Muong Community of Da Bia!
Muong Community of Da Bia!
Hear the tales of Muong people living in century old houses situated next to a pristine lake
Why this experience is unique?
Da Bia (Rock Landmark) village – an area with a historical story behind its name: in 1960, after a three-day territorial debate between Tien Phong and Phong Phu communes, a rock fell off the mountain and stuck right at the borderline as suggested by Tien Phong officers. The rock face can still be seen by a passer-by on the boat, and the area was known as Da Bia from then on.
Da Bia is home to Muong Au Ta People – a small branch of Muong people. At Da Bia, you will delve deeper into the traditional customs of Muong Au Ta: the origin of them, the spiritual life of Muong people, the livelihood, and some folklores and folk dances.
Senh Tien (Dance with local bamboo instruments) and Luu Thuy are two of the famous folk dances performed by the local tribes of the region.
On the first day, you will arrive at an absolutely untouched 300-year-old village of Vietnam – Sung Village. Nestled after a drive of 3 hours, you will be transported to a village beautifully located next to the lake and feel the freshness of clean air. Once settled, enjoy the Chuong Dance performance in the evening. In this dance, the small bell made of copper with the hilt is the main props for the dancer to hold, combined with some auxiliary props such as a small drum, a Vietnamese two-chord fiddle, and a flute to create rhythmic but vibrant music, taking the footsteps of Dao boys and girls bounced and dance.
On the second day of the trip, take a short and picturesque trek to the Da Bia village from the Sung village. During the school visit and cultural immersion, visit the unique Quan Tu Giac (Self Aware Shop) run by the Muong People where the items are kept in the store without any supervision and the visitors can keep the money as per the listed price. Ask your local guide about Mo Muong (Local Folklore) that talks about the rituals and traditions of the local people and reflects the views of local people on life and the outside world. A local guide who is also your translator will be your best companion to fully enjoy this experience.
Post Breakfast walk to the Muc Village and board a cruise for Mo Hem. Visit local families and participate in outdoor activities: swimming, bicycle. Bid goodbye to an immersive journey into the 3 villages. You will be taken on a cruise to Thung Nai from Mo Hem and then transfer to Hanoi by taxi.
Guests like to eat our Ladakhi food. They say it is delicious, even when it is prepared by an elderly ama (mother) like me. I always make sure I serve them the cleanest and healthiest food. My husband is a copper artist. When guests leave us, they say ‘Julley’, and hug us. It makes us feel happy.
I became a Mountain Homestay Host in 2018, and I have hosted many travellers since then. Running a homestay has helped me and my family a lot. Not only is the solar set up in our house useful for us, but even travellers prefer to stay in our homestay because of it.
The training we got in astronomy turned out to be a life-changing experience for our village. I felt happy and proud while mapping the position of the planets and sharing the secrets of the universe with the tourists. Tourists told me that even they didn’t know so much about the dark skies!
