The Cultural Threads of Hmong Hemp Weaving

A Living Tradition

Hemp, or Cannabis sativa, has long been a valuable fibre cultivated by the Hmong people in the mountains of northern Vietnam. For generations, it has been used to make clothing that reflects both identity and artistry.

Hmong women take great pride in their handmade garments, especially the beautifully pleated hemp skirts worn during festivals, weddings and market days. Each piece represents weeks of work and a deep understanding of the land. The process of growing, harvesting and weaving hemp connects families to their heritage and to the natural world that sustains them.

Symbolism and Cultural Meaning

Hemp holds an important place in Hmong life beyond its practical use. At funerals, the deceased are dressed in hemp clothing, with women traditionally wearing four skirts. Family members and guests also wear hemp attire as a sign of respect.

Children often prepare hemp garments for their parents in advance, a gesture of love and duty. Hemp cloth is also used in spiritual worship and as part of wedding gifts. A bride is expected to wear a hemp skirt made by her mother-in-law, symbolising unity, respect and the joining of families.

From Seed to Cloth

Many Hmong subgroups across Vietnam’s highlands grow hemp, keeping alive a tradition that is both sustainable and culturally rich. Producing hemp cloth takes around seven months and involves detailed, physical work.

The hemp is sown in early May following age-old customs believed to encourage strong growth. After about two and a half months, the plants are harvested and the stalks are dried before being stripped for fibre. The long process of connecting and spinning the fibres produces strong, smooth threads, which are then woven into fabric on simple wooden looms.

The final cloth is washed and pressed many times to achieve a soft, smooth texture. Each finished piece tells a story of patience, craftsmanship and connection to nature.

Preserving Cultural Heritage

Hemp weaving continues to represent more than just a craft for the Hmong. It is a symbol of cultural resilience, sustainability and identity. Every strand spun and woven carries the memory of generations who have kept these traditions alive through care and dedication.

Hemp Workshops

ETHOS - Spirit of the Community work with local Hmong artisans to create hemp based workshops. Please see our website for more information.

Experience This With ETHOS

• Join our ethical trekking tours in Sapa

• Stay in authentic Hmong homestays

• Discover Sapa’s culture with our workshops

When Good Intentions Aren’t Enough: Child Sellers in Sapa and Ha Giang

As you wander the streets of Sapa, children may approach you with bright smiles and outstretched hands, offering embroidered bracelets, posing for photographs, or inviting you to trek to their village. In Ha Giang, you might see children waiting patiently at mountain viewpoints, dressed in traditional clothing, ready for a photo in exchange for money.

For many travellers, these encounters feel human and heartfelt. Some feel joy at the connection, others a sense of responsibility to help. But behind these moments lies a far more complex reality, one that deserves careful thought.

At ETHOS, we believe that ethical travel begins with understanding. This post is a request: not to photograph children in exchange for money, not to give gifts or sweets to children, and not to buy tours or products from minors. It is also a call to support adult-led, community-based tourism that genuinely strengthens local livelihoods.

The Reality Behind Child Selling

Children selling souvenirs or offering treks are not simply being “enterprising”. Their presence on the streets is often driven by poverty, limited adult employment, and long-standing marginalisation of ethnic minority communities.

While education in Sapa is free up to grade nine, many street-selling children attend school exhausted after long nights working, or miss classes entirely. Money earned today can easily outweigh the promise of future opportunity, especially when families struggle to buy food, clothing, or winter supplies. The long-term cost, however, is devastating. Without education, children are locked out of stable employment and remain trapped in the very cycle visitors hope to help them escape.

Child selling is also closely tied to exploitation. Many children do not keep the money they earn. A portion often goes to adults or covers the cost of the goods they are selling. For the long hours they work, the benefit to the child is minimal, while the risks are considerable.

The Hidden Dangers Children Face

Children on the streets are vulnerable in ways travellers rarely see. Long evenings without supervision expose them to sexual exploitation and trafficking. Sapa, in particular, has become a known target for predators due to the visible presence of children at night. Girls and young teenagers from border regions are also at risk of being trafficked to China. This is not speculation; it is a documented reality.

Older children, particularly girls aged thirteen to sixteen offering cheap trekking services, are also deeply vulnerable. Many live away from home, separated from family and community support. Trekking with a child may feel kind, but it increases their exposure to danger and is illegal for good reason. There is no shortage of skilled, knowledgeable adult guides who can offer a far safer and richer experience.

Why Buying from Adults Makes a Difference

Supporting adult artisans and guides is not only ethical, it is transformative. Many Hmong and Dao women earn supplementary income through guiding, alongside their roles as farmers and mothers. With only one rice harvest per year, most families cannot grow enough food to sell and must purchase essentials. Income from guiding or handicrafts helps bridge this gap.

Their textiles are not souvenirs made for tourists alone. They are intricate, symbolic works created using traditional dyes, batik techniques, embroidery, and brocade weaving passed down through generations. Buying these items out of genuine interest, rather than guilt, honours the skill and cultural knowledge behind them.

Trekking with licensed local guides offers something equally meaningful. Adult guides bring lived knowledge of the land, history, and spiritual traditions of their communities. Many travellers describe these experiences as deeply personal and life-changing.

Tourism, Responsibility and the Bigger Picture

The Ha Giang Loop offers a clear example of how tourism choices matter. When travellers ride with Vietnamese-owned agencies, guided by non-local staff and staying in Vietnamese-owned accommodation, ethnic minority villages bear the disruption without seeing the benefits. Cameras point inward, but income flows outward.

A more regenerative model supports guides and hosts born into these communities, ensuring tourism contributes to local resilience rather than extraction.

You may notice signs in Sapa discouraging visitors from trekking with Hmong and Dao women. From our perspective, meaningful employment for parents is the only real solution to child selling. Many adults over thirty are illiterate due to historical exclusion from education, which limits access to town-based employment. Yet their willingness to work is evident. Men wait daily for manual labour. Women guide when opportunities arise. Tourism, when done thoughtfully, can meet people where they are.

Choosing Ethical Travel

When you choose not to buy from children, you are not withholding kindness. You are choosing long-term safety, education, and dignity over short-term comfort. When you support adult guides, artists, and hosts, you help create livelihoods that keep families together and children in school.

At ETHOS, we believe travel should be immersive, respectful and regenerative. We invite you to walk with care, listen deeply, and make choices that honour the people who welcome you into their mountains and homes.

Experience This With ETHOS

• Join our ethical trekking tours in Sapa

• Stay in authentic Hmong homestays

• Discover Sapa’s culture with our workshops

The Serene Power of Northern Vietnam’s Man Made Hydro Lakes

Northern Vietnam is known for its dramatic mountains, lush forests and winding rivers, but it is also home to some of Southeast Asia’s most impressive hydro lakes. These vast bodies of water are the result of major engineering projects, yet they look entirely at home within the landscape. Their sheer scale and calm beauty make them destinations that feel both awe inspiring and deeply peaceful.

A Landscape Transformed by Vision and Engineering

The region’s hydro lakes were created through large scale dam projects that harness the power of fast flowing mountain rivers. When the valleys were flooded, the geography changed forever. What once were river channels and terraced slopes became expansive lakes that stretch for kilometres, curving and branching like inland fjords.

Although these lakes are artificial, they do not feel industrial. The mountains remain untouched and thick with vegetation. Clouds drift low across the water, and the air carries a fresh, earthy scent. The result is a landscape shaped by humans but fully embraced by nature.

Endless Horizons of Still Water and Mist

Visitors are often struck by the way the lakes reflect the surrounding scenery. On a quiet morning the water can appear perfectly still, like polished glass. Forested ridges, limestone cliffs and tiny floating houses are mirrored with astonishing clarity. The atmosphere is often enhanced by gentle mist that rolls across the surface, giving the entire scene a dreamlike quality.

In some areas small islands rise from the water, covered with bamboo and wild plants. These islands create beautiful compositions that feel almost cinematic. In the late afternoon when the sun sinks behind the hills, the lakes glow with soft light that feels peaceful and ancient.

Local Life Along the Water

Despite their remote appearance, the hydro lakes are living landscapes. Local communities fish, farm and travel across the water daily. Long wooden boats glide between floating homes, fish farms and forested peninsulas. Markets gather along the shores and visitors can often share meals of freshly caught fish cooked with fragrant herbs.

