Lao Cai wine | Thing to drink in sapa

For the people in mountain region , wine is an ambrosia drink which appears in all households . When there is a distinguished guest , wine is something indispensable drink to offer. The wine is customarily served with a saying . " please , have a flat wine with our family ," but you should not say no to upset the host family . 

If you have change to visit Lao cai , let come to Bac Ha highland  where you would experience weather of four seasons with clouds covering all over the mountains. There , you would enjoy  various specialities of nature of product made by the most unaffected farmer such as  the Tam Ho plum , Hau plum , pear , local peach and French peach .In winter let be confident to enter any household sitting  by warm fire and a cup of wine offered by the house master. The wine is made of the most natural maize grown in a mountain of  Bac Ha . It spicy taste and aroma seem to give you a living  inspiration despite the hardest challenges of life. And then you will wonder how people can produce such limpid and pure wine from their land , water and crops .  You could ask Mong people in Ban Pho who are eager to give you all the story  that the wine is made from plum golden maize boiled to a pulp in wooden fire then poured on a clean ground . The maize then would be mixed with kind of  fermented leaves cut from the forest nearby . Three day after the maize become permeated with such ferment , it would be poured into a jug for soaking tightly in seven or nine days then distill for wine . That's really a kind of distilled wine but not brewed wine, because its quintessence is not brewed with water like the rice wine is done by people in low -land region but the wine is cooked in a bain-marrie . Water steam from containing th quintessence making up the wine which be cooled down by cold water container upper before running drops by drops to dried gourd or bamboo tube , Three bushels of maize can make up a pure gourd of wine . 

 Such work of stage to produce maize wine seems simple but you should not try because you would never successful . Many people hard to get the right maize , the right pure water taken from a mountain in Ban Pho but still could not produce the right wine of Ban Pho. 

People in Ban Pho have possess such as wine distill profession wine since  long long ago and surely the have their own secret recipe handed down through generations . And these is just those Mong people of Ban Pho in Bac Ha district could produce such as maize . 

However Loa Cai has another place where produce similar attractive food delicay .  That i San Lung wine . While Ban Pho wine  is popular for Mong people  of ban pho in Bac Ha district , Sun Lung wine belong to Dao  Do people of Ban Xeo in Bat Xat district . It is only different that Ban Pho wine distilled from maize but San Lung wine is distilled from rice and wheat and you will find the production much more complicated : what the rice should be or how is the mixture between rice and wheat  ? particularly , the ferment should be made   up cautiously from 10 ferment leaves cut from the forest . Taste of this kind of wine is really unique and incomparable . It has a soft aroma and light taste with charming when it touches your tongue .

If you want to learn about Lao Cai wine , you should learn how the people there drink it . Ordinarily , you should not say no to honest and sincere invitation. If it is home , a bowl full of tasty and aroma wine  offered by house master would be transferred hands by hands around the visitors . The house master would invite you to have the wine and say to you the most hearted-left wishes like the full wine he offer . 

Source : collected from Lao Cai - New opportunities paper 

  

Scenery of Tien Cave Bac Ha

Tien Cave is closely connected with a legend about 3 fairies who were permitted to visit the dusty land by the King . Because the fairy did not want to leave this word, the Jade Emperor had sent the God of thunder to the land punish the fairies.

At first, three fairies hidden in a cave on the cliff at height of about 200m. But when the God od thunder treaded on and destroyed a part of mountain where the three fairies were hiding in.Understanding that there was no way of escape from their father's punishment, thay had thrown themselves to death .Their death bodies were drifted downstream to the lower section of river where is now Bao Nhai communal centre.The local people had fished them out of the river and built a temple tha was named Ba Co ( Three Girls ) .People said that is was a very sacred temple .

In Fairy Cave , there is Fairy stream where smaller streams are falling into.It look like silk strip vaporous and sprinkling  as drizzle . Current of the water like a well skilled sculptor is chiseling cliff to make up floating lotus station and stalactites in different shapes. In one corner ,an elephant is drinking water.In other place , an eagle is flying up..... All create particularly interesting nature bathtub. 

About 200m passing over fairy stream , you will see a big cave like gigantic labyrinth by the creator ,rock are assorted into row of natural rampart.Some   500m up upstream , there are  stalactites in shape of small and big acient tower.whenever it is shining these towers twinkle . After a visit inside the cave , you will reach Hoa Island, a small island with fragrant flowers and herbs .

 You will reach the summit of hopes as coming to visit Fairy cave , swim in Fairy stream and pray for beauty ,good heath and prosperity . 

Source : collected by Admin 

Fairy Mountain at Bac Ha

From the north of Si Ma Cai district to Bac Ha township and at height of cover 1,000m , you will see Fairy mountain.

A legend told that in the old days,there were a man and his daughter going to Pac Kha market ( present Bac Ha market ). Upon arrival, this daughter  wa seriously ill.Her father managed all to save his daughter but failed.Too sorrow and disappointed , he forced to use rock to bury his daughter  and then went to  a nearby  village to ask for some incense stick tot burn and warm up his daughter . Sympathizing go the man , the local people had contributed money and climbed up the mountain to held burial rites for his daughter .When the incense sticks was hafl burned , the girl woke up as though she had just experience a sleep . She told that she had met Bodhisattva who recommended her to worshipping work in the land of the living and took her back to life . Everyone surprised,raised their eyes to the sky and saw a five colour above. Found that it was a good omen and to express his gratitude towards the Bodhisattva for saving his daughter life , the man and local villagers had hired some people to build a small temple on cliff at a height of two ranges of free over the earth's surface and sculpt a statue of the Bodhisattva to worship. Annually on the 19th day of the September ,the locale villagers went there to pray the Bodhisattva for good omens.

Source : collected by Admin

Old palace on white Plateau | Mèo's King Palace in Bac Ha

Over 80 years of existence , the old palace still stand imposing and outstanding in the centre of Bac Ha township .The owner of  Hoang A Tuong old palace is hereditary chief Hoang Yen Chao who is father of Hoang A Tuong and belong to Tay minority .

The old Place has very nice view. It is constucted according the science of winds and waters .The palace is located on a vast hill the southeast ,surrounded by mountains on the back and two sides , and stream and "mother carrying child" mountain in the front.

A harmonious combination between styles rectangle lay-out for the Hoang A Tuong old palace .Both left and right sides of the palace are used as storehouse anh for coolies to stay .The front is as screen and the back is main house . There are three rooms on each floor and an open ground in the center, to get into palace , you have to go in the waiting room at first, the to a big ground that is used to celebrate a ceremony and xoe dancing .The main house has two floors with an area of 420 sq.m,a very well proportioned arch door anh balcony outside the corridor .Two room on the right and two on the left of the house are for family life. The middle room is for meeting.The palace is well decorated in the modern architecture. The main side of the house is decorated with  a lot sophisticated vignettes and two parallel sentences with a content of wishing family prosperity . Total area of the house is up to 4000 sq.m and strictly protected by two teams of guards at the main gate and two supporting gates .At  the present , Hoang A Tuong palace si still being preserved , maintained and upgraded . It is very good palace for traveler to visit anh understand history , society and people in the Bac Ha mountainous region in the past . 

Nowaday ,  traveler can go to the Hoang A Tuong palace by motorbike or by bus 

From Lao Cai station tourist can catch the local bus go there about 4 hours , The price ticket is  about 7 Us Dollar / 1 way. A lot of bus stop is front of Station.