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BAC HA |
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| The small town of BAC HA , nestling in a high valley 40km northeast
of Highway 7, makes a popular day excursion from Sa Pa on Sundays, when
villagers of the Tay, Dao, Nung, Giay and above all Flower Hmong ethnic
minorities trek in for the dawn-to-dusk market . The town is much less
touristy than Sa Pa and worth lingering in - if you're here on a
Saturday, you could take in the livestock market at Can Cau as well. The
road which leads in from Pho Lu forms the main street of Bac Ha. Buses
stop outside the post office, where a bend in the road marks the centre
of town before leading on for another 2km to the local People's
Committee headquarters and onwards in the direction of Can Cau. A road
branching off to the right immediately beside the post office leads to
the market and a couple of guesthouses. The building that is temporarily
housing the People's Committee headquarters is an unmissable wedding
cake folly known as Vua Meo , or Cat King House, built in 1924 by the
French as a palace for a Hmong leader, Vuong Chiz Sinh, whom they had
installed as the local "king". Visitors are free to wander through the
courtyard. |
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