Song Mooc Village, a miniature Sapa

lAm gIAng

Song Mooc Village has been dubbed a "miniature Sa Pa" of the highland commune of Dong Van, Binh Lieu District, Quang Ninh Province thanks to its cool climate and gorgeous landscape.

The village is located on a mountain range that rises to more than 1,000m above sea level in parts, covered with green cinnamon forest and white clouds. The village has many rammed earth houses which are still intact.

The village has focused on the tourism development and although it is a highland village, travelling to the village is easy due to the convenient road system. The village is only about 30km from the centre of Binh Lieu Town.

Song Mooc Village boasts simplicity, wonderful terraced fields and

traditional houses of the Dao people. The village has an area of more than 375ha, including 69ha of farmland. The entire village is located on the slopes of Phieng Che - Cao Ba Lanh mountain, so altitude varies throughout the village, with the lowest place only about 300m above sea level, but the highest place more than

700m above sea level. This feature has created a village in the middle of mountains and forests with poetic and beautiful scenery, including terraced rice fields.

When arriving in Song Mooc, visitors can admire the wild and fresh scenery of the village, especially the endless green terraced fields. The old roofs of the houses, the mist and white clouds alternated with the greenery of the mountains and forests.

The people of the village are Dao ethnics, who still preserve many of their traditional cultural features. Houses of the Dao people halfway down the slope seem small, but in fact, they have a large space with a very big yard. The Dao people have carried on many traditions and festivals such as Kieng Gio festival to pray for a bountiful and prosperous harvest and Cold Foods Festival which is an occasion for family members to gather and remember their ancestors.

Visitors can slip between irrigation ditches and green terraces fields to arrive at the waterfall. At the foot of the waterfall is a system of majestic rocks of more than 400sq.m with large rocks stretching out on the ground to create a large space. The waterfall is very cool, with a cascade of more than 10m high from the jungle down to the village.

From Song Mooc, visitors can visit Hoanh Mo border gate (about 10km), Khe Tien (about 3km), Cao Son flower garden (10km), and Khe Van waterfall (20km).