Sin Suoi Ho Village, Lai Chau

Introduction to Sin Suoi Ho Village

If you want to experience what it is like to live in a proud community village, rich in flora and fauna and off the beaten path, then the Sin Suoi Ho could be for you. It is situated in Lai Chau province, in the Sin Suoi Ho commune of Phong Tho town. It is roughly 30km from Lai Chau at an elevation of 1500 metres above sea level.

The local people are friendly and hospitable, most of the households in the village are related to each other. The community organisation is quite tight and the head of the village has a good reputation within the community. The community is friendly and has good communication skills, which is very favourable for the development of tourism.

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The Sin Suoi Ho village has 103 households with 595 people, of which 100% are H’mong people, who live together. A year round cool climate and a beautifully unspoiled natural landscape can be enjoyed here.

This village is one of a humble and simple nature, where the local community is full of pride at having been recognised as a local tourist spot since June 2015.

Villagers live in wooden, walled houses with beautiful architecture, bearing the characteristics of the H’mong people, and surrounded by stone walls. The walls are only waist high, mainly to separate the house land from the hilly land outside. This construction method will help to keep the home cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and safe from any wild animals and the sometimes harsh environment.

You can learn more about the building process when you stay in one of the village homestays.  No matter how big or small, the Mong people’s house is, it usually has three distinct sections.

The Hmong people arrange the area on the left of the three sections to house the stove and the owner’s bedroom. The room on the right features a fireplace as well as a guest bed. The nave is broader to accommodate the ancestral altar and serves as a gathering space for family and friends to dine and drink. The attic floor is used to store furniture and victuals. The home might have one or two wings to accommodate a grain mill and carry out the rice pounding. Extra doors and windows made of wood or bamboo give ventilation, also present in the houses are aged apricot trees. The door of each house always opens inward rather than outward. Off to the side of the main door, the Mong people set up livestock barns, the precise location of these will depend on the wind direction but all are encapsulated within the stone fence.

For the locals to earn their living the main sources of income, besides tourism, are winemaking, knitting, traditional brocade embroidery and blacksmithing.

Cultural Information

Here, in Sin Suoi Ho village you will find customs and cultural activities which are specific to the area. You will be able to see the local farming and the use of traditional, manual production methods. For those of you who like to immerse themselves in the culture of an area, you will be welcomed in this village, as you learn more of the family traditions and about the nature here.

The village has its own arts team who will produce cultural performances which help to portray the rich history. These include dances and singing along with traditional musical instruments such as: Khen, Drum, Flute and Khen La.

As for the clothing, anyone interested in textiles will be in awe of some of the beautiful traditional outfits. The women’s costumes are very colorful and diverse. They typically include skirts, split-breasted tops with bibs on the back, a Thai style apron covering the abdomen, belts, headscarves, and leggings. The shirt opens to the left side of the chest, fastened with a button; the arms, collar and hem are all embroidered with patterns. Men’s clothes are similar to those of Nung men; long pants, an almost brushed velvet material with sagittal waistband, short shirt with wide neck, belly button opening, and indigo-coloured clothes. Jewellery includes earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and rings.

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