Homestay the mainstay of Hmong village
Several Hmong families in a Ha Giang village on the China border are cashing in on its popularity by turning their homes into homestay facilities.
Located at the foot of Ma Pi Leng mountain pass in the northern highlands province of Ha Giang, the Pa Vi Village is home to 30 Hmong families who have switched from farming to tourism by redesigning their houses into homestay facilities.
Ha Giang, around 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Hanoi, has become an increasingly attractive destination for its spectacular scenery, cold weather, ethnic minority communities and their culture.
The houses being offered for homestays feature yin-yang titled roofs, earthen walls and wooden columns with distinctively Hmong features.
Each homestay facility covers an area of 300 square meters and is surrounded by stone fences. The premises have been beautified with a variety of flowers and green trees.
At night, some homestays organize a leaf trumpet performance, a musical instrument of the Hmong.
The average annual temperature in the village is about 18 degrees Celsius. From December to February is the coldest period of the year with the lowest temperatures dropping below zero degree.
Each homestay has around 20 rooms with prices ranging from VND200,000 to 350,000 ($8.71-15.25) for a community room and VND1.2 million for a VIP room.
Inside the homestays are stalls selling Hmong people’s signature products such as brocade and serving coffee to tourists.
The homestays there are fully booked during national holidays or the rice harvest season in September-October every year.
Hmong families also live inside homestays so visitors have the opportunity to get to know about their culture and cuisine first hand. The village does not have many restaurants and has only a few small coffee shops. Tourists can order food with the homestay owner and enjoy specialties like black chicken hotpot and several grilled dishes.
Construction on the Hmong community cultural tourism village started in December 2016. Visitors can ride motorbikes along Highway 4C and reach the foot of Ma Pi Leng pass from where the welcome gate is clearly visible.
