Sa Pa - Vietnam
Sapa is a small mountain town in Lao Cai Province. It is located about 350 km northwest of Hanoi, close to the Chinese border. Here's where you'll find the Hoang Lien Son range of mountains, which includes Fan Si Pan—the country's highest peak.
This quiet Vietnamese town is home to different ethnic tribal groups. There are five main ethnic groups in Sapa: the Hmong, Dao, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho. It is said that Sapa was first occupied by the first four groups, since the Vietnamese from the lowlands (better known as the Kinh) did not colonise the highest valleys.
Perhaps the most notable thing about these ethnic minorities is their dress, especially that of the women. Each group and clan has a different traditional costume, so those in the know can identify, with just a glance, which group any one person belongs to. This is not some fancy dress parade put on for the tourists' benefit; most proudly wear this every day and did so long before the tourists arrived, although a few, especially men, are moving to wearing western-style clothing, except during festivals.
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