Discover tourism in the border region.

Viewed from upstream, the Ma River appears as a small, silvery ribbon winding through towering mountains and hills. After traversing over 200km of winding mountain passes, the border villages in western Thanh Hoa province emerge from the hazy mist, evoking a sense of remoteness and allure. Here, you'll find not only houses perched precariously on the mountainside but also many unique natural landscapes and cultural values ​​waiting to be explored.

Lat Xe Pass, Trung Ly commune - one of the challenges to overcome on the journey to explore the border communes of Thanh Hoa province.

We traveled along winding roads that led us through the border villages. The further we went, the slower the pace of life seemed, giving way to the peacefulness of the mountains and forests. Our first stop was "Heaven's Gate" in Trung Ly commune, located right on National Highway 15C. From here, a vast landscape unfolded before our eyes. Towering green mountains stretched to the horizon, with white clouds trailing across their slopes. Many tourists traveling up the border choose to stop at Heaven's Gate to admire the scenery, take photos, and fully appreciate the grandeur of nature. For the local people, "Heaven's Gate" is not just a viewpoint but also a symbol. It is associated with many stories about the pioneering, settlement, and land preservation efforts of previous generations. Amidst the vast expanse of land and sky, standing before the continuous mountain ranges, visitors can sense the strong bond between the people and this land at the northernmost point of the country.

Leaving Trung Ly, our journey continued to Nhi Son. If nature is a gift from creation, then the Nhi Son love market is a rich and distinctive cultural feature of the highlands. The market is held on the 15th of every month. From early morning, people from the villages have crossed the mountains to get here. The brightly colored dresses of the Mong and Thai women stand out in the highland market. The sounds of flutes and pipes echo through the mountains, creating a unique atmosphere not found everywhere. At the love market, visitors not only buy and sell local products but also immerse themselves in the life of the local people. Baskets of corn, bamboo shoots, wild vegetables, jars of fragrant corn wine, and traditional dishes like lap and thang co... offer a very unique flavor of the border region.

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Bordering Nhi Son are the winding slopes of Pha Den village, in Pu Nhi commune. This place is becoming an attractive destination for nature lovers and cloud-hunting enthusiasts. The road to the village is not easy to navigate. Continuous curves hug the mountainside, with cliffs on one side and a deep valley on the other. But in return, the scenery along the way makes all fatigue seem to disappear. Corn and cassava fields stretch along the hillsides, and houses peek through the clouds create a majestic yet poetic picture. The most beautiful moment in Pha Den usually comes in the early morning. When the sun just rises above the mountain peaks, a sea of ​​white clouds covers the valleys. From above, the Ma River meanders like a soft silk ribbon through the vast forest. In the distance are the villages of the Mong, Thai, and other ethnic groups, as well as the Sop Bau area of ​​neighboring Laos. Besides its beautiful scenery, Pha Den village also preserves many unique cultural features of the Mong people. Wooden houses nestled on the mountainside, the sound of the flute calling for lovers, traditional dishes, and age-old crafts are becoming attractive experiences for tourists visiting this area.

While Pha Đén impresses with its ethereal sea of ​​clouds and the pristine beauty of the mountainous region, Tam Chung commune captivates visitors with its golden rice paddies stretching across the hillsides of Pom Khuông. At this time, the landscape of this border region transforms into a completely different color palette. It's the rice harvest season, and the terraced fields are a shimmering golden hue, extending from the foothills to the hilltops. Nestled amidst the golden rice are peaceful stilt houses nestled in the valleys, creating a quintessential mountainous scene. Standing before these layers of terraced rice paddies, visitors can't help but admire the diligence and creativity of the local people. Through generations, they have transformed steep mountain slopes into fields that provide a livelihood for their community.

The border communes of the former Muong Lat district still have many attractive destinations that we couldn't fully explore in one trip. From caves deep in the mountains, villages nestled on the mountain slopes, to roads still retaining their pristine beauty, each possesses its own unique charm. Concluding this journey, we stopped at Sai Khao village, Muong Ly commune – a place preserving historical traces associated with the Tay Tien Army of yesteryear. This place is linked to the famous line: "Sai Khao, shrouded in mist, the weary army" from the poem "Tay Tien" by poet Quang Dung. Amidst the tranquil mountain landscape today, the memorial to the Tay Tien Army lies silently on the mountainside, a testament to the passage of time.

Concluding my journey to the remote border region, what remains is not only the ethereal sea of ​​clouds on Pha Den peak, the golden terraced rice fields in Pom Khuong, or the rich cultural atmosphere of Nhi Son love market. It's also the feeling of a land that still preserves much of its pristine beauty, where nature, culture, and history blend together to create a unique charm. I still remember my conversation with the elderly Ho Chu Ho in Ca Noi village, Pu Nhi commune, many years ago. Sitting on the porch, gazing at the misty mountain ranges in the evening, the old man slowly said: “Our mountains and forests are beautiful, and the people are honest and hospitable. If we develop tourism well and preserve the cultural identity of our people, the villagers will have more income, and our children and grandchildren will have an easier life.”

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Text and photos: Dinh Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/kham-pha-du-lich-mien-bien-vien-290434.htm