+84376276576(24/7)Visiting Ha Giang during the Tet Holiday is one of the occasions where tourists can experience the festive atmosphere of the highland people. So, what does Ha Giang have to offer during the Tet holiday? Let’s explore it in this article.
Why should you explore Ha Giang during the Tet holiday?
This is a truly special travel opportunity that tourists should experience at least once. Immersing in the lively atmosphere of the Lunar New Year, blended with the culture of the highland region, Ha Giang during Tet becomes a bustling and warm destination.
The weather and the beauty of Ha Giang during Tet
Spring is in full bloom, bringing a cool and refreshing breeze to the mountains and forests of Ha Giang, as a gentle greeting to the visitors arriving here.
With a broader view, the climate and weather in Ha Giang during Tet also present their own unique charm.
The picturesque landscapes with blooming peach blossom fields, alongside the beautiful traditional houses in the highland region, are truly heartwarming. The pine forest roads and the mist-covered mountain ranges create a breathtaking natural painting that makes tourists fall in love with Ha Giang even more during Tet.
If you wish to fully enjoy the enchanting beauty of the blooming peach blossoms, you can visit areas like Yen Minh, Quan Ba, and Dong Van to admire them up close. Besides the stunning natural scenery with peach blossoms, plum blossoms, and pear blossoms competing for attention, visitors can also immerse themselves in the warm Tet atmosphere of the highland people, filled with the laughter of children and the aroma of food emanating from the kitchens.
This is also a suitable time for spring trips, where tourists can experience festivals and outdoor activities during the Tet holiday in the land of Ha Giang. For many travelers, this is the season they should come to Ha Giang to experience.
However, during the Tet days, the temperature can significantly drop, especially at night, and the weather is often dry. Therefore, when tourists visit Ha Giang during Tet, they should prepare warm clothing to protect their health and avoid catching a cold.
The Tet customs and traditions of the people in Ha Giang
The Tet customs and traditions of the people in Ha Giang are among the distinctive cultural features of the northern highland region of Vietnam. Tet Nguyen Dan, the Lunar New Year, is a significant festival for the people of Ha Giang, celebrated during the first three days of the new year.
During these days, the people of Ha Giang meticulously prepare by cleaning their houses, wearing new clothes, and tidying up the ancestral altar to prepare for the ceremony of offering prayers and seeking peace and prosperity for their families.
In addition to the familiar Tet customs and traditions, the ethnic groups in the highland regions also have some very unique cultural features. Some examples include:
- Butt-slapping during Tet: It is a form of courtship between young men and women in the highland regions during the spring festival.
- The custom of imitating the crowing of a rooster by the Pu Péo ethnic group: The Pu Péo people believe that whoever can loudly imitate the rooster’s crow on New Year’s Day will encounter good luck.
- H’mong men cooking rice early on the first day of the new year: According to H’mong beliefs, men are the pillars of the family, so they take charge of all household matters to maintain the traditional values.
- The Pà Thẻn people tie the door latch and close the door tightly to welcome the New Year’s Eve: Along with this, they also take the bowl of water from the altar to clean it and replace it with fresh water before conducting the ritual of worship to welcome the new year.
If you are someone with a passion for exploring unique and distinctive cultural features, a trip to Ha Giang during Tet will be truly worth it.
To experience these cultural beauties, you can rent motorbike Ha Giang and then head to the locations where the festivals are organized. This way, you can both experience the cultural richness and directly admire the beauty of Ha Giang’s landscapes.
Traditional activities and festivals during Tet in Ha Giang
Ha Giang is one of the most colorful and beautiful provinces in Northern Vietnam, with unique and impressive traditional cultural aspects. During the Lunar New Year, Ha Giang is also known for its vibrant festive activities and distinctive celebrations.
One of the most exciting activities in Ha Giang during Tet is buffalo fighting. This event is held annually on the 3rd day of Tet, attracting a large number of local people and tourists to participate. Beyond being a traditional game, buffalo fighting is also seen as an opportunity for the people of Ha Giang to exchange, gather, and unite.
In addition to buffalo fighting, Ha Giang also organizes various traditional cultural activities such as xoan singing, bamboo pole dancing, drum beating, and praying for a good harvest. These activities not only help tourists learn more about the local traditional culture but also create a lively, vibrant, and colorful atmosphere.