Tourism here remains understated. Instead of busy resorts, travellers can find homestays, small eco lodges and guided boat trips that encourage quiet appreciation rather than fast paced sightseeing.

Power, Progress and Preservation

These hydro lakes are vital for Vietnam’s energy supply. They produce electricity for millions while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Yet what stands out is how gracefully the environment has adapted. Wildlife remains abundant, forests stay green and the lakes have become a source of both sustainability and scenic value.

They show that development does not always have to diminish natural beauty. With careful planning and respect for the land, it can even create new spaces for reflection, adventure and cultural life.

A Destination Worth Exploring

Northern Vietnam’s hydro lakes are functional reservoirs and places where nature and human design exist in harmony. Whether you explore by boat, hike the surrounding hills or simply sit at the shoreline, the stillness and scale will leave a lasting impression.

If you are drawn to landscapes that feel wild yet welcoming, this is a journey worth taking. It is not only about seeing something extraordinary. It is about feeling connected to a place where power and peace flow together.

Ready to Explore on Two Wheels

For those seeking a deeper connection with these waterways, remote mountain communities and the hidden paths in between, our guided motorbike adventures offer a truly immersive way to travel. We ride through highland passes, along lake shores, into caves and across cultural landscapes that many visitors never reach. If you want to combine the freedom of the open road with meaningful, slow travel, explore our routes:

Ride Caves and Waterways
https://www.ethosspirit.com/ride-caves-waterways-5-days

Ride the Great North
https://www.ethosspirit.com/ride-the-great-north

Join us, breathe the mountain air and experience the spirit of Vietnam with every mile.

Sapa Beyond the Town: Discovering the Real Heart of the Mountains

Sapa Is Bigger Than You Think

Contrary to what many people believe, Sapa is not a single village or a quiet valley. It is a vast geographical district that stretches across mountains, forests and river valleys. Driving from one end to the other takes around four hours.

Within this large area lies the Hoang Lien Son National Park and more than 90 villages and hamlets. Many of these places rarely see visitors at all, remaining deeply connected to traditional ways of life and the natural environment.

Sapa Town and the Tourist Villages

Like many destinations in Vietnam, Sapa has a central hub. Sapa town is where most travellers arrive, stay and use as a base. It is lively, crowded and full of hotels, cafes and tour offices.

The villages closest to the town include Cat Cat, Lao Chai, Ta Van and Ta Phin. Because they are easy to reach, they attract the highest number of visitors. These villages often have a backpacker atmosphere and are the places people usually refer to when they talk about Sapa being touristy. While they can be enjoyable, they are not the best places to experience the region’s deepest culture or most dramatic landscapes.

Why Going Further Makes All the Difference

To truly experience Sapa, it is essential to explore beyond the main routes. Once you do, it quickly becomes clear why this region is so special.

Remote villages offer quieter trails, wider views and genuine daily life. The pace slows down. The mountains feel bigger. The connection to the land becomes stronger. This is where Sapa reveals its true character.

Experiences That Show the Real Sapa

Sapa offers far more than classic trekking, although guided walks and homestays are unmissable. The region is also ideal for textile workshops, forest walks and local food experiences. You can join market visits, go foraging, take photography courses or enjoy wild swimming in hidden spots.

For those who enjoy adventure, single or multi day motorbike journeys, mountain summits and camping trips open up vast and beautiful areas. In summer, the cooler mountain air provides a welcome escape from the heat found elsewhere in Vietnam.

A Place to Learn, Connect and Slow Down

Sapa is a place to immerse yourself, not just to visit. It invites you to learn from people who live close to the land and to reconnect with nature in a meaningful way. When explored thoughtfully, it becomes one of the most rewarding highlights of any journey through Vietnam.

Experience This With ETHOS

• Join our ethical trekking tours in Sapa

• Stay in authentic Hmong homestays

• Discover Sapa’s culture with our workshops

Riding the Backroads of Dien Bien Phu

A Journey Beyond the Beaten Path

Over four days we travelled by motorbike through the upland plateaus and quiet valleys west of Sapa. The route led us ast calm lakes, terraced hillsides and small farming communities where life follows the rhythm of the seasons. It was a journey into the heart of the mountains, where every bend in the road revealed something new and beautiful.

Learning from the Land

Our local hosts guided us with warmth and patience, stopping often to walk, share food and talk about the land. They showed us how to forage for wild herbs, edible shoots and mountain mushrooms. Each stop uncovered another layer of local knowledge, passed down through generations and shaped by a deep relationship with the forest and fields.

Evenings by the Fire

When the day’s riding was done, we gathered beside small fires to share bowls of rice and stories. Conversations flowed in a gentle mix of Hmong, Vietnamese and English. The nights were filled with laughter, soft music and the quiet comfort of companionship under a sky full of stars.

Through the Backroads of Dien Bien Phu

These photographs capture the beginning of that journey through the backroads of Dien Bien Phu. Each image tells a part of the story — of movement, discovery and connection with a landscape that holds both history and peace.

Last Chance to See: A Century of Hmong Clothing in Northern Vietnam

Last Chance to See: Clothing, Change, and Continuity

As part of a photo series titled Last Chance to See, ETHOS explores how clothing has changed over more than a century while still holding deep cultural meaning. This series looks closely at what has endured, what has adapted, and why traditional dress continues to matter today.

Today’s focus is on the Hmong people living in four distinct regions of Northern Vietnam: Mu Cang Chai, Sapa, Ha Giang, and Bac Ha. Each region tells its own story through colour, texture, and design.

The Hmong People and Cultural Identity

Throughout recorded history, the Hmong have remained identifiable as Hmong. This continuity comes from maintaining their language, customs, and ways of life, even while adopting elements from the countries in which they live.

Clothing plays a central role in this identity. It is not simply something to wear, but a visible expression of belonging, heritage, and pride.

Regional Differences in Hmong Dress

Many Hmong groups are distinguished by the colour and details of their clothing. Black Hmong traditionally wear deep indigo dyed hemp garments, including a jacket with embroidered sleeves, a sash, an apron, and leg wraps. Their clothing is practical, durable, and rich in subtle detail.

Flower Hmong are known for their brightly coloured traditional costumes. These outfits feature intricate embroidery, bold patterns, and decorative beaded fringe, making them immediately recognisable.

Paj Ntaub: The Language of Cloth

An essential element of Hmong clothing and culture is paj ntaub, pronounced pun dow. This is a complex form of traditional textile art created through stitching, reverse stitching, and reverse appliqué.

Meaning, Skill, and Tradition

Traditionally, paj ntaub designs are ornamental and geometric. They are mostly non representational and do not depict real world objects, with the occasional exception of flower like forms. The making of paj ntaub is done almost exclusively by women.

These textiles are sewn onto clothing and act as a portable expression of cultural wealth and identity. Paj ntaub play an important role in funerary garments, where the designs are believed to offer spiritual protection and guide the deceased towards their ancestors in the afterlife. They are also central to Hmong New Year celebrations.

Before each New Year, women and girls create new paj ntaub and new clothing. Wearing clothes from the previous year is considered bad luck. These new garments reflect creativity, skill, and even a woman’s suitability as a successful wife.

Why Hmong Clothing Endures

Despite major cultural and social change over the past century, Hmong clothing has endured. Its survival lies in its deep connection to identity, belief, skill, and community. Each stitch carries meaning, and each garment tells a story that continues to be passed from one generation to the next.

Why We Built ETHOS in Sapa: For Community, Culture and Connection

1. Understanding the Context

When you travel into the highlands around Sapa, you enter a world of steep valleys, rice-terraced slopes, hillside farmers, and the daily rhythms of ethnic minority communities such as the Hmong and Dao. Yet alongside that beauty lie complex realities. Many of the communities here have long been marginalised socially, economically and culturally.

During his early work here, the company’s founding partner, Phil Hoolihan, describes meeting young Hmong girls who, barefoot and curious, appeared at a camp in the mountains asking to practise English. Their hunger for more than the limited opportunities they saw planted the seed of what ETHOS would eventually become.

