Hang Tau – “primitive village” with 3 no’s on Moc Chau plateau

If Ta So village, at an altitude of over 1,100m in Chieng Hac commune, is a plateau of Moc Chau plateau, Son La province, then Hang Tau is a valley on Ta So plateau. Hang Tau is becoming a place that attracts tourists, especially young people, to experience the "3 no" life with the local people: no electricity, no phone signal, no wifi.

Under the blue sky, the "primitive" village is stunningly beautiful.

Before the Moc Chau District Police supported the drilling of wells, the only water source for the locals was from the mountains. Perhaps for these reasons, Hang Tau is called the “primitive village” on the plateau.

Hang Tau, in the local language, means an empty land or a basin. About 20km from the center of Moc Chau town, from Ta So intersection to Hang Tau is a journey to experience and admire before visitors "penetrate" the primitive village.

Hang Tau is peaceful from every angle.

The road is only over 3km long but is a challenge for all skilled motorcyclists, because of its steepness and danger. The slopes are steep when going up, and deep when going down. Both sides of the road are eroded, revealing jagged rocky gullies, the rough “buffalo spine” protruding in the middle, feeling like it is just enough for the wheels to roll.

An unwritten rule is that when two vehicles are going in opposite directions, the right of way will belong to the vehicle carrying passengers, or the vehicle carrying passengers going uphill. If you are really not confident in driving, a piece of advice for tourists is to leave the vehicle at the parking lot and feel secure behind the wheel of the local men, who have excellent skills and experience in driving motorbikes.

The local boys are really good drivers.

But in return, this is a pleasing route, especially in spring because of the rich natural scenery, with mountains on one side and green fields on the other, passing through valleys of white plums and yellow mustard flowers like brilliant patches of color on the vast green background. The primitive village of Hang Tau is located entirely in a valley surrounded by mountains, and is the long-standing residence of more than 20 Mong households. Leaving behind the majestic space of the Northwest mountains and forests, passing through the village gate, visitors seem to reach a strangely peaceful place, almost isolated from outside life.

Small peaceful houses on the mountainside.

Dozens of houses quietly stand on the mountainside, surrounding a valley of more than 1 hectare. Mong children in colorful dresses and skirts, with rosy cheeks, innocently play on the grass under the dry sun but are not afraid when tourists ask them questions. Pigs, chickens, goats, and cows leisurely walk around the undulating rocks. When the weather is favorable, tourists can freely admire and capture beautiful scenes because the landscape is like a film with the space of the sky and earth blending together.

Previously, not many people knew about this place, the life of the local residents was quiet, little communication with the outside and mainly self-sufficient. At the end of the village, there is a path leading to a natural cave, but because there is no electricity, the cave has not been exploited, visitors can only take pictures outside the cave dome.

Since 2020, with the policy of building Ta So community tourism village of Moc Chau District People's Committee, supported by the Great project phase 1, Hang Tau area has become more widely known. The number of visitors to Hang Tau is increasing, forming a number of services to meet the needs of visitors to visit and experience. The primitive villagers are guided to participate in tourism by renting costumes, renting horses, selling souvenirs or local specialties...

People participate in tourism services, both promoting the image of the people here and increasing their income.

What is particularly noteworthy is that tourism has brought visitors to this place, but Hang Tau still maintains an almost “primitive” environment, and it is rare to see tourist trash left in the valley. A restaurant serving tourists is located at the end of this area, perhaps also to minimize negative impacts on the environment. This is something that needs to be taken care of by the locality, monitored by the tourism management and exploitation unit, along with the responsibility and awareness of each visitor when coming to this peaceful place. So that Hang Tau remains an attractive destination for tourists, with its inherent “primitive” identity that has been preserved for generations.