TABOOS IN SAPA
Visitors have to not sit down in the middle space when visiting Cat Cat village, Ta Phin , Ta Van of Mong Den, Dao Do people. Tourists visit to follow the instructions of the owner and a head desk for parents only, though they loose guests, travelers must not sit on.
In the house of the villagers, the middle space is used for worshipping, visitors are not allowed to sit. Visitors must follow the instructions of the owner. According to Hmong’s customs, the front position of the desk is used for parents, whether their parents died or not, visitors must not sit on the sacred chair.
Sapa is located in the northwest of the country, a mountainous district of Lao Cai province. Recently, visitors, especially young people (both abroad and domestic) enjoy the type of trekking very much, follow the wagon traces, worm into upland hills, streams, terraced fields to the remote villages of ethnic groups.
Sapa Trekking
Although you set foot in Cat Cat, Ta Phin, Ta Van of the Mong Den or Dao Do people, you are not allowed to attend if they are in the process of worshipping because you are strangers. At that time in front of entrance of village, there is a bunch of green leaves hang on high pillars at a solemn place, so everyone can see it to avoid entering the village.
Not laugh when going around the village like in gardens and parks, but move slowly, elegantly, respect inherent quite landscape of the village. For young children, you are not allowed to rub their heads although you love them very much. Villagers think that rubbing children’s head, kissing their head easily make them panic, sick.
In the village, there is a very sacred place for worshipping: a forbidden forest, a ancient tree, a magnificent stone for worshipping the Holy and the God. This place is often clean, beautiful, cool, but tourists only stop to sit down, rest, chat, eat and drink, spreadly lie at here. Specially, not whistle when sightseeing the village. People in here think that whistling sound means calling devil to the village.
Visitors freely taking photos
In the house of the villagers, the middle space for worshipping, visitors are not allowed to sit there.
Hmong’s houses with large pillars buried deep into the ground, touch to the top of the roof; the other pillars are smaller. All pillars are chocked on the ground, the highest pillar is called female-pillar where ghosts reside, travelers must not hang their clothes, or lean their back at the “spirit” pillar. Guests drink wine, chat, talk to homeowners, not point fingers forward while saying. Mong people said that such behavior expressed dissatisfaction to the talker.
However, when the owner invite to drink water, wine, if the guest reject, he or she should have the verbal skills to owner so that the owner may understand, sympathize; not upturn the bowl down the table, only shamans are allowed to do this for pursuing ghost.
Not dress white linen to the village, because it is the color of funerals. Visitors to Sapa do not forget to take a bath into mineral water bath with many kinds of leaves of Dao Do people which makes the skin firmer, healthier and enjoy spiraling “thắng cố” on the fire, drink corn wine with sweet-smelling baked wild beast meat.