Ha Lau commune in winter

Located in the mountainous district of Tien Yen, Ha Lau commune is home to a large number of Dao ethnic people. A journey to Ha Lau on the occasion of the forthcoming cultural festival is believed to leave tourists distinct impression.

As part of the Sports and Cultural Festival of Dao ethnic people, the Ha Lau highland cultural market is scheduled to launch on December 4 at Ha Lau commune in Tien Yen district.

The market will comprise a variety of booths owned by different communes in Tien Yen district to display and sell indigenous products.

Ha Lau commune will have 9 stalls displaying items and tools of the Dao people and selling knitted bamboo hats and leaf trumpets. Some hat-knitting artists and artisans performing and making leaf trumpets will do their jobs right at these stalls.

The commune has also invited some mountainous localities including the two communes of Chau Son and Bac Lang from Lang Son province and Binh Lieu district’s Vo Ngai commune.  

There are also several interesting football matches between Ha Lau commune’s Dao women team and San Chi women team from Vo Ngai commune in Binh Lieu district. Some beautiful check-in points have been set up such as Ha Lau market, Bac Lu suspension bridge (Bac Lu village), Khe Lieng suspension bridge (Co Muoi - Khe Lieng village), and a flower palace at Bac Lu village.

Traditional activities such as the ceremony of granting the identity, the traditional wedding custom and ceremony of the Dao people have remained unchanged. The part of the festival includes a contest of tug of war, pushing a stick, shooting a crossbow, walking on stilts between men and women, cultural exchanges between units in the district, a contest to pack Chung hump cake, a contest to perform the costumes of the Dao people…

Visitors to the festival should rent ethnic costumes, experience games or try swimming on Pho Co River which flows through Bac Lu village, Ha Lau commune.