Exploring Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang – Everything You Need To Know

What to know about Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang

Situated in the west of Ha Giang, Hoang Su Phi is a highland district, originally belonging to Binh Nguyen (Tuyen Quang) with Tu Nhan and Xin Man military sub-regions established on January 1st, 1906. 

The boundary of Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang has been changing since the country’s independence, with two smaller areas named Xin Man and Hoang Su Phi separated in 1965. Hoang Su Phi currently has 24 communes and one town, in which there are four bordering communes with a total boundary length spreading over 40km.

Hoang Su Phi’s topography is located upstream of the Chay River with mainly steep mountains and cuts through various streams. Hoang Su Phi is a long-term settlement of 12 ethnic groups, including most of Nung, Dao, Tay, Mong, and La Chi.

With unique cultural features preserved through time and magnificent natural landscapes blessed from the Northeast to the Northwest, Hoang Su Phi tourism is an inherent aptitude for development, especially community-based ecotourism.

Passing the sky gate Km17 on the Quang Bac – Hoang Su Phi route, you will be impressed by the spacious with rolling mountains spreading endlessly of Tay Con Linh hidden in the mist, primitive forests interspersed river and stream branches at Chay and Bac river’s fountain heads, Shan tea fields, immense terraced fields on the slopes.

Particularly, visitors can participate in mysterious indigenous rituals such as the Quay Hieng Festival, harvest ceremony, forest spirit ceremony of Nung ethic, and Gau Tao Festival of Hmong people if luckily arriving on time. 

When to explore at Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang

Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang is a mountainous district whose terrain deeply splits into varied climate sub-regions, soils, and natural landscapes. Hence, you can refer and pick up the appropriate tours in Hoang Su Phi.

• Spring is the ideal time for exotic festivals and capturing stunning photos of blooming peach, pear gardens, and vast tea hills.
• From April to June is for planting rice, when you can admire the beauty of Hoang Su Phi terraced fields in the torrential water season.
• From mid-September, the ripe rice season of the Northern mountainous provinces and Hoang Su Phi terraced fields in particular starts. It’s a good time to visit Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang to feast your eyes with stunning pictures of terraced fields stretching endlessly on the cliffs.
• At the end of the year, winter comes in the North. If not fret about the cold, you can come to Hoang Su Phi to hunt clouds and snow in Tay Con Linh and Chieu Lau Thi Peaks.

How to travel from Hanoi to Hoang Su Phi

80 km from the center of Ha Giang, we can commute to Hoang Su Phi by private, public, or both.

The first option: Take a coach to Ha Giang and then rent a motorbike.

From My Dinh station, you can catch any bed coaches to Ha Giang. Departing from 8-9 pm, you will wake up at Ha Giang around 5 am. After that, you can opt to rent a motorbike, riding back along Highway 2, crossing DT177 to Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang. Another selection is running bikes to the Thanh Thuy border, passing Tay Con Linh to Hoang Su Phi.

The second option: Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Hoang Su Phi 

Riding motorbikes brings you various options to uncover Hoang Su Phi. You can ride along Highway 2 to Hoang Su Phi, pay a visit to Xi Man and Bac Ha, then move back to Hanoi by Yen Bai road.

Check out: Top things to know when traveling to Thac Ba Lake, Yen Bai by motorbike

Where to stay at Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang

Hotels and motels 

If community tourism or inconvenient itinerary in remote areas is not used to you, hotels and motels are the best recommendations for your Motorbike Holiday. You can easily find any hotels and motels in Vinh Quang town.

Homestays 

Hoang Su Phi is one of the localities in Ha Giang endowed with an advanced network of eco-tourism and community-based tourism thanks to a non-governmental organization’s support in planning Hoang Su Phi’s tourism activities. Homestay service is widely invested in the communes such as Ban Phung, Ho Thau, and Thong Nguyen by the local people to serve tourists. 

Check Out: Why Is Homestay in Vietnam An Excellent Choice for Adventure Holidays?

What to see at Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang

Rice paddies viewing points 

Hoang Su Phi is well-known as the land of immense terraced paddies and majestic natural landscapes. When choosing to visit Hoang Su Phi, most tourists will come during the ripe rice season with the desire of eye – witness the amazing views. 

Ban Phung terraced field

Ban Phung is a commune located near the border with China. To reach the commune center, you must ride on a small thirty-kilometer pass from Vinh Quang town. Due to no spacious valleys like Cao Pha or Muong Hoa, the terraced field in Ban Phung is situated precariously on cliffs. Along with Ban Luoc, the land is renowned for the highest terraced fields in Vietnam.

Check out: Ha Giang Motorbike Loop to Ma Pi Leng Pass and Bao Lac – 5 days

Ho Thau terraced field 

Ho Thau commune is about 16 km from Nam Dich T – junction, spreading over borderless terraced fields of Yao ethnic people. According to the farming experience, people will keep each field surrounded by a small forest to prevent the land from landslides. The cultivation is made from high to low positions with simple labor tools such as pickaxes, plows, shovels, and knives. Ho Thau terraced fields are immense, out of eyesight with the green hills. 

