Bac Ha
About 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Sapa, the town of Bac Ha slumbers quietly during the week, only to burst into an extraordinary market teeming with life on Sunday morning. All around, thousands of plum trees grow.
Attractions:
French Fort: Located on the hill near the television antenna. Ruins of an old fort resembling a watchtower. Beautiful panorama. Excellent destination for a short excursion.
Sunday Market: Here, various hill tribes converge every Sunday morning to conduct trade. This is the land of the Flower Hmong, who arrive at the market early in the morning on their small horses, with dogs on leashes. The atmosphere is cheerfully disorganized, joyful, and multicolored. You will also see some Phula and Black Dao who come from neighboring villages to exchange goods and news. As travelers, you are a part of the trade here because people are ready to sell their products, but this market doesn’t cost much (yet) because these are small, short-term businesses. Bring a camera. Sunday morning from dawn to late morning is the most important period, but the market continues until noon.
Around Bac Ha: The surroundings of Bac Ha offer the possibility of beautiful excursions through the villages of the Flower Hmong, Black Dao, and Phula. Everywhere, an air of peace and serenity is breathed. The village people are at first curious, then warm.
