Dong Van Old Town – history of over 100 years in the Dong Van Plateau
Last Update: 24th October 2020
Set in the valley surrounded by rocky mountains, Dong Van Old Town is a combination of the bright yellow of the clay walls and the gray roofs of the one-hundred-year-old houses. The town is home to Mong, Han, Dao, Giay and Tay people for more than 100 years.
- Name: Dong Van Old Town
- Location: approximately 160 x kilometers from Ha Giang City
- Things to do there: Photography, Vietnamese History and Culture
- Who visits: Photographers, History and Culture Lovers
- Time required: 1 – 2 x hours
Well-known for Dong Van Old Quarter, Dong Van Old Town is a great choice to experience the Vietnamese ethnic minority culture thanks to the undeveloped tourism industry and its location. Originally built in the early 20th Century, it has the authentic local traditions and customs to experience.
When you are on the way to the old town, you could see old some straw huts on the hillside. They have accompanied the orchard on the mountain for several years or even more than ten years. Maybe, you’ll encounter the Vietnamese from other region riding a motorbike to discover the Dong Van Old Town.
Arrive at the town, and you may be shocked at the old houses with a combination of Chinese and Vietnamese styles. They witness some changes of the life at the town and also see the well-preserved traditions for tens of years. Local villages, especially, the female, love to wear their own minority clothing. If interested, you could explore Dong Van Market on Sundays. It is just held on Sundays. The Frenchmen built the local market building in early 20th Century.
You could visit the town at any time during the daytime.
The best months to visit are from April to October.
Unfortunately, there are no direct buses to the town from Ha Giang. The only option is to rent a vehicle.
- Opening hours: 24 hours.
- Tourists can explore the town for free.
- Please take enough drinking water and food with you.
- Please get the permit from locals before you take photos of them.
- Please take an umbrella or a raincoat with you in case it rains.
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including Dong Van Old Town, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.