Venturing beyond the well-known destinations of Dong Van and Meo Vac, Ha Giang offers an unconventional and captivating experience. With its majestic rocky plateaus and enchanting purple buckwheat hills, Bac Me becomes an intriguing destination sought after by adventurous young travelers. Prepare to get lost in its wonders, immersing yourself in unforgettable experiences that make you forget the way back.
Bac Me is a remote district of Ha Giang province, which is endowed with nature’s valuable and potential resources to become an extremely attractive eco-tourism area.
How Bac Me is Unique?
Located in the east of Ha Giang, Bac Me is a completely different colour of the land which was dubbed the ‘grey paradise’, which was too famous for the King Cat palaces, Lung Cu flagpole, Ma Pi Leng.
Located 56 km east of Ha Giang City, the North borders Yen Minh district, the South borders Na Hang district, Tuyen Quang province, the East borders Bao Lam district, Cao Bang province, the West borders Vi Xuyen district and Ha Giang city. Bac Me is divided into 2 distinct ecological sub-regions.High mountainous region including Phieng Luong, Duong, Duong Hong, Phu Nam, Yen Cuong, Giap Trung communes and some villages of Yen Phong, Yen Phu and Minh Son communes.
The average height above sea level is from 800 to 1,400m, the average annual rainfall is over 1,600 mm. The low mountains include the remaining communes with an average elevation of 100 to 500m above sea level. With such properties, it has created different climatic sub-regions. The whole district has 12 communes and towns with 9,999 households and 46,879 people. 13 ethnic groups are living together, of which the Dao, Tay and Mong ethnic groups make up the majority, the rest are other ethnic groups. The diversity of the nation, along with many cultural values with its own identity, combined with exchanges, have contributed to creating many attractive cultural tourism products here.
Top things to do in Bac Me
1. Cang Bac Me historical relics
Although it is no longer intact and the harsh weather in the Northern Mountains has claimed the historic site of Cang Bac Me. It can help keep intact the quietness, timestamp and harshness here.
“Cang” in the French sense means garrison, soldier. Before 1939, this place was a small French garrison set up to control the entire traffic route of Ha Giang – Tuyen Quang – Cao Bang. Since 1939, France has built more prison quarters, full of revolutionary officials arrested but not yet convicted. This place once detained comrades Xuan Thuy, Mr Nguyen Hong, Comrade Khuat Duy Tien, comrade Tran Cung, … Until now, photos of the comrades are still placed in the gallery of the relic.
Not only having historical significance, Cang Bac Me is currently a favourite destination for many tourists when it has a quiet, mossy landscape, timestamp and absolutely no shadow of commercialization and business spontaneous, … losing the ancient colours and natural space.
Visitors can take a leisurely walk in the large house space, the information house, the warehouse area, the prison area, … even though it’s just a ruin, it also helps us to visualize quite easily this place was once like how. Especially, this is the right place to take artistic, wedding, and picnic photos that are not boring and familiar in the old style.
2. Gam River – the green bow of the mountains
Originating from the 2,000m high mountains of Yunnan, China, coming to Vietnam from Cao Bang. Especially the Gam River flows through Bac Me creating many poetic river and mountain landscapes. Between the two hills and mountains. It’s like a bow more than 200 km long that flows through Cao Bang, Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang. And then merged with Ca River to become a majestic Lo river. With the characteristic green colour of the rivers in the mountainous region of Ha Giang. The Gam River is not as rugged as the Nho Que River. But is gentle and quiet among the mountains and forests on both sides. Therefore, the river section running through Bac Me district. It’s become a space for cultural and sports festivals, for tourism to experience the development of Bac Me and be different from Ha Giang’s famous rocky plateau.
3. Community cultural tourism village and traditional craft village
In Bac Me, in the district’s plan to develop and exploit tourism potential, over the years. The Government has coordinated with the business, people build the cultural villages of public tourism, the planning and preservation of traditional villages. Such as Yen Cuong brocade village, Giap Trung craft forging village, homestay Culture Village, Lan village, Khén village, Noong village. These become interesting destinations for travellers to discover Bac Me. Therefore, visitors to the Bac Me can visit scenic landscapes, historic sites. Especially experience cultural exploration of the peoples here with many activities remains as the Red Dao wedding ceremony, outstanding ceremony, Rain praying ceremony,… Or living with villagers in the middle of a pristine village but still have enough criteria to serve visitors..
How to go there?
You may take local bus from Hanoi – Ha Giang:
- Gia Lam bus station: Address: 132 Ngo Gia Kham, Ngoc Lam, Long Bien, Hanoi
- My Dinh bus station: Address: My Dinh, Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi
Note: After arriving at Ha Giang bus station. Take you will need to go to custom to get a permit to entry to border belt. From Ha Giang you go there by local bus (Ha Giang – Bac Me)
When is the best time to visit Bac Me?
Every year, in the season of full and quiet water (usually from September to April next year). Bac Me authorities and people often organize rafting festivals, rain praying festivals, worshipping of a river god… creating unique cultural features, attracting visitors to visit and experience.
Gam river tourism is suitable for team building activities in the country. It’s a great for organizing practical and adventurous games. Such as zipline, kayaking, rafting, … to create discoveries besides watching the majestic natural landscape that is poetic, gentle of the green Gam river.
Recommended accommodation
Tay Coc Pang Homestay
- Address: 195B, Du Gia, Yen Minh, Hà Giang, Vietnam
Du Gia Homestay
- Address: 195B, Du Già, Yên Minh, Hà Giang, Vietnam
Backpacker Garden Homestay – Restaurant – Coffee
- Address: TL 176 Road, Lang Cac, Coc Pang, Yên Minh, Hà Giang, Vietnam
What to eat?
Com Lam Bac Me- rice is cooked with bamboo tubes and grilled on charcoal and fire. Considered one of the quintessential delicacies made from the delicious glutinous rice known here.
Offering unspoiled natural wonders, a wealth of cultural richness, and a diverse range of exploration activities, Bac Me is a captivating destination on the road to conquering Ha Giang. Nestled amidst the rocky plateaus, tightly embraced by Meo Vac district, Bac Me presents a unique opportunity for independent travelers to embark on an intriguing journey. It has earned a well-deserved spot on the tourist map of Ha Giang, with Ha Giang homestay tours and Origin Travel recognizing its allure as an interesting and distinctive destination.
