If you don’t know when the best time to make your travel to Sapa is, if you’re hesitating between a stunning Sapa in autumn with golden terraced fields, a romantic Sapa in autumn with perfect weather and beautiful landscapes, or a mysterious Sapa in winter with snow and unique sceneries, then why don’t you try taking a train and head to Sapa in its most wonderful time of the year, the spring, the time of lots of traditional festivals of ethnic minorities in the highland district of Sapa (Lao Cai).
1. Gau Tao -The spring festival of the Mong ethnic group
The Mong people in the North West and Sapa (Lao Cai) hold Gau Tao festival on a beautiful day in January every year to pray luck for couples without children. The festival is held on a wide beach along the ridge.
Fantastic Gau Tao festival in Sapa
Guests and residents participate in catching a goat while blindfolded in Gau Tao spring festival.
The spring festival attracts a lot of Hmong people in the area especially young unmarried men and women to sing giao duyen or participate in traditional games like pushing sticks, catching goats while blindfolded, shooting crossbows and climbing.
Gau Tao spring festival of the Hmong ethnic group in Sa Pa takes place at the foot of Fansipan mountain in Ta Giang Phin where there is Ngu Chi Son beautiful mountain, a destination for tourists each spring.
2. Roong Pooc – The field festival of the Day ethnic group in Ta Van
The opening area is adjacent to ancient rocks and Muong Hoa stream which is also considered as the most beautiful stream in Sa Pa. A high and tall tree is selected from Hoang Lien mountain to be put in the center of the festival. It is only removed when the festival ends.
Joyful Roong Pooc festival
The head of the village and Ta Van representatives offer a traditional tray of the Day ethnic group to thank the heaven and the god who brought prosperity and happiness for all people in the past year and pray for peace in the new year.
After the cultural program of young men and women in Ta Van villages, Hau Thao and Su Pan communes perform near the tree to serve local people and visitors. The festival has also traditional folk games such as throwing a sacred ball through the ring (nem con), catching goats while blindfolded, and going a bamboo bridge over a stream always attracting people to participate in games and cheer for the players. The end of the festival is a plowing competition among best workers.
3. The giao duyen (courtship duets) – singing festival of Red Dao ethnic group in Ta Phin
Ta Phin is an attractive destination for tourists visiting Sapa because this place has a splendid brocade village.
In spring, the “giao duyen” singing festival is held and taken part in by hardworking boys and the girls who are good at making wedding dresses and brocade products for tourists as souvenirs for relatives.
The courtship duets in Sapa
Through the festival, young men and women become husbands and wives. Attending the spring singing festival, visitors also discover the unique customs of the Dao Do (Red Dao) people.
So, what are you still waiting for? Let’s come to Sapa and remember to take part in traditional festivals of ethnic minorities and discover unique customs. Besides, breath-taking landscapes, this place is also a unique destination which has in its heard a great variety of culture.
Furthermore, you can also find more about the attractiveness of Sapa in an article named “Wonderful escape to Sapa”.
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