Culture and traditional art

 In traditional literature , each ethnic group has its own legends , historical stories , allegorical stories, proverb, quizzes , traditional songs, including love song, religious custom songs and laments... Legends and historical stories about some land  , village, river or mountain are also very plentiful.

Primaty researches show that Lao Cai has over 30 dances including those performed in daily life called xeo vong, xoe chieng and those performed  as religous costoms or festivals , Dao people who wear while trouser  in Bao Thang and Bao Yen districts can performed  seven different dances which are call sword dance , bamboo  pole dance , bell dance, scarf dance, mask dance,drum dance and cock dance . 

Music art is also very diversified. For wind instrument, Lao Cai has full 10 families with different 11 branches.In string family, it has twang string branch including the Hot - To instrument of the Ha Nhi people, round shape guitar of Nung, Pa Di people "Tha trinh" flock of the Mong people , " Tinh Tau" flock of  Tay, Thai peoples . In the movable string branch , there is Hun-may of Thai people.wind instrument include oval shape branch such as th Cam Rung of Kho Mu people,Khao siphon of Muong people : Pi thiu ,Pi Khui of Thai. The most simple is Pi Phuong of the Thai made by stubble while a subtle type is the pan-pipe of th Mong and Thai. Wind instrument branch with human blowing include the Tu Va ( horn), copper pan-pipe of the Mong, sticks dance of Mong, Mac Dinh of Tay;bell of Dao,most of the ethnic people have their own types of drum. Instrument of Lao Cai  people  include those played in both chamber and solo performances .

Source : collected      

House of Ethnic minority In Sapa

Houses in Sapa - Lao Cai province have various types relevant lifestyle of different ethnic minority groups. Basing on house's foundation structure , there are three major house  types.Houses with clay ground are typical among people of Viet Mong, Dao, houses with both clay and wood belonging to the Dao Do , Houses on stilts belonging to Tay and Thai. In  the first type, or house with clay ground those built of clay are typical of Viet people, houses with clay wall typical for Mong people and houses with walls like fortress typical for Ha Nhi people.In the type of houses on stilts,there are those with four roofs nearly in squares typical for Tay people. 

Traditional houses on stilt of Tay people are built of high quality wood such as the iron wood with roofs made of palm leaf to avoid sunny heat in summer. Houses made of iron wood are usually surrounded by balconies and have four  sides attracting the wind.To make the roofs,Tay people need about 3000 palm leaves for house of 8m x 12m. At presents of Bao Thang, Bao Yen and Van Ban .

Houses built of ram siol typical among the Nung  and Tu Di have distinctive characters shown in the roofs. Tiles are made of clay burnt by wood at high temperature in a kiln.After five days of burning, water are sprayed over the tiles when they are still hot so that to select the most qualified unbroken tiles which can be used for at least a century. Hoang A Tuong palace in Bac Ha district, roofed with tiles made of burnt clay in very typical work.We can see such type of tiles on roofs of houses in the north district of Muong Khuong,Si Ma Cai and Bac Ha.

Houses made of wood unable to be destroyed by boring worm are typical among MOng and Dao peoples.The most precious of po-mu wood are used to built walls and roofs.Po-mu wood which are used to  make roof can have average life-span of over 70 years .Roofs made of such wood can be seen in Cat Cat village, Lao chai village and Ta van Village in Sapa

Source: collected from Lao Cai - New opportunities Magazine

Costume, religion residence of Ethnic minority in Sapa Lao Cai

Costume

Costume in province are very colourful and rich design . Each group has its own costume and each branch in a group has its owns design . Costume of Mong Hoa (flower Mong ) , Mong Xanh ( blue Mong ), Mong Den (black Mong) and Mong Trang (white Mong) have different design. Mong women in different district wear dresses but those in Sapa district wear short trousers. In particular , those Tay people in Van Ban and Bao Yen District were short skin  while those in Bac Ha wear long trousers and shirts.

Religion 

Along with the preservation of important local religions such as the ancestor worshipping tradition, Lao Cai Has new imported ones.Traditiona religious believes of Dao, Tay, Nung and Giay people are under effect of triple religion mostly popular with the Dao.In the Van Ban shrine of The Dao, along with  Ngoc Hong sanctuary is the Buddha  sanctuary under which are Thuy Nguyen, Linh Bao and Dao Duc and more under are Tam Thanh, Tam Bao and Tam Nguyen .The intermix of triple religion with traditional religion have party created a new feature of spiritual life among ethnic people in Lao Cai . 

Residence 

Residence is regard  as the focus o Lao Cai culture so people attach much importance of cultural exchanges with others region while trying to preserve their own styles. Ethnic people in Lao cai are alternately residing commune but independently in villages with a national self-determining concept.With the aim to preserve their own cultural characters , some ethnic people strictly outlined custom of marriage. Although they are not a numerous population , their custom allow marriages among their community .

Come to Sapa ,you should spend time walking along such as culture road so that you can admire a wonderful picture of ancient houses of ethnic people perched way up high hills or the beautiful nature. You should visit on market day to see cultural imprint of each people so your trip will be exciting ...

Source: collected from Lao Cai - New opportunities Magazine