In that moment, one realisation took hold: tourism need not be a one-way street. Instead of simply entering a landscape, we could enter a conversation. Instead of only visiting homes, we could build relationships. Instead of extracting experiences, we could help sustain livelihoods, heritage and hope.

2. What Led Us to Act

Phil, together with his partner Hoa Thanh Mai, recognised that many conventional tourist operations in the region follow predictable routes and visitor numbers, yet seldom invest in the people, language, culture or environment of the area.

In their reflections, they asked: could we create something different? A venture that is locally rooted, values-led, and community-first, not just profitable? As Phil writes: “We didn’t want to build another tour company or a feel-good charity. We wanted to create something rooted, regenerative and real.”

By 2012, the decision was made. They moved back to Sapa, started small, with only a few guides, two basic trek options, one laptop and a shared desk. That humble beginning marked the birth of ETHOS: Spirit of the Community.

3. Our Mission and Model

From the outset, our guiding principle has been that travel can uplift, connect and sustain. We believe that every journey should be more than a photograph. It should be relationship-building, culture-sharing, and landscape-respecting.

We operate with four interlinked priorities:

Fair employment and empowerment of guides: Our guides are local women and men from the villages, and they lead the experiences. Their intimate knowledge, language and heritage bring authenticity.

Support for local families, craftswomen and farmers: Whether it is staying overnight in a village homestay, sharing a home-cooked meal, or taking a textile workshop with a skilled artisan, the idea is to work with rather than on the community.

Reinvestment into community development: A portion of every booking supports education for ethnic minority youth, health and hygiene programmes, conservation work and our community centre in Sapa.

Slow, respectful, off-the-beaten-track travel: We do not offer large group tours or queue at the viewpoints. Instead, we walk through rice terraces, stay in farmhouses, join in batik or embroidery workshops, and ride quiet roads by motorbike. It is about time, immersion and connection.

4. How the People Tell the Story

To understand why ETHOS exists, it helps to hear from those whose lives are intertwined with its creation.

Phil Hoolihan recalls the camp by the ridgeline where Hmong girls sat listening, learning English and dreaming. That moment triggered the question: what if tourism could lift culture rather than erode it?

Hoa Thanh Mai grew up in an agricultural town near Hanoi, the daughter of a ceramics-factory worker and a mother involved in textile trading. She studied tourism because she believed travel could be a tool of connection, not merely business.

Ly Thi Cha, a Hmong youth leader and videographer with ETHOS, embodies the spirit of bridge-building: interpreter, guide, cultural storyteller. Her presence shows the model in practice: local leadership, local voice, local vision.

Through their journeys, you can see how ETHOS is not an addition to community life but an extension of it. The guides are voices, the homes are real, the musk of smoke from the hearth, the murmur of family conversations, the weight of a needle in the hand of a craftswoman.

5. Why It Matters

You might ask: why is this so important? Because, when done thoughtfully, community-based tourism can be transformational.

It shifts power: from a few tour operators deciding where to lead visitors, to communities co-creating what they show and how they show it.

It safeguards culture: traditional crafts, stories and landscapes become living and evolving, not museum pieces or commodified clichés.

It generates dignity: when local guides share their own lives, and when income goes directly to extended families, the ripple effect strengthens livelihoods.

It deepens travel: for you, the traveller, this is not about ticking boxes; it is about altering perspective, slowing down, listening and noticing. “The most memorable journeys are not always the most comfortable or convenient,” as our website puts it.

It anchors sustainability: by linking tourism to education, healthcare and the environment, travel becomes support rather than strain.

6. How You Can Walk With Us

If you decide to join our journey, here is what you will experience:

• Trekking through hidden ridges, paddies and hamlets with a local guide who has grown up here.

• Homestays in village homes: food cooked over the fire, slow evenings, stories shared in the morning mist.

• Textile or herb-foraging workshops led by craftswomen and keepers of herbal knowledge, not by outsiders.

• Motorbike loops that avoid tourist hotspots and instead meander through remote valleys, tea plantations and lesser-seen paths.

• A guiding ethos: come with curiosity, leave with muddy boots, full hearts, and friendships that linger.

7. In Summary

We built ETHOS in Sapa because the mountains here hold scenery, culture, craft, community and heritage that deserve partnership, not performance. We chose to centre women guides, local artisans, storytellers and farmers. We chose small groups, slow rhythms and mindful travel. We chose to measure success not just in tours sold but in lives enriched, traditions honoured and landscapes respected.

If you travel with ETHOS, you are choosing more than a route through rice terraces. You are choosing a journey that shifts the focus of tourism from convenience to connection, of visitor from spectator to participant, of region from “destination to consume” to “community to share with”.

Welcome. We are glad you are here, and we look forward to walking the path together.

Experience This With ETHOS

• Join our ethical trekking tours in Sapa

• Stay in authentic Hmong homestays

• Discover Sapa’s culture with our workshops

Best Ethical Trekking Companies in Sapa (2025 Guide)

Introduction: Trekking with Heart in the Mountains of Sapa

Misty mountain trails, cascading rice terraces and vibrant minority villages make Sapa’s landscape irresistible to adventurers. Yet not all treks are created equal. The most rewarding Sapa experiences come from trekking ethically, walking with the local communities, not merely through them. Ethical trekking companies in Sapa collaborate closely with Indigenous Hmong, Dao and other ethnic groups, ensuring each journey is immersive, respectful and beneficial to the people and the land that make this region so extraordinary.

Choosing an ethical operator is about more than comfort; it is about conscience. Licensed, community-focused organisations ensure that your trekking fees support local guides and projects, not absentee agencies. Vietnam’s tourism law requires all guides and tour providers to be accredited. Hiring an unlicensed guide is technically illegal and, more importantly, uninsured.

Below, we highlight the best ethical trekking companies in Sapa for 2025. Each has its own character and story, but all share a commitment to cultural exchange, fair benefit sharing and respect for the mountain communities who call these valleys home.

ETHOS – Spirit of the Community (Our Top Pick)

Warmly welcoming and deeply rooted in Sapa’s highlands, ETHOS – Spirit of the Community stands out as the leading ethical trekking company in northern Vietnam. Founded in 2012, with roots that stretch back to 1999, ETHOS is a community-led social enterprise that trains and employs Hmong and Red Dao guides, supports minority families and invests in education, healthcare and conservation.

Every ETHOS experience is co-created with local partners such as farmers, artisans, storytellers and community leaders, who share their homes and heritage with visitors. Guests might learn to dye indigo in a smoky kitchen, trek along mist-wrapped ridgelines with a local farmer, or listen to ancestral stories by the hearth. These are journeys of connection and reciprocity, not consumption.

ETHOS has been widely recognised for its integrity and innovation. It received the IMAP Vietnam Social Impact Award (2019), supported by the Embassy of Ireland and the National Economics University, and continues to earn annual TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. The company appears in every major travel guide, including Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Le Routard and Simplissime Vietnam, as the benchmark for sustainable tourism in the region.

At ETHOS, travellers are welcomed as partners in cultural exchange. Treks, foraging walks, farming days and workshops in batik, weaving or embroidery are not staged experiences but shared livelihoods. Every booking supports fair wages and funds community projects. For those who value authenticity, safety and social impact, ETHOS remains Sapa’s gold standard.

Sapa Sisters – Hmong Women’s Trekking Collective

Founded in 2009, Sapa Sisters was born from an inspired collaboration between four Hmong women (Lang Yan, Lang Do, Chi and Zao) and the Swedish-Polish artist couple Ylva Landoff Lindberg and Radek Stypczyński. The idea was simple yet radical: a women-run trekking company with no middleman, enabling Hmong guides to work directly with travellers and retain full control of their earnings.

Ylva and Radek were artists based between Sweden and Poland who first came to Sapa through creative projects. Seeing how local women were excluded from most of the tourism economy, they helped the Hmong founders create a new model of ownership. Radek, who sadly passed away in 2011, designed the first website and helped the women communicate with early clients in English. Ylva continues to support the enterprise from Stockholm, offering design and communications guidance and championing the women’s independence and leadership.

Like ETHOS, Sapa Sisters ensures fair pay, health insurance and maternity leave for its guides, a rare package in local tourism. Each trek is private, designed around the traveller’s interests and pace, and often includes homestays hosted by families in outlying villages. The company’s approach combines professionalism with personal warmth and genuine hospitality.

