Epic from the Stone

Epic from the Stone

Spread over 4 highland districts of Ha Giang province including: Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac, Dong Van, Dong Van Stone Plateau is located at an average altitude of 1,000 - 1,600m above sea level on an area of ​​over 2,354km². This is one of the special limestone regions of the country, with a strong attraction for tourists and scientific researchers because they contain typical marks on the history of the development of the earth's crust, natural phenomena, unique landscapes, and high biodiversity. According to a survey by scientists from the Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources, Dong Van Stone Plateau has 11 geological formations including: Chang Pung, Lutxia, Sika, Lang Xang, Si Phai, Toc Tat, Lung Nam, Bac Son, Dong Dang, Song Hien and Hong Ngai, of which Chang Pung is the oldest formation dating back more than 545 million years.

A corner of Dong Van Stone Plateau

The locals here have a saying “living on rocks, dying buried in rocks”. Dong Van Stone Plateau is filled with endless mountain rocks. Rocks form ramparts, covering the rugged mountains, layer upon layer in all sorts of strange shapes like an exhibition of majestic, giant rockeries of the earth and sky. Rocks are inherently hard and harsh, but when they gather together on Dong Van Plateau, they seem to show off their beauty with a myriad of shapes, creating unique “rock gardens” and “rock forests”. Here, rocks seem to have a fate, rocks seem to have a soul. When children are born, their red flesh is buried in rocks. Boys and girls fall in love, confessing their love by the rock fences. When people die, they are buried in the rocks. Colorful markets also appear from rocks. Rocks make houses, make fences and retain water during the dry seasons.

With nearly ¾ of the area being cat ear rocky mountains, combined with high mountainous terrain and harsh climate. Apart from the food crop of corn, the land area for growing rice and other crops is very rare. And perhaps, the farming techniques on the gray rocky land of Dong Van Stone Plateau is one of the images of a way of life that cannot be found anywhere else.

Highlanders grow corn in rock holes

If anyone comes to Dong Van Stone Plateau in February and March, they will see on the grey stone slopes, the people here, from children, the elderly, women and men, bent over carrying soil from deep valleys into each crevice of the rocks, to have soil to plant each corn kernel. After three times of hilling and fertilizing, through long nights of anxiety and praying for favorable rain and wind, the corn plants here will bloom and produce ears of corn. Each corn kernel and grain of rice is a drop of sweat. So that when August comes, the children, the elderly, women and men here will go to the fields to harvest the crop. So that the kitchens will be filled with the fragrant smell of new corn. So that the aspirations for warmth and happiness will urge the people here to rise up strongly in the dry stone.

Four seasons of stone bloom

Dong Van Stone Plateau, where the leading geologist Le Ba Thao said: "a place with beautiful scenery", "there is no scene more majestic and amazing". And for many tourists when coming here, Dong Van Stone Plateau is mentioned as "a land of nostalgia". As for me, Dong Van Stone Plateau is both familiar and strange, and surprising. Because here, the natural scenery always changes every day, every season of the year with flowers of all colors and scents.

Peach blossoms on the Stone Plateau

Perhaps, nature is always fair. A barren land, a plateau of vast grey rocks, even corn plants must endure months of sun and frost to produce corn. Even squash and bean plants cannot germinate in the long, icy winter weather. Even the grass on the fields withers when the dry season comes. However, it is surprising that the seasons of the year in the Dong Van Stone Plateau bring forth the vitality of many flowers.

In spring, when the drizzle falls lightly in the warm weather, it is also the time when Dong Van Stone Plateau is brilliant with the pink color of peach blossoms, the pure white color of plum and pear blossoms on the high mountain tops or right along the national highway. At the end of spring, when the weather in March is mild, on the May Pass, boys and girls from everywhere bustle to gather at the Phong Luu Khau Vai market. And when summer comes, in places like Na Khe, Lao Va Chai or Trang Kim, Pa Vi, Xin Cai, Son Vi... we see the white color of Bauhinia flowers, the fiery red color of cotton flowers spread across the mountain tops reflecting on the Nho Que and Mien rivers. Blending with the green of the sky and earth, are the corn fields blooming with green powder, the peach branches, pear branches, plum branches laden with fruit... and someone said: the season of prosperity and warmth has returned. Come winter, when all species must hibernate, when crops are scarce and even buffaloes and cows can hardly stand the cold here. Strangely enough, this is the time when the Dong Van Stone Plateau is most brilliant, the time when "The Stone truly blooms". Going along National Highway 4C, in the villages, on the rocky slopes or in the deep valleys, we can easily see and admire the purple-pink color of buckwheat flowers, the purple color of mint flowers, the orange color of chrysanthemums and the white color of the xuyen chi flowers, the brilliant yellow color of the endless fields of yellow mustard flowers from autumn to winter and even into spring... to let the stone bloom all four seasons.