Thong Nguyen terraced field 

Thong Nguyen is located on the left bank, where the flow of three large streams converges: Phin Ho falls, Nam Ong flows back, and Nam Khoa pours into, forming a plateau halfway up the mountain. To observe the most beautiful terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi, there is nowhere else apart from Thong Nguyen, known as the convergence of mountains and rivers. On the way from Bac Quang to Hoang Su Phi, you can stop at Km24 road to check in and snap some shots to feed your Instagram.   

Ban Luoc – San Sa Ho terraced field 

Ban Luoc and San Sa Ho communes are mountainous terrains with a moderate slope and wavy and bow-shaped terraced fields everywhere, even on Yao and Nung people’s costumes.

Nam Ty terraced field 

Lying on Km 24 from Bac Quang to Hoang Su Phi, Nam Ty terraced field is the asset of Yao ethnic people, recognized as National Heritage of Hoang Su Phi.

Buckwheat flowers

Listed as one of the most prominent flowers of rugged rock’s homeland, the wild and breathtaking beauty of the buckwheat flower draws the attention of numerous visitors to the rocky plateau. To prettify this majestic destination, buckwheat flowers have recently been cultivated on terraced fields of Hoang Su Phi and Xin Man, two western districts of Ha Giang. In late autumn, at the time of ending harvest is when the golden rice fields are worn a new coat of vibrant vehement tiny flowers.

Check out: Ha Giang Motorbike Loop from Hanoi to Ba Be – 10 days

Tay Con Linh Peak

Situated in the mountainous mass of Chay river source in Western Ha Giang, Tay Con Linh spreads over Hoang Su Phi and Vi Xuyen districts. At an altitude of 2417 m, Tay Con Linh is the highest mountain peak in the Northeast region and Vietnam. With a geodetic landmark on top and an ancient subtropical forest at the mountain foot, Tay Con Linh has been dubbed a sacred mountain of the La Chi people. The best way to explore Tay Con Linh Peak is by Motorcycle Tours or Enduro Tours

Check Out: Northeast Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Lang Son – 8 Days

Chieu Lau Thi Mountai

42 km from the center of Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang, Chieu Lau Thi is one of the highest mountains in Tho Hau commune, whose contiguous positions are Ngan Chien and Thu Ta, two villages of Xin Man. The highest point is at an altitude of 2,402 meters above sea level, formed by successive giant stones, which is extremely convenient for the over 10-kilometer observation on clear days. Rainy days will cover this peak with the haze, creating a fairy-tale beauty you can’t see anywhere else.

Apart from a diverse ecosystem, particularly the primeval forest with thousands of ancient trees and rare herbs named: zingiber ginseng, Anoectochilus Setaceus, Gynostemma, Orchidaceae, Chieu Lau Thi preserves various fauna as well. When snow falls during the annual chill period, the whole space is covered by a thick snow layer, a must-visit destination for adventurous backpackers. The best way to conquer this great mountain is by enduro Tours.

Check Out: North Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Halong Bay – 10 days

Nam Hong Hamlet, Thong Nguyen

Sited about 40 kilometers from the center of Hoang Su Phi, Nam Hong Hamlet is home to 37 ethnic Red Dao households and national terraced fields landscapes. Furthermore, Nam Hong Hamlet acquires a reputation for Shan tea and other unique cultural features of the Yao people.

Hoang Su Phi Fair

It is so lucky to have come to Hoang Su Phi at the time of the fair – the most colorful cultural picture of ethnic minorities. Located at the foot of the majestic Tay Con Linh Peak, Hoang Su Phi fairs are taken place every Sunday. The main stuff sold here are usually daily-life items: vegetables, clothes, embroidery thread, and cultivation tools.

Ancient tombs of La Chi ethnic group

On the slopes of Ban Phung and Ban Diu commune in Hoang Su Phi and Xin Man, respectively, hundreds of ancient tombs exist and are scattered along thousands of square kilometer arc areas. Each tomb is about 1.5 meters in height, and the breadth fluctuates from 15 to 25 square meters, especially a tomb with more than 70 meters in circumference and six meters in height. These graves have never crunched for a hundred years.

Po Lung Post

Po Lung Post (France Post named by the locals) in Vinh Quang town was built by the French in the late 19th century. This military architectural complex includes a trench, a blockhouse, and an airport situated on a hill in eastern Vinh Quang. The system of those bunkers and trenches remains almost intact as a remnant of the war and crime of the French colonialists. In addition, the area around Po Lung garrison is protected by the pine forest canopy, creating an attractive natural landscape for visitors.

Suoi Thau Temple 

Given to the autograph, the temple was established in the third year of the Minh Mang dynasty (1793) on the mountainous slopes of Suoi Thau hamlet, Ban Luoc commune, which is surrounded by immense terraced fields.

