A moment of silence amidst the rocky plateau…

Ha Giang, with its Dong Van Stone Plateau, has become a destination for anyone who loves to travel throughout the country. Here, visitors are not only amazed by the majestic scenery of layers upon layers of rocky mountains across a vast area, recognized as a Global Geopark, but also get to experience the life of the ethnic minorities in this northernmost region of Vietnam. This image offers us a beautiful moment of tranquility amidst the rocky plateau…

After navigating treacherous mountain passes and experiencing heart-stopping hairpin bends, the Dong Van Stone Plateau unfolds, evoking a whirlwind of emotions. One is overwhelmed by the pristine landscape painted by rocky mountains, adorned with clouds drifting lazily like soft silk ribbons.

My heart is moved by what the people here have resiliently created, from the terraced rice fields stretching along the mountain slopes to the earthen houses, the stone fences, and especially the farming practices on the jagged rocks of the ethnic minority communities.

Spanning a vast area of ​​approximately 2,356 square kilometers, the Dong Van Karst Plateau is a mountainous region with peaks exceeding 1,000 meters. According to the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network Advisory Council, the Dong Van Karst Plateau is a unique limestone region, a treasure trove of the complex and long-term geological development of the Earth's crust. The Dong Van Karst Plateau boasts hundreds of geological, topographical, and geomorphological heritage sites, considered diverse and well-preserved within the region's natural conditions.

Beyond its immense scientific value, the geopark also holds a special appeal for tourism due to its stunning landscape. It's like stepping into a realm of rocks; except for the road ahead, to the left and right are jagged, jagged mountain ranges, towering cliffs, and deep ravines. Amidst this vast expanse of rock, humans seem unusually small.

The people here live in harmony with the rocks, building a resilient life alongside them as they withstand the harshness of nature. The gray color of the mountain rocks is no longer gloomy because from the crevices of the rocks, plants still sprout, creating green fields of cabbage, corn, beans, and rice. The knowledge of cultivating crops in rocky crevices of the inhabitants of the Ha Giang rocky plateau has been recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. For the ethnic minorities here, this knowledge of cultivating crops in rocky crevices is simply the experience and skills of farming adapted to natural conditions, passed down and accumulated over many generations to serve their lives.

But over time, nurtured through generations, cultural values ​​formed alongside these farming practices, such as agricultural beliefs and customs, have become a unique identity. The image of lush green cornfields, fields of vibrant yellow flowering cabbage, scattered figures of people hunched over in the fields, or women diligently carrying soil on their backs, will serve as humanistic evidence of the indomitable spirit of people in the face of hardship.

The further I went, the more I admired it. No one can visit the Dong Van Karst Plateau without being impressed by the willpower and determination of the people in building the road connecting the four districts located entirely within the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark: Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, and Meo Vac. The Happiness Road, over 180km long, was built over six years through the hard work and even blood of tens of thousands of young volunteers, many of whom were children of ethnic minorities in the northern mountainous region.

The "Happiness Road," stretching over 180km, takes travelers across towering mountain passes, where it feels as if you could reach out and touch the clouds. It's particularly noteworthy, crossing one of the "four great mountain passes" in the North: the Ma Pi Leng Pass. At the summit, a popular viewpoint for tourists, a vast landscape unfolds before their eyes, with majestic mountains and ethereal clouds. In the distance, the emerald green Nho Que River flows peacefully, reflecting the pristine nature of the area, untouched for millennia. The scenery at this particular spot is considered the most beautiful along the entire journey to the Dong Van Karst Plateau.

Heritage Magazine