Sapa is a well-liked tourist destination in the northwest of Vietnam. Not only is it famous for its beautiful landscapes but also for the diverse traditional culture of many Sapa ethnic minorities. Among them, H’Mong, Red Dao and Tay are the three most dominant ones in Sapa. In your Sapa tours, you will have a chance to discover their outstanding cultures through their costumes and habits in daily life.
H’Mong
H’Mong ethnic group makes up over 50 percent of the Sapa population. It is the most populous ethnic minority in Sapa. They live mostly in Cat Cat Village, which is far from Sapa Town about 2 kilometers. The costume of H’Mong people is very simple and easy-to-identify. More specifically, H’Mong men usually wear a black or dark blue pair of pants, a short-sleeved blouse with the long lap, a small round hat and a blazer outside. Likewise, women also wear black clothes with a black scarf on their heads and they also wear a blazer with a long lap like men. This blazer is pressed with beeswax thus becoming shiny silver. Unlike most Sapa ethnic minorities, H’mong women usually wear shorts and wrap around their calves with a very narrow band.
See more: An old tradition of H’mong group in Sapa: Catching wife
Red Dao
Red Dao people have the second largest population after H’Mong people. In Sapa, Ta Phin Village is their main place of residence. It is far from the center of Sapa Town about 12 kilometers. With a lot of fancy and ancient characteristics, it becomes an indispensable destination on your Sapa tours. When visiting Sapa, you can easily recognize the costume of Red Dao ethnic group. The clothing of men is usually short with the indigo and black color. Otherwise, the clothing of women is more shimmering with five colors. Among these colors, the red color is always the decisive one. The hair of men is usually all done up while women wrap their long hair with a scarf on their head. Especially, this scarf is extremely prominent with the bright color and triangular shape.
Visit Sapa to experience the special herbal bath of Red Dao people.
Tay
Besides the two major Sapa ethnic minorities above, Tay ethnic group is the third most densely populated minority in Sapa. Being present in Vietnam from the very early time, Tay is a branch of Tay – Thai group. In Sa Pa, Tay ethnic group is concentrated in some southern communes such as Ho Village, Nam Sai Village, and Thanh Phu Village. In your Sapa tours, you will easily differentiate Tay people from other ethnic groups because their clothes are very distinct with only one color – the dark indigo color. Men and women usually wear a four-dress with the round neck and two pockets in the front lap, also, they wear a cotton belt with a plenty of glitters in the belly. At some ceremonies, they usually wear a five-part dress with a different kind of button.
Read more: The traditional cultures of Tay people
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