Vinh Quang Temple

Constructed in the late 19th century, Vinh Quang Temple is located in the center of Vinh Quang town, Hoang Su Phi district. Along with worshiping some deities as local spiritual beliefs, Vinh Quang temple is the place for the locals to express their gratefulness to Hoang Van Dang, the governor of Hoang Su Phi. According to historical records, he bravely rose the revolution against the French in 1908, arrested and brutally tortured to death by the French enemy. In commemorating the gratitude and admiration for the noble spirit of Hoang Van Dang, Vinh Quang people established an altar inside the temple, considering him the supreme deity to protect residents.

Check out: Off-road Vietnam Dirt Bike Tour from Hanoi to Ha Giang – 4 days

Special local dishes at Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang

Most of the highland markets in the North serve above dishes.

• Bamboo-tube rice
• Carp
• Sticky rice
• La Chi Mice meat
• Goat meat
• Thang Co
• Buffalo meat (The buffalo is marinated and then dried on the woodstove)
• Nang Don rice wine
• Red plums

Hoang Su Phi Motobike Route Itinerary – Ha Giang Motorbike Tours recommended by BM TRAVEL ADVENTURE

Option 1: Hanoi – Hoang Su Phi – Dong Van

This plan is a little difficult because of Hoang Su Phi’s and Dong Van’s opposing directions. You can follow this schedule if you want a complete discovery of Ha Giang.

Day 0: Hanoi – Ha Giang

Catching a coach in the evening and arriving at Ha Giang station at 5 am. Don’t forget to rent a motorcycle in Ha Giang in advance.

Day 1: Ha Giang – Hoang Su Phi

From Ha Giang, getting back on Highway 2 to reach Viet Quang, you can turn right to Hoang Su Phi. Remember to follow road DT177 to visit the relics of terraces. It is a-24 kilometer-trip to reach the two most beautiful terraced fields in Nam Ty and Thong Nguyen. However, you can skip the next day if the weather is not nice.

You can further pick up one of the attractions: Ho Thau, Ban Phung, Ban Luoc, and San Xa Ho. Ban Phung commune is the most remote village chosen for overnight, sojourning and capturing amazing pictures of terraced fields the next morning.

Day 2: Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang city

If you want to spend more time snapping photos of terraced fields on the second day, you can only move back to Ha Giang City to relax. In the evening, you can wander around the city and enjoy the delicious food of the locals.

Day 3: Ha Giang City – Quan Ba – Yen Minh – Dong Van

After breakfast and refueling, riding along the Ha Giang – Quan Ba – Yen Minh (about 50 km), you will catch Yen Minh’s majestic pine forest. On the way from Yen Minh to Pho Bang, you will experience the breathtaking and majestic beauty of Dong Van rock plateau and visit overslept Pho Bang town. The next destination after leaving Pho Bang and returning to Dong Van T-junction is Sung La, a famous film studio of Pao’s story. You can stay at night in Dong Van and visit the Old Quarter café.

Day 4: Dong Van – Lung Cu – Dinh Vuong – Dong Van – Ma Pi Leng – Meo Vac

You will be blown away when walking at Dong Van market and visiting the beauty of Dong Van ancient town for a hundred years. After having lunch and taking a short rest in Dong Van, you can contemplate the poetic beauty of the Nho Que river by standing on Ma Pi Leng peak – one of the four imposing passes of Northern backpackers. Don’t forget to turn back to Meo Vac to visit other landscapes.

Day 5: Yen Minh – Quan Ba – Ha Giang City

From Yen Minh back to Quang Ba, roaming the Heaven Gate and Quan Ba Twin Mountain (also known as Co Tien Mountain), then running back to Ha Giang to return the rental motorbike, in the evening, getting into the coach and coming back Hanoi.

Day 6: Arrive in Hanoi

Check Out:  Ha Giang Motorbike Tour to Ma Pi Leng Pass and Bao Lac – 5 days

Option 2: Vietnam Motorbike Tours From Hanoi – Hoang Su Phi – Xin Man – Bac Ha

Day 1: Hanoi – Vinh Phuc – Tuyen Quang – Bac Quang – Hoang Su Phi (300km)

Have breakfast, refuel, and tie down. After a long time running along Hanoi – Tuyen Quang off-road route, you can take a short rest and have lunch in Tuyen Quang. Following the Tuyen Quang – Bac Quang – Hoang Su Phi routes, you will arrive at Hoang Su Phi for dinner and rest.

Day 2: Hoang Su Phi – Xin Man – Bac Ha (80km)

After having breakfast, you should arrange to discover the Hoang Su Phi fair and visit terraced fields and landscapes created by the hard-working and creative hands of La Chi, Dao, and Nung people. Spreading over six communes: Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, Ho Thau, Nam Ty, and Thong Nguyen, those magnificent scenes have a long time been listed in the top destinations of the North.

Day 3: Bac Ha – Si Ma Cai – Lao Cai (130km)

After breakfast, you can visit many tourist attractions in Bac Ha town, Bac Ha market, or Hoang A Tuong palace. In the afternoon, you can drive from Bac Ha to Si Ma Cai and return to Lao Cai, where you can get on the train to return to Hanoi. Another option is moving from Bac Ha to Si Ma Cai and returning to Bac Ha to catch the coach and back to Hanoi. 

Check Out: Northeast Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Sapa – 6 days