Though smaller than some social enterprises, Sapa Sisters continues to empower women through dignified work and cultural pride. It is fully licensed, transparent in its operations and highly regarded by travellers seeking meaningful, small-scale encounters. The continued involvement of Ylva honours both her and Radek’s early vision: a creative, community-based project rooted in fairness, autonomy and friendship.

Sapa O’Chau – From Social Enterprise to Ethical Legacy

Sapa O’Chau, once one of Vietnam’s best-known ethical tourism ventures, still exists as a business name and continues to operate limited services in Sapa. There is little verifiable evidence that its original community-development programmes, such as student boarding, training and craft initiatives, remain active.

Still Active

Tours and Homestays: Listings on TripAdvisor, Booking.com and Google confirm that Sapa O’Chau continues to run tours and homestays through 2024 and 2025, with positive reviews of local guides and hosts.
Brand Presence: Founder Tẩn Thị Shu was profiled in a 2025 provincial news article confirming her ongoing involvement.
Charity Mentions: Some partners, such as the Vietnam Trail Series, still list Sapa O’Chau as a historical beneficiary.
Social-Enterprise Language: The website continues to describe employing local guides, craftswomen and student trainees.

Signs of Decline

There has been no new YouTube content in five years, the blog remains inactive, and social media accounts have been silent for roughly eighteen months. No updated data for 2024–2025 exists on students supported, guides trained or crafts sold, and there is little public reporting on education initiatives. TripAdvisor rankings have fallen sharply since 2020.

Likely Situation

Sapa O’Chau’s tourism arm has survived, focusing on small-scale treks and homestays, but its social programmes appear largely dormant, likely due to the founder choosing to focus on profit in other areas.

In Summary

Sapa O’Chau has not disappeared, but its community-development work has faded. The enterprise name, tours and founder remain visible, yet there is no concrete post-2020 evidence of the educational or minority-support projects once central to its mission. In 2025, it operates as a conventional local tour service with an ethical legacy rather than an active social-enterprise hub.

Real Sapa – 100 Per Cent Local

Real Sapa presents itself as a 100 per cent ethnic-minority-owned trekking collective founded by Hmong cousins from a valley outside Sapa. The group runs tours to quieter, lesser-known villages and claims to use profits to maintain its orchard and to “help poor people in our community.”

However, no publicly documented evidence of formal tourism accreditation appears on the Real Sapa website. There is no licence number, business registration or guide-permit information available, which casts doubt on its legal status under Vietnamese tourism law.

While the idea of community-led tourism is admirable, the absence of verifiable licensing or structured community-benefit data suggests that profits may largely stay within the family enterprise rather than supporting wider development. Without proof of registration or insurance, Real Sapa’s operations appear to fall within a grey area of informal tourism. Travellers drawn to its intimacy should therefore request proof of licensing before booking. Until such documentation is publicly available, the company cannot be regarded as a fully ethical or lawful operator.

The Freelance Guide Question

Sapa also has a large network of independent or freelance local guides, mostly Hmong or Dao, many of them women with years of on-trail experience. They are often knowledgeable, resourceful and generous hosts. Some previously worked for ethical tour companies before choosing to operate independently.

Hiring a freelance guide can seem appealing. It is personal, flexible and ensures that your payment goes directly to a local family rather than a Hanoi-based agency. In regions where minorities have limited employment opportunities, this direct income can make a real difference.

Yet there is a critical distinction between experience and legality. Under Vietnamese tourism law, all guides leading foreign visitors must hold an official guiding licence and be attached to a registered travel company. Most freelancers are not. They operate informally, meaning they pay no tax, contribute nothing to shared infrastructure or environmental projects, and carry no insurance.

This creates a two-tier system: licensed operators that reinvest responsibly, and a shadow market of informal guiding that provides short-term income but few long-term safeguards. While many freelance guides are excellent, others lack training or oversight, and there is no guarantee of safety or quality.

Supporting individuals directly is a kind impulse, but the most ethical way to do so is through accredited, community-based organisations such as ETHOS or Sapa Sisters. These ensure fair pay, transparent reinvestment and legal compliance. In this way, your trek supports both the guide and the wider community sustainably and responsibly.

Conclusion: Making Your Trek Count

Trekking in Sapa is more than a hike; it is a journey through living culture. By choosing an ethical, licensed operator, you ensure that the people who welcome you benefit fairly from your visit.

ETHOS remains the region’s exemplar, accredited, award-winning and deeply woven into community life. Sapa Sisters continues to empower women and uphold local leadership. Sapa O’Chau still operates, though its social programmes have faded. Real Sapa offers authenticity but must prove its legality. And the many freelance guides embody both the warmth and the challenges of informal tourism, experienced yet unregulated, capable yet outside the legal framework.

When you trek ethically, you walk with purpose. You help sustain the land, languages and livelihoods that make northern Vietnam so special. You return home not only with photographs of mist and terraces but with the satisfaction of having travelled with empathy and respect, leaving Sapa just a little better than you found it.

• Join our ethical trekking tours in Sapa

• Stay in authentic Dao and Hmong homestays

• Discover Sapa’s culture with our workshops

The La Chí People of Northern Vietnam: Guardians of Ancient Traditions

The La Chí People: A Living Heritage of Northern Vietnam

Nestled among the misty mountains of Hà Giang and Lào Cai, the La Chí people are one of Vietnam’s most fascinating ethnic communities. With a population of just over 15,000, they live peaceful, sedentary lives in close-knit villages. Their world revolves around cotton cultivation, community traditions and a deep respect for their ancestors.

Family and Belief: The Heart of La Chí Life

La Chí families follow a patriarchal structure where the father, or later the eldest son, guides all aspects of daily life from production and marriage to relationships within the village.

The La Chí believe each person has twelve souls, two of which rest on the shoulders and are considered the most vital. Ancestor worship plays an important role, honouring forebears for three generations, from the father to the great-grandfather. Religious life is well organised, with rituals and customs carefully maintained.

Homes in the Hills: Life in Stilt Houses

Traditional La Chí houses are built on stilts, often surrounded by fields of indigo and rice. The lower level is home to the family kitchen, while the upper living space is divided into three compartments, around six metres wide and seven metres long. A wooden staircase connects the two floors, symbolising the bridge between earth and sky a fitting metaphor for the La Chí connection to both nature and spirit.

Stories Passed Down by Word of Mouth

Knowledge among the La Chí is shared through generations by storytelling. Elders pass on wisdom through legends and fairy tales that teach children about the mysteries of the natural world and the values of their culture. These oral traditions help preserve their history and identity.

A Unique Custom: Exchanging Children

One of the La Chí’s most distinctive traditions involves child exchange between families. When a family wishes for a boy but has a girl, they may offer the child to another household seeking a daughter. The new parents visit, suggest a name and observe the baby’s reaction. A crying infant is believed to refuse, while a calm one accepts the name and joins the new family. This practice, free of taboo, helps maintain population balance and strengthens community bonds.

Masters of the Terraces and the Land

The La Chí are believed to be among the earliest settlers in Hà Giang and Lào Cai. Their ancient tales reference the creation of terraced rice fields; now among Vietnam’s most iconic landscapes. Today, they remain skilled cultivators, tending wet rice fields, growing cotton, indigo and, more recently, cinnamon for trade.

Indigo Elegance: The La Chí Woman’s Dress

La Chí women wear stunning handwoven indigo-dyed clothing. Their outfit includes a four-panel cotton dress with a front split, an embroidered bodice, a cloth belt and a long headdress. The headdress and lapels are decorated with delicate silk embroidery, all in rich shades of indigo.

Creating one complete outfit can take several months, beginning with planting cotton, spinning and weaving the fabric, dyeing it in natural indigo and finishing it with intricate embroidery. Each piece is a testament to patience, skill and pride in their cultural identity.

Preserving a Living Culture

The La Chí people are more than an ancient community they are living storytellers of Vietnam’s northern highlands. Through their textiles, beliefs and traditions, they remind us that culture is not just inherited, it is nurtured with love and lived every day.

