Discover the wild beauty of Tua Chua, Dien Bien

With 3/4 of its natural area being steep hills and mountains, located more than 120km from the center of Dien Bien Phu city, Tua Chua is likened to a sleeping mountain girl in the middle of Dien Bien's land and sky. This place has pristine scenery, fresh climate and simple people. Among the 19 ethnic groups living in the province, Tua Chua has 7 ethnic groups with many rich cultural identities. This is the area with the largest number of Mong people living in the whole province with 3 branches: Mong Xanh, Mong Do and Mong Trang.

Heritage•08/05/2025

To the north it borders Sin Ho district, Lai Chau province, to the south it borders Tuan Giao district, to the west it borders Muong Cha district of Dien Bien province, to the east it borders Quynh Nhai district of Son La province. Tua Chua stands out as a land containing traditional ethnic culture with many unique marks.

The hobby of “playing at the market” in Tua Chua is such a mark. Xa Nhe market, about 15km from Tua Chua town, meets regularly on Dau (rooster day) and Mao (cat day) days according to the lunar calendar. This is an occasion for the Mong, Dao, Thai, and Xa Phang (Hoa) ethnic groups from neighboring communes such as Muong Dun, Tua Thang, and Muong Bang to come to exchange products, ethnic costumes, and traditional handicrafts. Meanwhile, Ta Sin Thang market - the oldest market in the region, located about 37km from Tua Chua town - meets in the middle of a valley, surrounded by steep cliffs surrounded by white clouds and mist all year round.

The market opens every 6 days, on the Horse Day and the Rat Day. In the beginning, young men and women here went to the market mainly to find love partners and choose a life partner. Therefore, when going to the market, you will see everyone leisurely listening to the sound of flutes, singing and the strong aroma of Mong Pe corn wine.

During the day, when night falls, the night market in Tua Chua town meets every Saturday and Sunday evening, a place for exchanging goods and cultural exchange between the people of the district and neighboring districts, with a variety of unique local products and products such as: wood ear, shiitake mushrooms, honey, hawthorn, dried bamboo shoots, medicinal herbs and rustic dishes. Combined with the bustling, cozy, and friendly atmosphere of homegrown art performances welcoming visitors when they set foot in Tua Chua.

Not only culturally attractive, Tua Chua is also memorable for its rich terraced fields and unique caves. With its farming characteristics, the rice harvest season here falls around September - October every year. The terraced fields are layer upon layer, sometimes shaped like mazes or raspberries offering to heaven and earth, interspersed with traditional houses on the fields and soft, winding paths. The golden color of the rice not only contributes to the characteristic golden season of the Northwest but also ensures the livelihood of ethnic minorities. Compared to familiar names such as Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai), or Hoang Su Phi (Ha Giang), Tua Chua is no less competitive with Chieu Tinh, Hang La, Hang Khua and Doi Rua, beautiful and fertile in the heart of a large valley in the communes of Sinh Phinh, Sin Chai, Ta Phin and Trung Thu.

The human hands of Tua Chua, Dien Bien have built the beauty of the rice fields, and nature has favored this land with beautiful caves interspersed in the forests of ironwood trees thousands of years old, which have been ranked as national scenic spots such as Kho Chua La cave, Xa Nhe cave, Xa Nhe commune, Tham Khen cave, Muong Dung commune, Pe Rang Ky cave, Huoi So commune, with a system of beautiful and majestic stalagmites and stalactites, many diverse shapes sparkling with stalactites like a natural art museum.

Heritage Magazine