{"id":11220,"date":"2019-06-06T15:53:39","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T14:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hastenteufel.name\/blog\/?p=11220"},"modified":"2025-12-04T05:32:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T04:32:24","slug":"winter-17-18-from-dong-van-to-yen-minh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hastenteufel.name\/blog\/winter-17-18-from-dong-van-to-yen-minh\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter 17\/18 from \u0110\u1ed3ng V\u0103n to Y\u00ean Minh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We had a good night’s sleep in the nice beds of the Cao Nguyen Guesthouse in Yen Minh.
We continued the trip after Mitsos had his breakfast. Today, we drive to the Northernmost Point of Vietnam: Lung Cu. Or the North Pole, as the locals call it. It was quite a warm day, so no North Pole feeling on the bike. And even less climbing up to the tower. But let’s get there first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vietnamese<\/picture>
Cool mountains in the morning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains<\/picture>
With lots of rice fields between them<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Rice<\/picture>
Time to prepare the fields<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Frontier<\/picture>
Along the Chinese Border<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Interesting<\/picture>
Interesting Landscape<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain<\/picture>
Dotted with Farm Houses <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain<\/picture>
So many roads to everywhere<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Fields<\/picture>
Fighting with nature to get a few more square meters of land<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain<\/picture>
Finally Blue Sky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Farmers<\/picture>
Tending the Field<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Village<\/picture>
Another Village<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain<\/picture>
Some Forrest left – but not that much<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain<\/picture>
The trees do change up here quite a bit compared to the lowland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains<\/picture>
Imagine that hills with blue sky!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Farming<\/picture>
Lots of farming going on all the way up from the valley to the top<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ma Le<\/g> Anicent<\/g> Village<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"River<\/picture>
A small river makes its way in the valley. Farming took over the forrest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ma Le<\/g> is located in the Dong Van district in the Ha Giang province. It is down there somewhere. 97 households of mainly Giay people. They settled here about 200 years ago. In the good old times, they used to build two-story houses out of wood. But since there is less and less wood left, they fell back to build earth houses like the Mong nearby.
If you pass Ma Le you should stop and take a look at what is left. A few of the 200-year-old wood houses and a few of the up to 100-year-old earth houses!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Forrest<\/picture>
Only all the way up you still see some trees<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Agriculture\"<\/picture>
Not a lot of nature left<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain<\/picture>
If you look close you can see the flag on top of the tower at the “North Pole”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Lung<\/picture>
In the Ly Thuong Kiet Dynasty, the first tower was erected here. The French rebuilt it in 1887. Later, the pole was renovated a few times.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Washing<\/picture>
Washing day at the village down in the valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Power<\/picture>
Great view on the other site. Why do we need a power station right here?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Vietnamese<\/picture>
At last a picture with the flag and blue sky!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Free<\/picture>
Free Wifi at the tower. Sweet!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Some<\/picture>
Back towards the West<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The V\u01b0\u01a1ng Family Castle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"V\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/picture>
The V\u01b0\u01a1ng Family Castle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The palace is located in a valley that was carefully selected according to feng shui. The terrain here emerged as a turtle shell, which represents long life and wealth.

It was the home of Vuong Chinh Duc and his son Vuong Chi Sinh.

The whole palace is surrounded by a 2 meter high and 80 centimeters thick stone wall. The stone walls inside are between 50 and 60 centimeters thick. The palace is divided into several different areas such as a dining room, bedroom or kitchen. Storerooms for marijuana or food. There are rooms for his wives and room with the prayer altar. There is also an are for the executions of criminals<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"V\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/picture>
Entrance to the compound<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You reach the main gate trough<\/g> a lines<\/g> of ancient Sa Moc trees. The palace were built with 4 horizontal and 6 vertical rows, 2 stories and 64 rooms.
At the back of the building are two horizontal rows on the two sides, linked together by doors. To protect his mansion, Vuong Chinh Duc also built stone walls with holes and post for his men to guard day and night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"V\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/picture>
Gate into the inner courtyards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vuong Chinh Duc became rich from trading different good, especially opium. Sa Phin is the middle of the old Golden Triangle region of Myanmar, Yunnan, and Indochina. Duc also set up his own army unit of loyal Hmong people and equipped them with weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon enough, the Opium trade made him a very rich man, and he could get more men for his army. It took only a few years to control the whole Dong Van area. This made it easy to deal with his \u201cinternal rivals\u201d and his \u201cexternal enemies\u201d; the Qing Dynasty of China, the French, and the Japanese.

After the French\u2013Hmong Peace Treaty (1913), the political and financial power of Vuong Family had culminated. Vuong Chinh Duc started to build the Castle. (1919 -1928)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"V\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/picture>
Entrance to the middle courtyard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The castle is a combination of traditional Chinese and Hmong architecture. The material is from Yunnan and the local Vietnamese.
There are underground rooms to keep opium, weapons, and food. A semicircular swimming bath is chiseled from a giant block of stone. The King usually had his bath with goat milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"V\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/picture>
The center part<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The<\/picture>
The back of the compound<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Decorative<\/picture>
Guess how they made money?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Most construction workers were skillful Hmong craftsmen from China. The wooden parts were sophisticatedly engraved, which represented his wealth and prosperity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/picture>
The roof from above<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"View<\/picture>
View of the courtyard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Valley<\/picture>
The road into the valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"School<\/picture>
School kids on their way home<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Winding<\/picture>
Winding road into the valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Roofing\"<\/picture>
New house in the making<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain<\/picture>
At last it stayed dry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\"<\/picture>
Blue Sky – where are you :-(<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Last<\/picture>
Last green left on that hill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Valley<\/picture>
The road goes further down<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Picture<\/picture>
Picture Time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viet<\/picture>
Viet Ha Beer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Coca<\/picture>
Quite a different bottle!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Y\u00ean Minh<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the evening, it started to rain a bit. It was already dark when we arrived at Y\u00ean Minh. The city is quite small, so it was no problem to find our hotel in Y\u00ean Minh. The Cao Nguyen Guesthouse, Yen Minh is in the middle of the city. I recommend this hotel if you want to stay downtown Y\u00ean Minh! It was super clean, and the staff was friendly.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nh\u00e0 Ngh\u1ec9 Cao Nguy\u00ean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Cao<\/picture>
Our room at the Nh\u00e0 Ngh\u1ec9 Cao Nguy\u00ean<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bathroom<\/picture>
The bathroom at the Nh\u00e0 Ngh\u1ec9 Cao Nguy\u00ean<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Dentist<\/picture>
First to the Dentist or Hairdresser – Hmmmm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s drive:
We drove 106 kilometers in 6 hours, 17 minutes<\/g> with gas and food stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n