Socialist Republic of Vietnam

by Hong Thuy

Gone are the days when young Mong, Dao, Tay and Giay people from Sa Pa’s surrounds headed to town to play music and seek a spouse.

But this doesn’t stop the multitude of tourists who still flock to the town hoping to glimpse young, ethnic minority men and women flirting at the cho tinh (love market).

When they get there the last thing they find is the melodious sounds of the khen (bamboo pipe flute) or the courtships between men and women dressed in their traditional rainbow of colours.

Instead, what they now see is a handful of self-conscious young people who try to hide themselves in the shadows of a completely deserted market.

"I have not yet seen a real cho tinh as described by the older people in town, although I have been living here for six years," one street vendor said.

"I suspect tourists may have spoiled it," she added.

Cho tinh was where people from the district’s different ethnic groups converged to meet potential lovers and renew ties with old ones.

A young Mong man might have demonstrated his ability to perform the khen dance while a Dao counterpart belted out his repertoire of hat doi (duet singing).

Both of them would have been keen to perform well to attract the eye of women they were interested in.

It was not uncommon to see a young Mong fellow walking around the market with a young lady in town. He would hide her in his house for a few days and then a wedding party would be organised if the woman accepted his proposal.

People went to the market on Saturday evening to relax and talk and then most of the buying and selling of goods would take place the next day.

No formal research has been conducted to determine why these customs have fallen into oblivion, but many Sa Pa locals believe it is the fault of tourists who tried to film and photograph the private flirtations.

National festival

The market may not be a lost cause, however, as provincial authorities are trying to revive the region’s cultural activities in a festival planned for October to celebrate Sa Pa’s foundation 100 years ago.

Just a few months ago, when Viet Nam was in the grip of the SARS outbreak, tourists were few and far between. But business is already picking up and Sa Pa traders are preparing themselves for a dynamic season.

"Road builders are working very hard, day and night. I like it very much because I will have a wider road to walk upon," Dao woman Ly No May said cheerfully.

Sa Pa’s residents are working against the clock to get everything ready in time for the festival.

The province has invested more than VND100 billion (US$6.5 million) to upgrade the road between Lao Cai and Sa Pa, street lighting and water supply.

Many sections of the Lao Cai-Sa Pa road which were steep and dangerous have been widened to improve safety and most of the route has been asphalted.

Chairman of Sa Pa People’s Committee, Pham Tien Lap, said the road works would be completed by mid July at the latest.

The province and the Ministry of Culture and Information have produced a film chronicling tourism in Sa Pa and the many cultures and people in Lao Cai Province. The film targets English, French, Spanish and Vietnamese audiences and will be sent to 72 countries for distribution.

The province’s Trade and Tourist Service is also doing its bit, by training hotel and restaurant managers, volunteers and tourist guides to improve the quality of their services.

The Sa Pa festival is planned for October 4-5 this year and the province hopes to attract 10,000 people over the two days.

The town’s 73 hotels can only accommodate 3,000 people, but more hotels are being built to service the festival and future rises in tourist numbers.

To cover the accommodation shortfall, director of the Sa Pa Tourism Department, Do Du Bac, said the town will mobilise living quarters in offices, schools and stilt houses to house the expected tourist influx.

"The town will have enough places for visitors to sleep during the festival," he said.

To stop hotels taking advantage of the room shortage, the province has asked them to announce their room rates for the weekend well in advance.

The festival will be packed with interesting activities. Cultural and sporting activities of the region’s main ethnic groups will be a feature, alongside the photo exhibitions Sa Pa Now and Then and Highland Tourism, a Sa Pa handicrafts and souvenir fair, Sa Pa cuisine, and traditional games such as archery and tug of war.

Fireworks will illuminate the sky during the festival’s opening ceremony on Saturday.

Another out-of-the-ordinary site which should attract interest from visitors is the 16sq.km of stones which feature rock art and writing. First discovered and recorded by French archaeologist, Victor Goloubev, in 1923, the 200-odd stones are currently being studied by Vietnamese archaeologists.

In recent years, Sa Pa has seen increasing numbers of tourists. Last year, the town welcomed 75,000 visitors, including 26,000 foreigners. Despite the SARS outbreak in April this year, the number of tourists in the first four months reached 20,000.

"We are striving to hold the festival successfully. It will be a starting point to accelerate tourism in the province," Chairman of Lao Cai Province’s People’s Committee, Bui Quang Vinh, said. — VNS