Quan Ba Town on a cloudy day

If tourists want to see Vietnam’s raw, natural beauty just visit remote Ha Giang Province, the country’s northernmost point near the Chinese border.

Ha Giang is about 320 kilometres from Hanoi, approximately six hours by car, and boasts numerous well-conserved tourist attractions, such as Quan Ba Town, located in the rocky limestone mountainous regions of Quan Ba District approximately 43 kilometres from Ha Giang Town, the capital of the province.

We began our journey to Quan Ban from Ha Giang Town early in the morning. The road is steep and precarious, with many curves and bends. Dinh Xuan Viet, our experienced tour guide, said this is also a delight for many of his travellers who prefer the adventure of off-the-beaten-track travel through the mighty mountain ranges.

Before long our bus arrived at Cong Troi Quan Ba gate. This is the highest point in the district, at 1,500 metres above sea level, with an annual average temperature of 16-17 degrees Celsius. Viet said Cong Troi is the first gateway to the Dong Van Plateau, which is very famous for its diverse limestone.

From the pass we saw Quan Ba field, Quyet Tien Commune and Can Ty village through the peaceful mist that lay between Quan Ba Town and the mountains. The road to Quan Ba Town jutted in and out of gorges, running through small ethnic minority villages, over streams and rickety wooden bridges. As we continued our journey, the scenery became more cloudy and misty, but it was also more romantic and beautiful.

We reached the remote Quan Ba at 9:00 a.m. and after a short rest and a drink, we decided to visit the colourful town market. People from different ethnic minority groups walk from their mountain villages to Quan Ba Town in order to meet and trade items. According to Viet, more than 90% of the 7,000 households of Quan Ba District are ethnic minority people, including H’mong, Dao, Tay, Nung, Giay and Bo Y.

Quan Ba, which is one of the poorest districts of the province, does not have much to offer tourists the main attraction here is the raw beauty and wilderness. However, there are several inexpensive cafes, small restaurants, hotels and guest houses in the town, all of which are very charming and offer good service, and friendly waiters.

Source Vietnamnet