Brief introduction of Xa Pho ethnic in Sapa, Lao Cai

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In most of our itineraries of Vietnam motorcycle tours from at least 4 days, you can visit Sapa. Sapa is one of the few districts in Vietnam with Hmong people composing the majority: 51.65%, followed by Yao 23.04%, Kinh 17.91%, Tay 4.74%, Day 1.36% and Xa Pho 1.06%.

Although Xa Pho people occupy 1.06% but in Sa Pa, only a few people living in the commune deputy commune of Nam Sai village located on the south end of Sa Pa District is a remote place, far from roads, so travel is difficult and infrequent exposure where other. You rarely see them in Sapa town, this people has many things to discover.

The Xa Pho are a sub-ethnicity of the Phu La, a Sino- Tibetan-speaking group found further east in the Bat Xat, Muong Khuong, Bac Ha and Si Ma Cai Districts of Lao Cai Province. Their language belongs to Tibeto – Burmese language group. The Xa Pho people can speak most of the languages of other ethnics in the region although they have their own language. However, it is very difficult to speak or understand the language of this people because it sounds like birds singing.

You are easy to recognize the Xa Pho people by their costume. Women wear a short shirt with a long skirt made from indigo-dyed hemp fabric. They use a bright red thread to embroider decorations all over their clothes. A black or multi-colored turban and jewellery made of shells or colored beads are also generally worn.

The Xa Pho people in the same village or community are very united and helpful. If every family has no food, they can visit their neighbor for meal. If a family kills a chicken, everyone in the village can come to eat some without invitation.

The Xa Pho people build houses half on stilts and half on the ground. The houses look very simple and the decoration and the furniture made of bamboo or rattan are also simple too. Located in the nave altar, the kitchen is also a living space, in addition to outbuildings from 5-10 meters from the main house to the grain.

The people live mainly on tilled terraced cultivation, cultivation of upland rice. Upland rice is still characteristic red marble to make sticky rice wine. They also grow some other kinds such as: maize, cassava, melon, sorghum, pumpkin, vegetables, soy bean, gourd, pumpkin, taro …Besides, The Xa Pho people also raise some kinds of livestock such as cattle, horses; small livestock, such as pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, and especially fellow mountain goat to economic development.

Please join us for one of the best Vietnam motorbike tours to know more about the Xa Pho people and also the other ethnics in Sapa.