Besides the lively activities during Tet, we cannot overlook the traditional festivals of the people in Ha Giang, such as the Gau Tao Festival, the Tet of the Lo Lo people, which are truly worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime.
Especially when traveling to Ha Giang during Tet, tourists should visit the bustling Tet markets, which create a unique cultural space of the highland people. Here, visitors can participate in special activities, try delicious dishes, and admire handicraft products made by the ethnic groups living in Ha Giang.
The distinctive dishes and specialties of Ha Giang during Tet
Ha Giang is renowned for its rich culture and cuisine of ethnic minorities. During the Lunar New Year, Ha Giang becomes even more special with its unique dishes and colorful specialties.
One highlight is the black square sticky rice cake, a typical Tet dish of Ha Giang. Also known as “bánh chưng cẩm,” it is a traditional food specifically of the Tay ethnic group in the border areas. Black square sticky rice cakes are usually cooked on the night of the 29th as a way to dispel bad luck from the old year.
Alongside the black square sticky rice cake, Ha Giang also offers a unique dish called “bánh chưng gù,” an essential part of the Ha Giang people’s Tet meals. Tourists can easily buy bánh chưng gù to bring back as gifts for their families and friends.
Another distinctive dish of Ha Giang during Tet is “lợn cắp nách” (pig stolen from the armpit). This dish is made from pork, chili, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, and various other spices. The pork is thinly sliced, marinated with spices, and then wrapped in white banana leaves before being steamed until fully cooked. “Lợn cắp nách” has a delightful aroma, tender and flavorful meat, making it a famous specialty of Ha Giang during the Tet holiday.
In addition, when visiting Ha Giang, you should not miss the famous local dishes such as “xôi ngũ sắc” (five-colored sticky rice), “cháo ấu tẩu” (mountainous rice porridge), and “rượu ngô” (corn wine). Come to Ha Giang and indulge in these delicious dishes to have a Tet holiday full of flavors and traditions of the local people.
If you are a food lover, visit Ha Giang and enjoy the distinctive and excellent local specialties. It’s not just a culinary experience but also an opportunity to understand more about the culinary culture and customs of the people in Ha Giang.
Tet holiday itinerary for exploring Ha Giang
Ha Giang is an attractive destination for travelers who love to explore and experience local culture. Especially during the Lunar New Year, Ha Giang attracts many tourists who come to learn and experience the local culture and customs.
You can refer to the following 4-day itinerary to explore the special destinations of this region during Tet.
Day 1: Explore Ma Pi Leng Pass and Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark
On the first day of the trip, you will visit Ma Pi Leng Pass, one of the most famous tourist spots in the Northeast region. Exploring this pass will give you a sense of euphoria as you admire the mesmerizing and pristine landscapes. Then, continue the journey to Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, where you can admire the blossoming peach blossom scenery of Ha Giang’s sky.
Day 2: Visit Twin Mountains Quan Ba and explore Pho Cao
On the second day of the trip, travelers will experience the majestic and unique landscapes at Twin Mountains Quan Ba. These twin mountains are famous for their resemblance to two human hands embracing each other. After exploring Twin Mountains Quan Ba, visitors can spend time visiting Pho Cao – a small town located in the valley and renowned for its beautiful triangular flower fields and the local cultural ambiance of the people here.
Day 3: Participate in traditional festivals and enjoy the buckwheat flower fields Dong Van
On the third day, you can take part in local traditional festivals, savor the typical Tet dishes of the highland people, and at the same time, this is the time when the buckwheat flowers are in full bloom towards the end of the season, so make sure to capture this moment for a memorable experience.
Day 4: Experience Khau Vai Love Market and return to Hanoi
One of the special places not to be missed during Tet in Ha Giang is Khau Vai Love Market, one of the unique and oldest love markets in the rocky plateau of Dong Van. It’s a place where young men and women from different mountainous villages come to meet, chat, and seek their other half. This is also an opportunity for you to learn about love, life, and the culture of the mountainous ethnic people.
Traveling to Ha Giang during Tet is really an experience worth trying in a lifetime, especially for those who love to explore the tourist landscape and local culture of the regions. Make a plan and experience it right away, you will certainly not regret your decision.
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