make no mistake, you are now at the heart of
the tribal people. Not much has changed over the past few hundred years but change will inexorably
creep in. Today, only the ladies are still wearing traditional costumes. Cellphones, TV sets and satellite
dishes are as commonplace as livestock. If you want to see the authentic Ha Giang (and not the ruined
Sapa), you will need to hurry.
About 1.5 hours to Dong Van town is the interesting Vuong Palace.
Dong Van is only a few KMs away from China and was the site of a skirmish from China a few decades ago.
There are many options for accomodation in Dong Van. We stayed in the biggest hotel there. It was decent.
You will have to pay for a restricted frontier permit (iirc $10usd each person).
We had a hearty bowl of delicious yet disgusting Bun (noodles) with some insects inside.
editor's note:
Leica M6, Fuji Silvi 2.8, Velvia 50, Astia 100, Portra 400, TX 400
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