When coming to Ta Van Village, visitors will not be surprised by the rustic beauty, simplicity, and elegance of the house in the village.

Ta Van village is located in Ta Van commune, Sapa district, Lao Cai province. Village at the foot of the mountain, including 110 households with 550 people. Located in the territory of Hoang Lien National Park, Ta Van village is the convergence of the land of heaven. Come here, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the style, lifestyle as well as the cultural characteristics of the Giay people.

How Ta Van village is uniques?

From the town, down the path winding around the mountain about 10 km, tourists will go to Ta Van. The road to Ta Van village is small, narrow, the two sides are the green color of terraced paddy field rice and corn. In a thin mist, a bridge over Muong Hoa stream - the road to Ta Van Giay village, with two sides of the bridge are the mop, reed, the rhododendron... swinging in the wind. At the top of the suspension bridge is a shrine of three chambers - where the Giay people celebrate the festival "Nao Cong".

Ta Van Giay is called today, while local people in Lao Cai and Giay ethnic group in Lai Chau are only used to call "Muong Va", this name was diverted from "Mieng Va" in the sound of the Tay, means "Cau Tay". Legend has it, the village was once only Tay people live so it has the same name. At the center of the village there is a hill called "Pom Mo Da Tay" (meaning the tomb of Tay).

To Ta Van, visitors not only immerse themselves in the natural scene with murmuring streams, wild birds are calling you to find each other... but also discover the rustic beauty of the village. The village is based on the mountain, in front of the Muong Hoa stream. The village's back to the West and to the East, the house facing northeast. Because the east direction is a rocky mountain, with flowing streams. But this is very fantastic for viewing the valley from the main road). The other is small and narrow. This is wonderful route for Sapa trekking lover.

The village house architecture

According to the concept of feng shui Giay, heading home to rocky mountains and downstream water is not good... Village Rosary since the Giay people have a history of fewer than 300 years. Their earliest arrivals according to the old people in the village are the San, followed by the Yellow, the Lu and the next. They reside together with hundreds of rooftops and villages, hamlets in the foothills, river valleys, streams.

Culture and Costumes

Giay's wedding season is the lunar month of the previous year to the second lunar month of the following year (from March to July never wedding ceremony, August, 9 can be married). The wedding has many sophisticated steps. Such as watching the face, watching the house, matchmaking (the son's parents may ask their son about the girl); Wedding challenge (mainly: challenge wine to invite guests on the wedding day, make money for the girl). The ceremony was held on both sides. At this time the boys are recognized as children of two families as if they were married.

After three years from this ceremony, if the bride's family does not receive the bridesmaid, the two parties are free to go with the other person. Wedding ceremony held in two families. Welcome, bring the right strawberry 2 red ribbon cross. When the wedding was over, the bridegroom's family left with the red mark on their cheeks.

Giay thought that when someone in the family passed. The children would wash their bodies with grapefruit leaves, lemon leaves, and warm spots, and change clothes for the deceased. The dead body is placed in the middle of the house, on the corpse covered with a white cloth, covered with yellow paper, mouth stone (from the knife sharpener) and silver pieces cut from the silver coin. How many children are born, grandchildren have many stones, silver pieces. This means that the dead when meeting the children will not open their mouths. Because the ghosts of the person who asked the dead then he will be sick. When the body was put in the middle of the house left with the left, barefoot, head to the ceiling and must be vegetarian, lying ground squatting until the deceased person buried. Especially in the funeral of the Giay funeral is composed of 80 articles of 13 Mo, the main content is to teach the children about humanity...

In religion, the belief of the Giay, the most important is the worship of ancestors and gods. Ancestor worship is worshiped the family line Vang, Lu, Lo, Ly... without worshiping specific people. The altar is placed between the house, preserving the intact structure of ancient, both the age of wood and drawer ears made of copper. In addition to worshiping ancestors, Giay worshiped angels (not worshiping gods), including two kinds of gods "Breeding" - the territory, "Sru bar" and "Gong" - Forest Spirit.

In one year, in Ta Van Giay, there are many Tet festivals such as Tet festival in January; Lunar New Year; Tet festival 3/3, 4/4; Full moon in May; August full moon; September eat new rice; October makes a thick cake ends the season; November to welcome the winter solstice and especially the "Bronze Age Bronze Festival" held on January Dragon Day. In the New Year, from the 10th of January onwards, the government discusses the day with the elders, after the day's unification, an elderly person is appointed, and a meeting of people contributes to buy a pig, 1 pair of chicken, 5 pounds of glutinous rice, 5 liters of wine, 1 scoop of fresh fish, 5 eggs, golden incense... making sacrifices, paying the teacher.

Contributions are equally divided into households. In a field in front of the village, people worship the god of the village, the rest of the family have their own. The family's cooking is mainly fruit cake, chicken or fish, eggs. A column with a solar cycle with a yin-yang. At the end of the ceremony, they throw a symbol, then the people throw the festival also to punctured the hole, next to lower, award the person throwing them, pulling the end of the festival.

Traditional folklore

Folk art in Ta Van Giay village is rich and diverse, including many fairy tales; Quizzes and proverbs contain a lot of quizzes, plants, household items, natural phenomena... or proverbs to teach children, the social behavior... In addition to more than 10 wedding songs, more than 300 love songs and 15 songs in the wine party...

In Giay's daily meals, there is fried rice and soup. When there are guests, add boiled, fried dishes. Lunar New Year Festival has meat, roast meat, spring rolls and can not lack humiliation. Giay drinks in the New Year only wine; Daily drinks with water, tea, vegetables or boiled water is available at all times. Coming to Ta Van village, tourists will enjoy specialties of ethnic minority people. Such as Muong Hum grilled fish, Muong Khuong horse meat, Bac Ha armpits, sticky rice In order to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Giay folk games such as Ceremony, Roong Proc (in the field), throwing, and... village tour.

Giay clothes and jewelry are quite simple. Male wearing black or white trousers, a short black shirt is mainly. But no other color, button left to left, the head of cotton fabric dyed indigo water does not create white spots like stars with squares, rectangles, triangles, fruits, figs, leaves... Female also wear pants like men. But is black fabric, soft as silk, silk, satin. Women's trousers may be colored. Such as red and sewn into a lanyard, and men only cross and use a belt, black women's shirts, all colors. But not white; silver button on right armpit. Neck standing 3 cm, in flap buttons, fringed sleeves with a different cloth. Women's apparel also has a red wool stilettos (self-dyed cotton yarn).

At present, in Ta Van 24 families are licensed by the Lao Cai tourist and security branch to receive tourists when they want to stop or spend the night. Visitors to Ta Van Giay are mostly from Europe. Such as Sweden, France, Norway or from America, Australia and many countries in Asia.

Human values, beauty in the character, soul of ethnic Giay in Sa Pa is the most impressive point in the diary of the tourists; Then when leaving this land, they still feel regret, attachment, want to return not only once ...

What to do, things to see & time to visit Ta Van Village?

– Trekking tours & homestay tours

– Culture exchange

– Photograph hunting

– Visit a local family to know authentic of Black Hmong people daily life

Special Notes

– Do not give money or candy for children. (mean the children they will not like to go to school) - If can so please give them some books or pencils

– Do not put the camera close to their face to take the photo

– Best time to visit (from April, May, June, Sept, Oct)

– Should not visit at the weekend to avoid the crowded by other local and Chinese tourist