The Wisdom Keepers of ETHOS

When people ask what makes ETHOS different, we might talk about routes, homestays and workshops, yet the real answer sits deeper. Many of our experiences begin not with a map, but with a slow conversation beside a kitchen fire, shared with someone who has lived through almost a century of change in the highlands.

We call them our ETHOS elders. They are Hmong, Dao and neighbours from other ethnic groups, aged between 76 and 99. Some move slowly now, some stay close to home, yet their experience shapes almost everything we do.

Before Roads, Hotels and Tour Buses

A Valley With No Engines

If you stand on a ridge at dawn, watching the terraces shift from dark blue to gold, it is tempting to imagine that things have always looked this way. Our elders remind us that they have not. There were no cars in Sapa, no electricity humming through homes, no backpackers comparing trekking apps.

The houses were smaller and darker, lit only by torches or tiny oil lamps. Families grew almost everything themselves. Maize drying above the fire, a plot of rice clinging to a steep bank, simple greens plucked from the forest edge. Children learned not through textbooks, but through listening to stories told softly in Hmong or Dao.

Life was not easy, yet it felt anchored. Days followed farming rhythms. Nights followed the gentle hush of wind, rather than an electric buzz. The elders speak of it plainly, without romanticising or criticising, simply as a memory that still tastes real.

Living Through Change

Hunger, Conflict and Shifting Rules

Most elders have lived through events that younger people only study from a distance. Wars that moved through the border region. Long hungry months when harvests failed. New governments arriving with new expectations for how people should speak, dress and behave.

Some hid in forests during bombardments. Others sold heirloom silver jewellery to buy rice. Families relocated when valleys flooded or when land rights changed. They endured loss, uncertainty and constant adaptation, yet held on to language, ritual and textile knowledge with astonishing strength.

Their stories do not follow perfect timelines. One memory drifts into another. A tale about tending buffalo wanders into a reflection about how the forest once sounded thicker and more alive. History here behaves like fabric; it folds, layers and overlaps.

How Elders Shape Our Work

Guidance Beside the Fire

Before finalising any new route or community activity, we visit elders for advice. Sometimes we sit in courtyards surrounded by maize, other times in smoky kitchens where pots simmer quietly. There is usually tea and sometimes gentle teasing or blunt honesty.

An elder might explain that a beautiful waterfall should not be photographed in certain months, or that a particular forest is part of a clan’s spiritual world, so paths must avoid it. Another might ask us to consider an old settlement that could tell an overlooked story.

Outsiders might see only dramatic scenery, yet elders see boundaries, spirits, ceremonial sites and memories that cannot be found on a map.

Learning Through Presence

The Fire Becomes a Classroom

The most meaningful moments for guests often arrive when the trekking boots are off and daylight fades. An elder may unroll hemp cloth to demonstrate batik, explaining each motif and its link to fertility, weather or clan identity. The room becomes a quiet circle of shared listening, where even relatives pause to learn again.

Sometimes someone sings a courting song that no young person remembers. Other nights a shaman drum is brought out, its symbols fading yet still powerful. Silver jewellery is explained piece by piece, each item tied to marriage, birth or migration.

These are not staged performances. They are real exchanges that happen because trust exists and because elders have chosen to share knowledge that might otherwise fade.

Bridging Generations

Young Guides and Old Knowledge

Many of our guides are in their twenties or thirties. They speak multiple languages, use smartphones and connect with travellers easily. Elders watch this with pride and mild worry. They want progress, yet they fear the loss of language, motifs and ritual.

By inviting travellers to learn, elders see proof that their heritage still matters. After a storytelling session, an elder who began shy may end the evening animated and eager to share more next time. It becomes a small but powerful exchange between generations.

Ethics In Practice

Accountability Rooted in Respect

Elders help us stay grounded. They tell us when a trail must close or when a village needs rest from visitors. We follow their lead even when it disrupts plans, because ethical travel is not a slogan for us. It is a relationship that must remain alive, honest and humble.

Without elders, ETHOS would still exist, but the depth would be gone. We might still trek these mountains, but we would not understand their stories or their silences.

Final Thought

Community elders share history and remind us that culture is a living current, not an archive. It slows, bends and sometimes disappears, yet with attention it can keep flowing.

We walk with them not to preserve the past perfectly, but to let it breathe into the present, step by slow step, fire by fire, voice by voice.

Join our Team

If you would like your journey to be shaped by lived wisdom rather than standard itineraries, reach out and begin a conversation with our team. We will help you travel with intention, curiosity and respect.

A Smile Across the Mountains

The Sisters Who Waited for Time to Catch Up

Though separated by less than five miles of steep terrain, sisters Lý Ca Su and Lý Lỳ Chí had not seen one another for over sixteen years. Their final years unfolded in quiet solitude, filled with longing, memory, and the ache of distance. The eldest sister had long since passed away, lost to hunger during a time of great scarcity; a sorrow that lingered in every conversation that followed.

The sisters belonged to the La Hủ ethnic group, one of Vietnam’s smallest and most secluded communities, numbering fewer than ten thousand. For generations, the La Hủ lived as semi-nomadic hunters, following the forest’s rhythm across the misted highlands of the far northwest. Change came suddenly in 1996, when hydroelectric projects and government reforms encouraged the community to settle permanently. The forest paths gave way to villages and fields. The transition was uneasy, as traditions adapted and some, quietly, faded.

A Life Divided by Mountains

Lý Lỳ Chí left her childhood home at seventeen. She married early and settled in a neighbouring valley. For many years, the two sisters would make the long, arduous trek along a narrow mountain path to visit each other, their journeys a thread of connection between ridges. But time is unrelenting. Age weakened their steps, and the trail grew quiet. Sixteen years passed without reunion.

By ninety-three, Lý Ca Su had gone completely blind. Her younger sister, at one hundred and three, could still see, but her hearing had faded almost entirely. With no literacy, there were no letters. With no electricity, no phones. The silence between them stretched impossibly wide.

Progress Arrives Too Late

In 2019, a new road was completed linking their villages. What had once taken days could now be done in two hours. Yet for the sisters, it changed nothing. Neither could ride a motorcycle, and there were no cars or buses. Even electricity remained a rumour. The distance was only five miles, but it might as well have been a hundred.

And still, life has its small mercies.

The Photograph That Crossed Mountains

Two years earlier, photographer Réhahn had taken a portrait of Lý Ca Su. Her face, deeply lined, seemed to hold entire lifetimes. Her smile was gentle; the kind that hums quietly rather than shouts. When ETHOS visited the La Hủ villages, they carried that photograph with them and showed it to Lý Lỳ Chí.

For a brief, trembling moment, her eyes brightened. Recognition flickered. The years fell away. She saw her sister’s face again, if only in an image. Tears came, soft and sudden. There was reunion — not in person, but in spirit.

What Remains

Now both sisters have passed beyond this world, and that single photograph holds what words cannot. A connection unbroken by mountains or silence. A reminder that love, in its simplest form, can travel further than any road.

Sometimes, the distance between two hearts is measured not in miles, but in memory.

Thank you to Rehahn for the wonderful photo. To see this and many other portraits, please considering visiting the Precious Heritage Museum in Hoi An.

The Gentle Rhythms of Lao Life: A Glimpse into the Northwest Highlands

There is something quietly captivating about the Lao ethnic communities scattered across Vietnam’s northern mountains. Their villages, often cradled by mist and river valleys in Lai Chau or Son La, feel like worlds suspended between seasons; places where time seems to slow, just enough to notice the details; the scent of wet bamboo after rain, the shimmer of embroidered silk in the sunlight, the sound of laughter drifting from stilt houses.

Where Mountains Meet Memory

The Lao people, whose ancestors journeyed from what is now the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, belong to the Tay-Thai linguistic family. Their language carries echoes of Laotian speech, but with gentle variations that root it firmly in these Vietnamese highlands. You hear it most beautifully in song; a soft lilt that rises and falls with the rhythm of work, play, and prayer.

Most Lao families live in wide stilt houses that blend practicality with grace. The ground floor shelters buffalo and tools, while the upper floor is a shared living space filled with warmth and wood smoke. Privacy, such as it exists, is created with woven curtains hung with pom poms that dance when the breeze drifts through. It’s modest, but deeply alive with care and craft.

