Ta Phin Village, Sapa, Vietnam - Brocatelle Weaving & Herbal Bath

Located about 12km from Sapa town center, Ta Phin Village is one of the most famous ecotourist spots in Sapa, Lao Cai province. The village is home to Red Dao and H’Mong people – 2 Vietnamese ethnic minorities. Ta Phin Village is situated in the valley, surrounded but spectacular mountains and rice terraces.

I. Ta Phin Village’s Breathtaking Scenery

Sa Pa stays 1500 to 1650 meters high on Lo Suay Tong mountain slope, in the northwest of Lao Cai province. It’s about 38km from Sa Pa to Lao Cai city, and 376 km from Sapa to Hanoi.

Ta Phin Village is located 17 km northeast from Sa Pa center. On the way from the town to the village, tourists will be able to enjoy the extremely beautiful scenery. Along the road, there are many mountain sloping side and the green terraced fields – one of the remarkable highlights of Vietnamese mountainous area.

Moreover, the two sides of the road are filled with flowers blooming. Based on the season, there would be different kind of flowers, and the msot beautiful flowers in Sa Pa are The Buckwheat Blossom (bloom in March) and Sapa Broccoli Flower (bloom in the early winter).

Near Ta Phin Commune People’s Committee, there is a limestone mountain, which is a branch of the Hoang Lien Son Range. In Ta Phin Village, there are usually fewer visitors than Ta Van. However, thanks to the pristine nature of this village, it is becoming an increasingly popular destination included in the Sapa Tour.

Soaking yourself in the beauty of Ta Phin Cave

After visiting Ta Phin Village, you can go to Ta Phin Cave at the foot of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain for a more adventurous experience. Ta Phin Cave is about 3 meters wide, 5 meters high, and it has a pathway into the ground.

Inside the cave, there are a lot of stalactites sparkling with various shapes, such as fairies, pregnant women holding babies,… Entering the cave, visitors will encounter a large rock lying on the left side. On the rock, there is an image that seems like the footprints of a chicken. Also, on the right side, there are some indentations that look like horse toes.

II. Ethnic Culture in Ta Phin Village

Ta Phin village is not only popular for its pristine and stunning natural beauty, but also attracts travellers because of the one-of-a-kind ethnic culture values. The most 2 popular ethnic “specialties” here that you should not miss are: the Red Dao traditional herb baths and the H’Mong brocatelle weaving.

Brocatelle Weaving

When arriving at Ta Phin village, the charming H’Mong women in their colorful traditional costumes may capture your heart at first sight.

Continuing walking in to the village, you will easily see ethnic women with colourful embroidered costumes weaving in front of their houses. They are so skilled and talented to make many brocatelle products, including backpacks, tourist hand bags, scarves, wallets and even clothes of different colors and patterns, which are also indispensable souvenirs for tourists to Sapa.

Usually, the beautiful scenery of Sa Pa and Ta Phin Village are reflected on the embroidery pattern. It can be flowers, plants, birds or even mountains and forests of the Northwest.

In fact, Ta Phin’s brocatelle are bought throughout the country and even exported to the US, France, Denmark, etc. Ta Phin is also famous for many other traditional handicraft products like silver bracelets, rings or necklaces, forged casting… , so there are many options you want to buy something as a gift for your friends and family.

Medicinal Herb Bathing

Visiting Sapa, you should at least try the Red Dao’s bathing experience for once. Regarding medicinal herb bathing, Ta Phin village is considered as the most interesting and the best place to try, as over 90% of the Red Dao people are currently living there.

First, people would collect the leaves from the forests themselves, then plant and boil those all in a hot bath tub. Usually, they would use more than 10 various types of leaves, and sometimes even nearly 100 types.

As the Red Dao people say, taking a bath with medicated leaves or soaking feet in herbs would bring tangible benefits. It could act as a treatment for rheumatism, muscle fatigue, bone aches, flu,… Herbal bath of Red Dao not only is a good therapy for health, but forms the culture values of ethnic people as well. Nowadays, many Red Dao households are ready to provide tourists with medicinal herbal bath service.

Gau Tao Festival

Besides these interesting experiences, visitors will also have the chances to learn about the daily life and traditional customs of the ethnic minority people here. The Mong people also have their swearing feasts and worshiping ceremonies. One of the most popular festivals of H’Mong people is Gau Tao Festival.

H’Mong is the largest group of ethnic minorities in the northwest of Vietnam which has a rich spiritual life. The Mong people’s traditional culture has been well preserved with many valuable characteristics. Mentioning their typical festivals, it would be a miss if not mentioning Gau Tao festival which represents their tradition clearly. It reflects not only the practices of farming but also the spirituality, beliefs, and customs.

Quick Tips

Do not give candy or money for children, since that’s useless for them. If you can, please give them books or pencils.
Do not put the camera near their faces for photos
The best time to visit is: April, May, June, September, October
You should not visit the village at the weekend as it might be more crowded at that time
Visiting Ta Phin Village, you should choose a homestay nearby to stay during your trip. You can refer our list of highly recommended homestays in Sapa. Especially, we specially recommend Ta Phin Cottage which will surely offer a unique retreat for your vacation.

Thanks to the untouched scenery, cool climate and friendly and hospitable local people, along with the unique and interesting tourist products, Ta Phin has attracted a large number of both domestic and foreign tourists. Surely, every tourist wish to return to Ta Phin Village to experience the ethnic life as well as the special gifts endowed from the Nature and local gentle ethnic people.