Son La
is a mountainous province in the Northwest. The
province, whose natural area is 14,055 sq. km, has a
250 sq. km borderline with Laos. Here is home to more
than 960,000 persons of 12 nationalities, including
Thai, Kinh, Mong, Muong, Xinh Mun, Kho Mu, Khang, La
Ha, Dao and etc.and there are many beautiful places
The Moc Chau Plateau
The Moc
Chau Plateau is 1,050 meters above sea level and
nearly 200 km north-west of Hanoi. The plateau is 80
km long and 25 km wide and possesses 1,600 hectares of
prairie.
Moc Chau
possesses most tourism resources of Son La and the
northwest mountainous part of Northern Vietnam. In the
middle of the plateau locates a climatic sub-region
with the summer’s average temperature of 200C and a
drier winter than other sub-regions.
The best tourism products
of the Moc Chau Tourism Zone are relaxing and
entertainment tourism, sightseeing tourism, cultural
and festive tourism and river tours.
Coming to Moc Chau, you
will have opportunities to visit historic relics, the
Son Moc Huong Cave, pine forest, the Chien Vien
pagoda, the Dai Yem Waterfall, the Phieng Luong Peak,
and cultural mountain villages of the H’ Mong, Dao
people in Van Ho where you will be witnessed Mua Khen,
eat ethnic dishes and specialties, and watch and
purchase traditional handicrafts of Vietnam.
The Son
Moc Huong Cave is situated next to the center of the
district. Standing at the entrance of the cave, you
can view the whole landscape of Moc Chau in your eyes.
The inside of the cave is decorated with stalactite
architecture, which makes you feel like that you are
living in an immortal world.
On the
Moc Chau plateau, there is a dairy farm and a
state-run factory producing black tea for exports. The
Moc Chau farm was established in 1958. It is one of
the biggest farms supplying fresh milk and tea of
Vietnam. Visiting the plateau, you will watch immense
material fields and gardens covered with white-blossom
plum-trees.
Besides, you can enjoy
river tours on yachts. During the Da River tour
arriving at Son La town or rowing to the Hoa Binh
Hydro-electricity, you will be attracted by imposing
mountain scenery.
In the area of Long Luong,
Van Ho - Moc Chau where most of the H’ Mong people
reside, transportation is very convenient, which is
favorable for the development of some cultural
villages, the organization of ethnic festivals and
distinctive cultural activities of the H’ Mong ethnic
group.
In the
area of Ang Village where most of the Thai people
reside, there is a race course. From the village, you
can be boated to two forests locating at km 45 and
Chieng Sai, where the Thai people of Moc Chau and the
Laotians communicate in a common language.
40 km south of Moc Chau
locates the Xuan Nha – Sop Cop natural preservation
zone, where exists many primeval forests and rare and
precious animals such as tigers, bears, etc.
It is expected that Moc
Chau will be an interesting destination for you.
Son La Prison and Son La Museum
The prison was built by
French colonialism in 1908. In 1930-1945, it was
expanded and became the place where detained
revolutionary soldiers. It was considered a steel
prison and a hell on earth to stamp out strong
struggle of prisoners. However, in the eyes of
Vietnamese prisoners and revolutionary soldiers, the
prison was regarded as a school providing the
Vietnamese Revolution with excellent communists like
Truong Chinh, Le Duan, Nguyen Luong Bang, Van Tien
Dung, Nguyen Co Thach, Xuan Thuy, Tran Huy Lieu, etc.
By watching historic
evidences in the relic area of Son La prison and
museum, you will feel the savageness of the French
Colonialism and admire the sufferance and bravery of
political prisoners. Reaching the relic area, you will
also be told touching stories about in-prison
activities of Vietnamese prisoners, for example,
mutual help and solidarity, revolutionary propagation,
struggles for prisoners’ rights, etc.
Visiting this relic area,
you will gain useful knowledge about cultures of 12
ethic minority groups exhibited at the Son La Museum.
Dai Yem Waterfall
Vat
village - a long-standing residence of the people of
the Thai ethnic group in Moc Chau is granted a
marvelous ecological landscapes by the nature. The
village has a waterfall called Thac Nang (Girl
Waterfall) or Thac Dai Yem (Pink Blouse Waterfall).
People name them like that because the waterfall is
like the pink blouse or the beauty of a 15-year girl.
Reaching the village, you will be told the
establishment of the village. You will have
opportunities to watch the magic beauty which the
nature grants this area, live in a primeval scene of
the early days of the life on the earth.
In Vat village exists a number of relics relating to
the Vat Pagoda like the lake of the pagoda, which is
called “Noong Buong” (Lotus Lake). Visiting Vat
village, You will be told the history of the village
and the pagoda by village patriarchs or attend the Xe
Cha festival held in Tet festival, listen to songs,
witness traditional dances and enjoy special dishes on
the Noong Buong Lak