Sung La Valley, a place many tourists come to visit, learn and experience

Journey to pride and happiness

With its unique geological, topographical, biological diversity and cultural values, Dong Van Stone Plateau, Ha Giang province has become the first Global Geopark in Vietnam (October 1, 2010).

After more than ten years of construction and development, through two re-evaluations, Dong Van Stone Plateau has always maintained its brand as a Global Geopark, and has become a red address that cannot be missed by scientists, for all domestic and international tourists when coming to Ha Giang. And it is the honor and pride of all Ha Giang people when mentioned.

Dong Van people help each other build rammed earth houses, a cultural feature of the highland people.

After more than ten years of construction and development, reality shows that tourism in Dong Van Stone Plateau is constantly developing in both quantity and quality. What makes it attractive is the uniqueness of the heritages it possesses. Therefore, the investment in developing tourism in the Unesco Global Geopark of Dong Van Stone Plateau is always carefully considered by Ha Giang province, because Ha Giang always understands that if the investment and development are not suitable, they will have to pay the price. If the priceless gifts bestowed by nature are lost, they will never be regained. Clearly aware of this issue, in tourism development, Ha Giang province always affirms: Development must be focused, key, and responsible for the environment and society; development must go hand in hand with preserving and conserving the typical and unique traditional values ​​of the locality. 

 In tourism development strategies and plans from central to local levels, such as: Vietnam tourism development strategy to 2020, vision to 2030; Vietnam tourism development master plan to 2020, vision to 2030; Ha Giang tourism development master plan to 2020, vision to 2030... all affirm the role of Dong Van Stone Plateau in Vietnam tourism development, identifying Dong Van Stone Plateau in the list of national tourist areas. In particular, in 2013, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 310/QD-TTg approving the "Master plan for conservation, restoration and promotion of the value of Dong Van Stone Plateau Global Geopark in the period of 2012 - 2020, vision to 2030". In November 2021, Ha Giang Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution 19 on preserving, embellishing and promoting the value of Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark for the period 2021 - 2025, with a vision to 2030. These are important legal bases, a premise for Ha Giang to deploy the construction of Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark into a national tourist area, contributing to the development of tourism and socio-economic development of the province.

Tourists visit Pao's house in Sung La commune, Dong Van district.

To improve the quality of services, build a brand for Ha Giang tourism in general, and the Dong Van Stone Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark in particular. In recent years, the work of preserving geological heritage values, cultural and customary values ​​to build them into tourism products as well as the construction of transport infrastructure, domestic water supply systems, electricity systems, etc. has always been prioritized by the province. In addition, the development of investment attraction policies as well as the training of human resources directly and indirectly involved in the service sector is very important and has always received special attention from Ha Giang. In recent years, many new service projects have sprung up on the gray rock area, infrastructure has been strongly invested, a large number of ethnic minority workers living on the Dong Van Stone Plateau have had more jobs besides farming, and the living standards of a part of the people have been improved. This further affirms that the development of the tourism industry has positively contributed to socio-economic development and economic restructuring, changing the appearance of the Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark in particular, and of Ha Giang province in general.

The achievements of the tourism industry are also extremely important to the Dong Van Stone Plateau. It is the driving force and foundation for the people here to feel secure in production, maintain border security, and develop the economy through raising, growing, and processing local products into goods to supply to tourists, domestic and international markets, such as: Mint honey, brocade linen textile products, strong triangle cakes, corn wine with yeast leaves, dried beef... It is a bridge to bring the ethnic minorities here to access the civilization and progress of society. It is a source of pride and a key to bringing prosperity and happiness to the lives of the people at the headland of the Fatherland.