Sapa cloud paradise – the pride of the Northwest mountainous region of Vietnam. It is no stranger to tourists. Amidst the majestic natural mountains and scenery. There is a small and beautiful rustic village that anyone coming to Sapa will definitely have to visit. It is the attractive Cat Cat village with simple wooden houses, small streams, murmuring colorful brocade and simple ethnic minorities.
How Cat Cat Village Is Special?
Visit the village for its distinctive traditions and practices that have been lost in virtually cultural villages. It’s the closest and easiest hill trible village in Sapa. The footpath to the village is amazing view. Just passing some sloop you will have chance to discover full this stunning village.
The road to Cat Cat is quite beautiful, you will go through the winding curves of the road, the two sides are terraced rice fields and houses. When walking down to Cat Cat, cross the sloping concrete slabs to the stone steps. Continue across the Si bridge to Cat Cat center, where the convergence of three streams: Tien Sa stream, Golden stream and Silver stream.
Houses In Cat Cat Village Architecture
Formed in the mid-19th century, Cat Cat village consists of many Mong families, who live on the slopes and gather together and plant on the hillside. Visiting the town, the residents of the city will find it strange with the wooden three-room. The wooden house is often called “House Presentation”, inside the house is quite simple with places of worship. There is a floor guard. The house has 3 doors with the main door in the middle.
Handicraft in Cat Cat Village
In addition to farming, cultivation on terraced rice fields. That is why people here are always good at cotton, weaving, linen, silver carving, and jewelry. Brocade made by the Hmong people only with four main colors: blue, red, white and yellow. Which have many shapes and patterns… with dye technique for dyeing from ash and forest leaves. The silver, bronze and aluminum products in Cat Cat are very rich and popular with jewelry. Such as a necklace, bracelet, ring,…
Traditional culture and costumes
Villagers still keep the typical culture with traditional Hmong costumes. Women still use cloth wrapped around the head to make towels, coats with embroidered neck collars. Belts are embroidered with fancy motifs with two heads. The skirt has a conical shape that is folded with a firm but firmly creased skirt. Men who still wear a hat made of linen, a shirt in the underarms, a long jacket on the outside.
The villagers kept the tradition of dragging their wives. If you fell in love with a girl, they would make friends by “pulling” the girl home and keeping her for three days. Then she agrees to be his wife, they will have a wedding or they will be friends again.
If you travel to the beginning of the year, you will be able to attend the Festival of Gourds organized to pray for or bless the people. In addition, All tourists book Sapa tours also enjoy watching the typical dances of the Mong people, Mong flute, tongue, and singing.
Special food need to try while traveling in Cat Cat
Cat Cat has a lot of dishes processed very unique to attract the attention of tourists. Such as Mong Mong, cider, wine, smoked meat, chicken soup, clones, bamboo shoots, corn tortillas, beans… If you take a Homestay tour, you will probably discover more Cat Cat food.
Top 10 Things To Do In Cat Cat Village
1. Walk. Be prepared to explore Cat Cat in the most interesting way. Walking helps you admire the natural scenery, Sapa weather is also suitable for walking.
2. Take pictures of sparkling, splendid, picturesque hills and terraced fields.
3. Visit a house of ethnic minority people in the village and discover how the people live there. You will be surprised to see families with more than 10 members. Try to discover things in the house, such as rice mortar, you must have never seen before.
4. Visiting school, watching and playing with young children. Can bring a learning item for donation.
5. Shopping. Going deep into the village, you will see a lot of stalls selling handicrafts, cloths with colorful colors. In order to weave a brocade, Mong women can take about 8 months to complete.
6. Drink wine apples cooked by villagers for only 10.000d / cup and try the characteristic dishes of the villagers.
7. Watch the babies being carried on their backs to feel the peace
8. Take photos with Cat Cat Waterfall in front of H’Mong Cultural House. Beginning to the village you will cross the bridge over Cat Cat Cat stream and romantic Cat Cat waterfall. Waterfalls flow from the top of Hoang Lien Son Range.
9. Dancing with the villagers. You can watch dance performances at the Cultural Center. During community dinners, you can learn how to dance with local people.
10. Look at the rice mortar with the water of the Mong people working. The water flowed full of trough one end, the other end up high up, causing the water in the trough to fall out, the other end down to self-retarded rice mortar.
How to get to Cat Cat village in Sapa?
Cat Cat village is located in San Sa Ho commune, Sapa district, from the center of Sapa town to the gate of the village is just over 2km. You can choose the form of walking, can combine views of the mountains and admire the entire village from above.
On the journey to discover Cat Cat village. There are 2 roads that will definitely leave you the most impressed. This is the road to Cat Cat village and the terraced road from the gate of Cat Cat village leads to the entrance to the inside of the village.
- By Main road: It’s only 2 km drive to the village, you will not be impatient, instead you will be mesmerized by the scenery around it. One side is the identical high mountains, the other side is the Sapa valley that appears with immense terraced fields.
- By Stone path stairs: Stepping through the gate leading to the entrance of Cat Cat, you will be surprised by the wide stair path of just two rows of people and paved with glossy stones. The rather steep path between the two blocks creates a beautiful scenery.
Additionally, the road to the village is also an easy and interesting path for trekking sapa Vietnam. To get to this village is only 20-30m minutes walking out of Sapa center, along with the hike through mountains provides tourists a wonderful image of rice paddies, water fall, as well as water buffaloes grazing leisurely.
What To Do, Things To See & Time To Visit?
- Sapa tour trekking & homestay tours
- Culture exchange.
- Photograph hunting.
- Visit local family to know authentic of Black Hmong people daily life.
Quick Tips
- Do not give money or candy for children. (mean the children they will not like to go to school) – If can so please give them some books or pencils.
- Do not put camera close to their face to take photo.
- Best time to visit (from April, May, June, Sept, Oct)
- Should not visit at weekend to avoid the crowded by other local and Chinese tourist.
Keep reading all things need to know before you go to Sapa from Origin Vietnam.
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