The rich cultural diversity of the north western province of Son La which is home to 12 ethnic groups remains a magnet to attract tourists.
Visiting Son La, visitors will not only see majestic mountains and explore the unique cultural values of ethnic groups in the country's northwest but also enjoy the local specialties including yeast wine and a forest music festival. From the Son Moc Huong (also called Bat Cave), a tourist site familiar with visitors to Moc Chau, visitors can continue climbing to Phieng Luong Peak about 1,500m above sea level.
Apart from the famous scenic spots, Son La is also well known for its rich cultural diversity characterized for its 12 ethnic groups. Visitors can enjoy the local cultural diversity of Son La through participating in a series of cultural events. For example, the Hoa group (Chinese) likes singing a traditional rhythm "San cua" highlighting love and a yearning for their domestic life. Comedy is also a popular form of local Chinese art. On holidays, the Chinese often performed lion dance, boxing, boat racing, wrestling, and playing chess.
The Tay group has a wide range of traditional art performances, including poetry, singing and dancing. They are well known for popular folk wedding dances and songs. The Tay people are hospitable, easy to make friends with, and open-minded.
The Muong group is well known as festival organizers with many events held throughout the year such as the seasonal rice planting, the prayer for rain, a rice leaf washing ceremony during the months of July and August according to the lunar calendar, and a new rice ceremony. They are also talented gong players. Gong is a musical instrument popular in nearly all their songs and dance festivals.
Perhaps the most prominent event is the Independence Festival organized by the Hmong group, which coincides with the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The story was that before the August Revolution young Hmong couple loved each other deeply, but because of the feudal colonial draconian regime they could not be together. Thanks to the Communist Party under Uncle Ho's leadership, the country was independent. They then met again and celebrated their reunion day on the occasion of the Independence Festival. Once, when the female friend sat waiting for her male friend, a girl came to give her a silver bracelet and informed her that he had passed away and wished to return the memorial to her and welcome her to visit his family. Since then, the Hmong group considered the Independence Festival as an opportunity to meet and celebrate.
Mother Nature did not bestow Son La Province with fertile immense fields, but the landscapes, and 12 ethnic groups here still preserve unique ethnic cultural traits, which attract many tourists to this vast mountainous land.
Son La's 12 ethnic groups include Hoa (Chinese), Lao (Laotian), Khang, La Ha, Kho Mu, Tay, Xinh Mun, Dao, Kinh, Muong, Hmong, and Thai.