Moc Chau in Son La is worth visiting and should not be missed whenever you cross the greenery plateau, about 200 kilometers from Ha Noi, on the way to the northwestern region.
Considered as the Da Lat of the north, Moc Chau is very appealing to tourists who are escaping the heat of Hanoi, and other parts of Vietnam, in the summertime, as the plateau lies in a temperate climate region, with average summer temperatures of 20°C.
The plateau, more than 1,000 meters above sea level, has much to offer lovers of natural beauty and traditions of ethnic groups such as Dao, Thai, Mong, Kho Mu and Xinh Mun.
The plateau covers 1,600 hectares of prairie, where visitors feel at ease and close to nature when viewing farms of tea trees, paddy fields and vast areas of grass.
Minority groups greet visitors by staging a score of their traditional welcome dances. Among the popular are the xoe dance of the Thai people and khen dance of the Mong group.
Usually, young men blow khen (pan-pipes) and at the same time as they dance gracefully in tune with the melody of the music. Young Thai woman in their traditional attire perform xoe dance during festivals or by the light of a fire at night on special occasions. They often invite visitors to participate in the xoe dance, and will dance hand-in-hand with their guests.
Watching and buying traditional handicrafts is a lot of fun, and tourists can purchase items at much lower prices than at shops in towns and cities of Vietnam.
The Son Moc Huong Cave adds yet another attraction to Moc Chau Son la. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the plateau when standing at the entrance of the cave located in the center of Moc Chau District. Stalactite structures decorate the cave inside, giving visitors a feeling of relaxation, and that they are lost in a fairy world.
Thac Nang (Girl Waterfall) and Thac Dai Yem (Pink Blouse Waterfall) at Vat Village are also places of interest in Moc Chau. The waterfall is called so as it looks like a pink blouse. Locals say the waterfall is one of the nature’s gifts to the long-existing village, which is home to a number of relics such as Vat Pagoda as well as folk songs, dances and food specialties.
Other cultural villages, together with the Phieng Luong Peak and the Chien Vien Pagoda, also help make Son la Moc Chau a destination with relics and sites of great natural and historical values.
One more thing visitors should not miss is to drink fresh hot milk to warm them when visiting the plateau on a winter day. The milk can be bought at shops along the roads in the plateau. There is a State-run dairy farm, which is one of the biggest suppliers of fresh milk and tea for Vietnam.
If you cannot stop at Moc Chau Son la for an overnight stay or a short visit, be sure to watch for the immense fields and gardens of tea trees and greenery as well as ranges of imposing mountains and hills covered with grass and flowers such hoa da quy (wild sun flower), as you drive through the area.
