During the tourist season, the town of Sa Pa in the mountains of northern Vietnam
slowly comes to life at around 6:00 in the morning as buses full of tourists coming
from Lao Cai crawl up the winding mountain roads to drop their passengers off at their
hotels that dot the town and the surrounding villages. About an hour later, after the
tourists have checked in and dropped their bags in their rooms, Sa Pa becomes busy as
they start their day with breakfast in the restaurants and coffee bars along the main
road. As they eat, they watch one of the tourist attractions they‟ve come to Sa Pa to
see – Hmong and Dao women, ranging in age from teenage girls to middle aged
women, all wearing their traditional, colorful, ethnic attire, some with babies strapped
on their backs, selling purses, scarves, pillow cases and other handicrafts that they
have made themselves. One of the region‟s main attractions for tourists is to
experience the “traditional, ethnic” way of life by trekking through the terraced rice
fields and spending time with the ethnic minorities and taking part in homestays.
These Hmong and Dao women, knowing that their heritage is on display, make an
effort to show the tourists hospitality by greeting them when they get off their buses,
and making small talk with them as they walk through the streets.