Threads of Identity

Lao textiles tell stories that words sometimes cannot. Women still weave intricate brocade and embroider bold motifs, even if cotton now replaces hand-spun fibres. Their skirts, long and flowing, are alive with patterns of trees, birds, and leaves. Each one seems to hold a memory; a season, a celebration, a piece of family history.

They pair these with fitted tops fastened by colourful sashes, silver coins that glint softly against black fabric, and plain black headscarves wrapped with an elegance that feels timeless. The overall effect is both restrained and radiant, a blend of simplicity and ornament that feels entirely their own.

The Smile Behind the Betel Nut

Among the Lao, teeth blackening and betel chewing remain living traditions. At first glance, it may seem surprising, even startling, yet within the culture it carries beauty and meaning. Blackened teeth are seen as a sign of maturity, dignity, and humanity; a mark that separates people from the animal world. The practice, mostly kept by older women, gives them a presence both commanding and gentle; smiles inked with wisdom.

A Festival of Water and Renewal

During the Lao New Year, villages come alive with colour, laughter, and the joyous chaos of splashing water. It’s more than play; it’s ritual. The water symbolises cleansing; washing away misfortune and inviting good weather, fertile fields, and healthy families. As drums echo through the valley, people dance and sing, moving in rhythmic patterns that mirror the flow of rivers.

It’s hard to describe without sounding sentimental, but there’s a kind of purity in these moments — a sense that the world, even briefly, finds its balance again.

The Songs that Hold the Hills

Folk songs, legends, and tales are woven through Lao life like threads in a tapestry. Their dances are fluid, open, and expressive, guided by drums but never strictly choreographed. You see freedom in their movement; a joyful refusal to separate art from life.

Perhaps that’s what makes time with the Lao so special. It isn’t performance. It’s participation and being drawn, slowly and sincerely, into the shared rhythm of the mountains.

At ETHOS, we believe that travel should feel like conversation; sometimes quiet, sometimes full of laughter, always rooted in respect. Our journeys with Lao communities are invitations to listen, to walk gently, and to learn how beauty can live in the everyday.

The Evolving Art of Hmong Textiles in Northern Vietnam

The Evolving Art of Hmong Textiles in Northern Vietnam

The Heritage of Hmong Clothing 

The Hmong people of Vietnam have a long history of creating clothing that reflects their identity and traditions. Textiles are more than fabric. They are a visual language that shows who someone is and where they come from.

Each Hmong subgroup has its own recognisable style. White, Black, Flowery, Red, and Blue Hmong communities are known for different colours, patterns, and decorative techniques. Women’s pleated skirts often include detailed embroidery, batik designs, and appliqué. Blouses and aprons are bright and full of symbolic motifs. Men’s clothing is simpler but still carries meaningful tradition.

Crafting Textiles by Hand

For centuries, Hmong families have relied on handwoven hemp and natural indigo dye. Every step was done by hand. Growing and processing hemp took great effort. Embroidery was slow and highly skilled work passed down from mothers to daughters.

These garments were more than clothing. They showed cultural knowledge and community belonging. Each stitch was carefully placed with purpose.

Modern Influences and Adaptations

Change is happening. Many Hmong households now use commercial cotton and some synthetic materials because they are affordable and easy to work with. This allows clothes to be made more quickly and sold in markets or to tourists.

Some subgroups are responding in a different way by adding more embroidery and creativity than ever before. Their designs are more detailed and far more time consuming to make. Clothing has become a canvas for new artistic expression.

Tourism has created economic opportunities but also brought challenges. Traditional hemp skirts are becoming rare in some villages. Yet hemp fabrics and indigo dyeing are still practised and remain a strong part of cultural identity.

What Textiles Tell Us

When you visit Hmong communities in northern Vietnam, take time to notice the details. Clothing can show migration stories, family history, resilience, and pride in heritage. Patterns and colours protect against misfortune and honour ancestors.

Buying directly from local artisans supports families and helps preserve skills that have lasted for generations.

A Question for You

As traditions evolve, what should stay the same?

Should Hmong textile makers embrace new materials and markets, or is there a risk that important cultural knowledge will be lost?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Hmong Shamanic Rituals and Lunar New Year Traditions in Vietnam

Hmong Shamanic Rituals and Lunar New Year Traditions in Vietnam

Beliefs in Souls and Spirits

The Hmong are traditionally animist with most Hmong believing in the spirit world and in the interconnectedness of all living things. At the center of these beliefs lies the Txiv Neeb, the shaman (literally, “father/master of spirits”). According to Hmong cosmology, the human body is the host for a number of souls. The isolation and separation of one or more of these souls from the body can cause disease, depression and death. Curing rites are therefore referred to as “soul-calling rituals”. Whether the soul became separated from the body because it was frightened away or kidnapped by an evil force, it must return in order to restore the integrity of life.

Entering the Spirit World

A shaman is transported to another world via a “flying horse,” a wooden bench usually no wider than the human body. The bench acts as a form of transportation to the other world. The shaman wears a paper mask while he is reaching a trance state. The mask not only blocks out the real world, so the shaman can concentrate, but also acts as a disguise from evil spirits in the spirit world. During episodes when shamans leap onto the flying horse bench, assistants will often help them to balance. It is believed that if a shaman falls down before his soul returns to his body, he or she will die.

The shaman is considered a master of ecstasy. It is thought that his soul becomes detached from his or her body during a séance in order to leave for the spirit world. The shaman becomes a spirit and put him or herself on an equal standing with the other spirits. The shaman can see them, talk to them, touch them, and if necessary catch them and liberate them so they can return home.

Sacrifice and Healing

In Hmong culture, the souls of sacrificial animals are connected to human souls. Therefore a shaman uses an animal’s soul to support or protect a human soul. Often healing rituals are capped by a communion meal, where everyone attending the ritual partakes of the sacrificed animal who has been prepared into a meal. The event is then ended with the communal sharing of a life that has been sacrificed to mend a lost soul.

A Lunar New Year Shamanic Ceremony

Beginning the Ceremony

Participants at this lunar new year event begin arriving from early morning, each bringing gifts of incense, shamanic paper and an offering of meat in the form of pork or chickens. The shaman in charge of this ritual, Lý A Cha, begins the ceremony with a chant, using a mixture of Hmong and an ancient dialect called Mon Draa. Even to an outsider’s ear, his words sound different from everyday Hmong speech. The literal meaning of each word has become obscure to many present-day Hmong, even sometimes to those who chant it, yet the purpose of the ritual is to invite the too Xeeb spirit to manifest itself during the ceremony, to accept the offerings of those present, and to agree to provide them with blessings.

Divination with Kuaj Neeb

As he chants Lý A Cha throws the Kuaj Neeb on the ground repeatedly. The Kuaj Neeb is a tool for divination made from two halves of a buffalo horn. They are used to determine which way the soul has gone. The two pieces comprise a couple, and are separately referred to as male or female. When both pieces of the Kuaj Neeb land fat side down pointing in opposite directions, it is believed that the spirits have accepted the offerings and are willing to come to the ceremony to fulfil all wishes made by the participants.

Gong, Sacrifice and Protection

Next, the shaman beats the Nruag Neeb (a small black metal gong) three times while a sacrificial pig is placed on a wooden table next to the altar. The gong amplifies the shaman’s power. It represents spiritual strength through its penetrating, reverberating sound. It also serves to protect the shaman from evil spirits, like a shield.

The villagers have pooled their money to buy the large sacrificial pig, an offering to ask for a New Year blessing for the entire community. Its jugular vein is expertly slit, and there is much jubilation as the first drops of blood are caught in ritual bowls. The animal’s death throes are brief with laughter and happiness deriving from anticipation of the food which the pig will provide, and the prospect of future blessings gained from the animal’s sacrifice.

Calling Spirits and Reading Fate

The shaman follows this by throwing the Kuaj Neeb down on the ground several times, while he chants in Mon Draa. He holds the Nruag Neeb in his left hand. With his right, he alternately strikes the gong several times with the beater. He continues this alternation three times, while he chants in Mon Draa, in order to summon and communicate with the spirits to ask for their blessing (pauj thwv rig).

While the shaman conducts various parts of the ceremony, young men prepare and cook the meat while the women supervise and cook rice. Rhythmic dancing takes place through the day, always in same sex quartets dressed fully in Hmong clothing, yet with bare feet. Each dancer has their own gong and moves together in diagonal lines throughout the space in front of the altar.

