Ta Van

The Black Hmong (Hmong Den) The Black Hmong are a subgroup of the Hmong people. They mainly live around Sa Pa in Lao Cai Province. Sa Pa is home to Mount Fansipan, the highest peak in Southeast Asia at 3,143 meters. The Black Hmong are the community that lives at the highest altitudes of this mountain, which is why they are often said to live above the clouds. Their most distinctive feature is their traditional attire, entirely black from head to toe. While other Hmong groups usually wear brightly embroidered clothes, the Black Hmong wear black outfits that are elegant and striking in their simplicity. Women wear indigo-dyed black skirts reaching to the knees, along with shirts that have round embroidered sleeves. Over this, they tie two black aprons made of hemp fabric that has been beaten to a glossy finish-one in front and one at the back. On their legs, they wrap black leggings. Their hair is twisted into a bun on top of the head and covered with a black, cylindrical, open-top hat. Large silver earrings complete the look. When traveling in the Sa Pa region, it is common to see graceful and lively Black Hmong girls dressed entirely in black, carrying baskets on their backs and holding umbrellas, as if emerging from the clouds. Black Hmong girls dressed in black Mount Fansipan and Black Hmong villages Terraced rice fields in the Sa Pa region Black Hmong villages at the foot of Mount Fansipan Young men go hunting birds at night. They bring along a tamed bird, open its cage deep in the forest, and the bird calls out to lure its friends to come. Wherever you go around the world, the way children play looks much the same Like other Hmong groups, the women do household chores and most farming work. Their lives are impoverished, and sometimes they go to Sa Pa town to sell handicrafts or beg. In Sa Pa and the surrounding large villages, markets are held every Sunday. The Black Hmong also come here to sell handicrafts and buy household necessities.

Fansipan (3,143m), the highest peak of Indochina, is a sacred mountain of Vietnam. Morning in Sa Pa begins from where that majestic peak looms, half-hidden, half-revealed in the drifting clouds. I have visited countless times, yet the scenery never grows old. The farther away you look, the more beautiful Sa Pa’s morning appears. When seen up close, the world feels filled with competition and struggle. But when you step back, it softens, dissolving into a sense of ease. That is precisely what Sa Pa offers. Today, I once again started up my motorbike with a refreshing spirit. In Sa Pa, traditional villages are even more precious than the famous viewpoints. Cat Cat, Lao Chai, Ta Van, and Ta Phin are among the most notable. This morning, I visited the first three, leaving out Ta Phin until later. Heavy with ripening grain, the terraced rice fields were already glowing golden. Autumn’s abundance filled the valleys: the hands of farmers threshing rice, buffalo relaxing in the mud, and ducks with bellies full. A rich energy unique to this season spread across the fields. With the sunlight shining, even my steps felt lighter. I ended the morning at Cat Cat, the representative H’Mong village, where I had lunch. In the afternoon, I rode to Ta Phin, the traditional village of the Dao people, to wrap up the last leg of my motorbike journey. It was bittersweet to part with the young men from Mu Cang Chai who had ridden with me for three days. Perhaps our bond had grown deeper because we had shared the same motorbike all day, shoulders pressed and arms around each other’s waists. A motorbike tour is truly a journey that narrows the distance between people. Tomorrow, I will climb to the summit of Fansipan. The scenery of Sa Pa – more beautiful the farther away it is – will finally greet me from the very highest place.