Many tourists were outraged by the image of young girls wearing traditional costumes shaking their hips, rotating their arms, and dancing in age-inappropriate ways to beg for money in Sa Pa Square (Lao Cai).
Recently, many short videos have appeared on social media, recording images of young girls dressed in ethnic minority costumes dancing and begging for money in Sa Pa Square. Many of the girls shake their hips, rotate their arms, and have expressions that are not appropriate for their age.
"The kids' dance moves are so offensive. People shouldn't cheer," commented MK.
"I really don't understand what parents are thinking when they let their children dance to the loud music of adults like that. The children are wearing their own traditional costumes, why don't they dance traditional dances? We came to Sa Pa with the desire to enjoy the local culture, not imported music," wrote Ngoc Ha.
"For many years, Sa Pa children have stopped selling goods and begging for money and now they are dancing and begging for money. In such cold weather, surely no child wants to go out on the street to earn money but only because of their parents," said Kien.
Mr. Do Van Tan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Sa Pa town, Lao Cai confirmed that the above situation occurred during the Lunar New Year 2025. This situation has been going on for about 2 years now, especially common during holidays and Tet.
"Recently, the People's Committee of Sa Pa town has directed the People's Committee of Sa Pa ward to implement a plan to thoroughly resolve the situation of children selling goods, begging for money and dancing indecently to ask for money from tourists. However, during peak tourist seasons such as Lunar New Year, the functional force is too thin and cannot control all cases.
Many parents still bring their children to the downtown area to dance and beg for money. They use small portable speakers. When they detect the police, they immediately run away. When the police leave, the children come out to dance again," said Mr. Tan.
Upon receiving complaints from tourists, the Sa Pa Town People’s Committee directed Sa Pa Ward to inspect, review and handle violations. After the Lunar New Year, this situation has basically ended.
Sa Pa Town People's Committee has a plan to propagate and handle the situation of children selling on the street or performing begging for money in tourist areas in many forms.
The Sa Pa ward urban order inspection team is on duty at tourist-populated locations to propagate, mobilize, and remind street vendors, solicitors, and stalkers, and at the same time advise tourists not to buy street goods, give money to children, or beggars, and mobilize tourists not to promote offensive performances and dancing that are not suitable for the local traditional culture.
"In recent years, the People's Committee of Sa Pa town has requested communes to review cases of street vendors in the area. Those selling self-produced handicrafts will be arranged appropriate sales areas, not street vendors.
For those who have the behavior of selling goods on the street and begging for money, we need to mobilize and propagate, and at the same time create conditions for them to learn a trade and have stable jobs in homestays, restaurants, hotels...", Mr. Tan said.
Previously, the government had mobilized about 100 ethnic minority women, children and elderly people to come to Cat Cat village to participate in traditional cultural and artistic performances. In other tourist villages, children are also allowed to participate in appropriate performing activities. This approach helps limit street vending and illegal performances for money, while also helping children earn extra income.
According to Mr. Tan, although there are many measures, the cases of children participating in performing activities and selling goods to earn money cannot be completely handled 100%, because it is necessary to proceed step by step, based on compliance with the provisions of the law on children's rights.
"Children cannot fully understand their actions of selling goods, dancing, and begging for money. The fault lies with their parents or relatives, who take advantage of children to profit from the compassion of tourists. However, to punish parents, there must be sufficient grounds according to Decree 130 - regulations on administrative sanctions in the field of social protection, assistance and children," said Mr. Tan.
In 2023, the People's Committee of Sa Pa town (Lao Cai) administratively fined Ms. LTM 22 million VND for regularly forcing her children to sell goods on the street to earn money.
"To completely end the situation of children selling goods on the street and dancing to beg for money, we hope that tourists will support us, not give money, and not encourage the children," Mr. Tan expressed.
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