Fire, Smoke and Spiritual Energy

As the ceremony enters the afternoon, a second shaman arrives. Giàng A Pho has been studying as an apprentice for many years and is well respected and highly regarded in his own right. Decoratively cut bamboo paper is placed in a line across the floor, one in front of each participant. Bamboo paper is used during shamanic rituals, in divination ceremonies and on other occasions. Today, the shaman chants in front of each participant for several minutes, repeatedly using the split buffalo horns before moving on to the next person. Once completed, the line of papers are ignited and left to burn out. The ashes are then read, allowing the shaman to make statements about peoples spiritual health as well as predictions about when each participant should have their own individual séances.

Next, a pyre is constructed made from the shamanic papers collected during ceremonies through the previous years. These are ignited by Giàng A Pho and manipulated using bamboo poles into a smouldering pile of embers. While Lý A Cha chants in Mon Draa, four other men begin beating their individual gongs with increasing ferocity, reaching a deafening crescendo before Lý A Cha rolls through the embers causing a burst of flames to leap into the air. The other men soon follow, before jumping up and beginning a loud and rhythmical dance through the room now drenched in thick smoke. Their bare feet send sparks flying as they pound the ground.

Offering Food to Spirits and Community

As the smoke clears, two bowls of meat and rice are placed on the altar, along with small cups of homemade rice wine. After toasting the spirits and drinking the rice wine, the shaman cuts some small pieces of pork and puts them on top of some rice, which is laid on a banana leaf, to serve to the spirits. He also pours rice wine on top of the spirits’ food and chants an invitation in Mon Draa to the spirits.

The ceremony concludes with a communal feast. The pig has been prepared as a variety of different dishes and placed upon tables in the altar room. Everyone who attended the ceremony is invited to partake and the room becomes a place of laughter and story telling which goes on long into the night.

Watch the Full Video

Full video to go with this photo story can be found here:

https://youtu.be/RcefnyJeNYs

Red Dao Baby Hats A Mother’s Love Stitched into Tradition

A Living Culture of Craft

Red Dao women are known for their incredible skills in hand embroidery. Every stitch is full of patience and pride. Textiles are part of daily life in the mountains, not only for beauty but also for cultural identity and protection. When a child is born, a mother begins one of the most meaningful pieces she will ever make. The baby hat.

Why Babies Need Protection

In Red Dao belief, young children are still growing their spirit. From one month to around five years old, they can fall ill very easily because bad spirits may come close. Mothers believe that a handmade hat with symbols and colour will help protect their children while their spirit becomes stronger.

More Than Decoration

The colourful patterns are full of meaning. A baby girl often has a more embroidered hat with bright colours and special symbols. Boys usually wear hats with three colours such as red, black and purple.

Coins, beads and pom poms decorate the hat so it catches the eye. Inside the embroidery, the mother often places medicinal herbs which are believed to support health and keep away bad spirits. When a hat dances with colour, it looks like a flower. A bad spirit, seeing a flower instead of a baby, will leave the child alone. The hat becomes both a shield and a disguise.

Made by a Mother’s Hands

Most hats are made by the child’s mother. Sometimes a grandmother helps, especially if she has greater experience with symbols. The design is personal to the family and protects the child every day, not only on festival occasions. Children wear their hats while playing, walking, resting and even being carried on their mother’s back.

Childhood to Independence

When children reach about five years old, they stop wearing the baby hat because their spirit is stronger. They begin to learn about their culture in other ways. Clothing remains important but the secret spirit protection of the hat has already done its job.

A Beautiful Tradition to Cherish

These hats are not just decoration. They are a sign of love, a prayer for protection and a reminder that every child is precious. The Red Dao baby hat shows the care of mothers who have protected children in the mountains for generations.

Rác Thải Trong Làng Bản– Hãy Cùng Nhau Thay Đổi! The growing litter problem– Let’s Make a Change Together

 Rác Thải Trong Làng – Hãy Cùng Nhau Thay Đổi!

1. Vấn đề hiện nay

Thực tế cho thấy, một bộ phận người dân địa phương trong các bản làng vẫn còn xả rác bừa bãi, đặc biệt là quanh các cửa hàng và trường học. Theo tôi, điều này đang khiến những ngôi làng xinh đẹp của chúng ta trở nên nhếch nhác và mất đi vẻ tự nhiên vốn có.

Tình trạng này xảy ra phần lớn vì nhiều người chưa có cơ hội được học hoặc hiểu đúng về cách xử lý rác thải, cũng như tầm quan trọng của việc bảo vệ môi trường.

Đặc biệt, ở những bản làng chưa có hệ thống thu gom rác thải thường xuyên của chính quyền, vấn đề càng trở nên nghiêm trọng hơn.

Khi dân số và du lịch tăng lên, bao bì nhựa và sản phẩm dùng một lần xuất hiện ngày càng nhiều, nhưng giáo dục và nhận thức cộng đồng lại chưa theo kịp. Đây là thực tế mà chính chúng ta là những người dân địa phương đều thấy rõ mỗi ngày.

2. Chúng tôi đang làm gì để thay đổi? 

Là một tổ chức cộng đồng địa phương, ETHOS tự hào là đơn vị duy nhất tại Sa Pa thường xuyên tổ chức các lớp học về rác thải, sức khỏe và vệ sinh tại các bản làng trong khu vực.

Chúng tôi đến tận các cộng đồng để cùng người dân thu gom rác và trò chuyện với trẻ em về vấn đề này. Trong các buổi học, chúng tôi đặt ra những câu hỏi đơn giản nhưng vô cùng quan trọng:

“Rác đến từ đâu?”, “Ai là người vứt rác?”, “Rác mất bao lâu để phân hủy hết?” và “Chúng ta có thể làm gì để thay đổi điều đó?”

Chúng tôi tin rằng giáo dục chính là chìa khóa của sự thay đổi. Khi con người hiểu, họ sẽ hành động khác đi.

Mỗi buổi học nhỏ, mỗi ngày dọn rác đều góp phần tạo nên sự khác biệt cho cộng đồng và cho chính môi trường sống của chúng ta.

3. Ý tưởng và giải pháp của bạn là gì?

• Giờ đây, chúng tôi rất muốn lắng nghe ý kiến và ý tưởng của bạn:

• Làm thế nào để giảm lượng rác thải trong làng?

• Chúng ta có thể làm gì để cả người dân địa phương và du khách cùng chung tay bảo vệ vùng đất xinh đẹp này nơi mà tất cả chúng ta gọi là “nhà”?

• Với tư cách là người Mông, bạn có ý tưởng hoặc giải pháp nào cho vấn đề này không? Bạn nghĩ chúng ta nên cùng nhau hành động như thế nào?

• Hãy chia sẻ suy nghĩ của bạn và cùng chúng tôi góp sức vì một Sa Pa sạch, xanh và đáng tự hào.

• Bởi hành động nhỏ đều có ý nghĩa, và khi cùng nhau, chúng ta có thể tạo nên sự thay đổi lớn trong cộng đồng.

 Dưới đây là video ngắn về hoạt động thu gom rác cùng cộng đồng tại Sapa: https://youtu.be/A0fJH8AmwzM?si=ONciMWRgP38Kgn34

Rubbish in the Villages – Let’s Make a Change Together

1. Here’s the Problem

The truth is that some local people in our villages are dropping litter, especially around local shops and schools, and in my opinion, it’s making our beautiful villages look dirty and less natural. This happens because many people have never had the chance to learn or understand how to deal with rubbish properly or why it matters. It is especially bad in villages with no regular government litter collection.

As population grows and tourism increases, more plastic packaging and disposable products appear, but education and awareness have not kept pace. This is the reality, and as local people, we see it clearly every day.

2. What We’ve Been Doing to Help

As a local community organisation, ETHOS are proud to be the only company in Sapa that regularly organises classes about litter, health and hygiene in villages across the area.

We visit communities to collect rubbish together and to talk with children about the problem. We ask simple but important questions:

“Where does the rubbish come from?” “Who drops it?” “How long will it take to disappear?” and “What can we do to solve it?”

We truly believe that education is the key to change. When people understand, they act differently. Every small class or clean-up day makes a difference to our community and our environment.

3. What Are Your Ideas and Solutions?

• We would love to hear your ideas. How can we reduce rubbish in our villages?

• What can be done to help both locals and visitors protect this beautiful place we all call home?

• As a Hmong person, what is your idea or your solution? How do you think we should do it together?

• Please share your thoughts and join us in this effort. Every small step matters, and together we can keep Sapa clean.

  Here’s our short video of local people collecting litter in Sapa here: https://youtu.be/A0fJH8AmwzM?si=ONciMWRgP38Kgn34

Across the River: A Border Story from Northern Vietnam

A Chance Meeting on the Road

While riding in the hills of northern Vietnam, I met a lovely lady named Ma Thị Dủa. She is 68 years old, full of warmth and quick to smile. I always enjoy stopping to talk with local people, so I asked her about her life and what she used to do.

Her story stayed with me.

A Village Divided by a River

She told me that her village sits right beside the Chinese border. The only thing separating the two lands is a small river. In the past, people would cross it freely. Villagers from both sides, including different ethnic groups, would walk across to visit markets in China and vice versa. Villagers would frequently cross both ways.

She described it with shining eyes. The market was always lively and full of colour. Fabrics hung in long bright rows. Spices and fresh food filled the air with their scent. People spoke different languages yet somehow understood one another. It was not just a place to buy and sell. It was where people met friends, shared news and reconnected with relatives.

A Walk Across the Border

She herself used to walk around 4km to reach her nearest market. Her daughter had married a Hmong man in China, so the market trips were not only for shopping. They were a chance to see family, hold her grandchildren and laugh over tea.

Those journeys were part of her life for many years.

Then the Border Closed

After Covid, everything changed. The Chinese side built a fence along the river. The crossing that was once open became blocked by metal.

Now, if she wants to go to a market on her side, she must walk 9km each way. What used to be a simple stroll has become an 18km round trip, and worse than that, she can no longer visit her daughter or her family across the border.

The river is still there, quiet and unchanged. Yet now it divides rather than connects.

A Quiet Reminder of How Borders Shape Lives

Meeting her was a powerful reminder that borders are not just lines on a map. They are real for the people who live beside them. They can carry joy, connection and freedom. They can also bring distance, silence and longing.

All of this came from one gentle conversation on a mountain road. Stories like hers deserve to be heard.

The Beautiful Mystery of Blonde Hair Among the Hmong

A Rare Sight in the Mountains

The Hmong people live across the highlands of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and southern China. Their culture is known for its vibrant textiles, farming traditions and deep connection to the mountains they call home. Dark hair is the most common trait within these communities, which makes it even more surprising when a child appears with naturally light brown or even blonde hair.

The photographs above show several Hmong children with strikingly fair hair. Their colouring often catches visitors off guard, as it stands out against the more familiar dark tones seen across the region.

What Causes the Lighter Hair?

The exact reason for lighter hair in some Hmong people is still unclear. Scientists believe it may be linked to unique genetic variations passed through certain family lines. Similar traits have been observed in other isolated communities around the world. However, there has not yet been enough research to determine the precise cause within the Hmong population.

What is certain is that these features occur naturally. The hair often darkens with age, yet in childhood it creates a captivating contrast that draws curiosity and admiration.

More Than Just a Genetic Puzzle

While genetics may offer one part of the answer, the real beauty lies in the way these children carry their heritage with pride. Whether in traditional embroidered clothing or simple school uniforms, their presence is a reminder that culture is not defined by appearance alone.

Each face tells a story of mountain life. Fields, forests and open skies shape their daily world far more than hair colour ever could.

A Living Reminder of Diversity

The Hmong community continues to surprise and inspire. Their traditions remain strong, even as science works to understand the rare traits found among them. Until more studies are done, the blonde hair seen in these villages will remain one of nature’s quiet wonders.

The Water Buffalo of Northern Vietnam: Power, Culture and Family

The Symbol of Strength in Northern Vietnam

When travellers picture Northern Vietnam, the image of a water buffalo often comes to mind. Domesticated over 5,000 years ago, these powerful animals have long been essential partners to the Dao and Hmong communities. They plough fields, transport crops, and provide a steady source of strength that rural life depends on.

A Trusted Partner in Rural Life

For many farming families, a water buffalo is their most valuable possession, often worth between $1,000 and $2,500. In a traditional saying, “The husband ploughs, the wife sows, the water buffalo draws the plough and is a friend of the children.” This captures the animal’s central place not only in agriculture but also in family life.

Essential to Hmong Agriculture

Rice cultivation is at the heart of Hmong culture, and water buffalo make it possible. Their ability to work in wet, muddy fields makes them indispensable in rice production. Beyond farming, they serve as financial security, with families able to sell or trade them if needed. Their meat also provides nutrition and income, adding to their importance.

Cultural Meaning and Respect

Water buffalo are more than farming tools. They symbolise prosperity, hard work, and resilience. They appear in folklore, festivals, and traditional art, reflecting their role in Vietnam’s cultural identity. Many families treat them as members of the household, showing care and affection as their livelihoods depend on the health of these animals.

A Way of Life in Sapa

In the Sapa region, water buffalo are treasured possessions. During the busy summer months, when both rice and corn are cultivated, children often tend the animals, guiding them away from fields where they might damage crops. This daily interaction reinforces the bond between families and their buffalo.

Beyond Vietnam: A Global Role

Across the world, water buffalo are valued for their versatility. They provide milk, meat, and labour, while also proving to be intelligent and loyal. They form strong social bonds and can be trained with ease, making them ideal companions in farming communities worldwide.

More Than Animals

Water buffalo embody the connection between agriculture, culture, and family in Northern Vietnam. They are companions, workers, and symbols of resilience. For generations, they have sustained rural communities and remain at the heart of everyday life.

Heritage Shorts: Documenting Vietnam’s Living Traditions

Introduction

Heritage Shorts is a documentary film series created in collaboration with Heritage Centre Sapa and Open Cinematic, dedicated to capturing the living traditions of Vietnam’s ethnic minority communities. Through intimate short films, the series highlights unique crafts, practices, and rituals that have been passed down through generations. From weaving and crossbow making to traditional farming and shamanic practices, these shorts form a visual archive of resilience, artistry, and cultural heritage in northern Vietnam.

Preserving Intangible Heritage

Each film focuses on a distinct tradition—from the ramie weaving of the Dao Tuyen to the knife-making skills of the Dao Đỏ and the fire dances of the H’mông. These shorts not only showcase craftsmanship but also reveal the stories of individuals and families who keep these practices alive. Together, they highlight the creativity and strength of communities whose cultural identity remains a vital part of Vietnam’s diversity.

A Journey Through Vietnam’s Ethnic Communities

The series includes 13 films, each spotlighting a different community and practice:

• Ramie Weaving (Dao Tuyen) – the art of weaving textiles from the ramie plant.

• The Crossbow (Dao Đỏ) – traditional crafting of rattan and wood into crossbows.

• Cotton Weavers of Bắc Hà (La Chi) – preserving the cotton weaving heritage.

• Women of Bát Xát (Hà Nhì) – culinary and cultural traditions.

• Hmong Batik – intricate wax-resist textile art.

• The Orchards of the Nùng – generational farming practices.

• Hmong Bamboo Foragers – bamboo as food and medicine.

• The Qeej Maker & Son – musical craftsmanship of the qeej instrument.

• Shaman (Dao Đỏ) – rituals of spiritual healing.

• The Papermakers (Dao Đỏ) – artisanal papermaking with wild bamboo.

• The Knifemakers (Dao Đỏ) – traditional blacksmithing.

• Fire Dancers (H’mông) – annual cleansing and blessing rituals.

• Tinh & Tá (Dao Đỏ) – oral traditions and spiritual knowledge.

Why Heritage Shorts Matters

These films do more than document. They safeguard traditions under threat from modernization and create awareness of Vietnam’s diverse cultural heritage. By amplifying the voices of artisans, farmers, shamans, and women leaders, the series builds a bridge between past and future, reminding us of the deep resilience and creativity rooted in community life.

HERITAGE SHORTS: DOCUMENTING VIETNAM’S LIVING TRADITIONS