Hà Giang province

Hà Giang is bordered by Cao Bằng, Tuyên Quang, Lào Cai, and Yên Bái provinces and has a common international border with China in the north. Hà Giang has many high rocky mountains, limestone formations and springs; the important mountains are the Cam and Mỏ Neo. The major rivers of the region are the Lô River (Hà Giang city is located on its left bank) and Miện River. It has impressive limestone and granite peaks and outcrops. It has three regions. Climatically, it has two seasons, dry and monsoon, dependent on the altitude of the region. The two northern Indochinese climatic zones on the border influence the climate in the northern part of the province. The lower areas in the province comprise low hills, the Lô River Valley and Hà Giang city. In Cao Bồ district, the dry season lasts from mid-September until the end of May, and the monsoon season lasts from the beginning of June until mid-September. However, in Du Già district the wet season sets in one month earlier. The average annual temperature in the provincial capital of Hà Giang is ; the monthly averages range from a low of in January to a high of in July. The annual rainfall in Hà Giang city is ; the monthly average varies from a low of in December to a high of in July. The average annual humidity level is 84%. Hà Giang has many mountains, including the two highest peaks, namely the Tây Côn Lĩnh () and the Kiều Liêu Ti (), and also has forests that provide lumber. It has about 1,000 species of herbal plants. The fauna includes tigers, peafowl, pheasants, and pangolin. Hà Giang city was heavily damaged during the 1979 war with China but has since been rebuilt. ==Vegetation==

Cultivated fields and livestock are generally found in elevations below . Between and , grasses and wood shrubs (with a maximum height of ) are recorded. Patches of forest with trees ( high and in diameter) are found above with the canopy covering around 80% of the sky. The forest has dense undergrowth with large vines, tree ferns and rhododendrons. Banana, bamboo and secondary scrub grow on both sides of foot tracks in the forests. The forest also has an abundance of cascading streams, seepage streams from limestone formations, waterfalls, glides, and pools. The stiff limestone vertical rock face is seen above on the northeast face of Mount Muong Cha, while its southwest slope exhibits a much gentler gradient, and is converted into agricultural fields. Above , there is a montane mixed semideciduous and evergreen cloud forest. This forest has an understory of Ericaceae with shrubs and epiphytic species of rhododendron and vaccinium. Species of Lauraceae, with Ericaceae and Oleaceae (at higher elevations with taxa in the Fagaceae, Primulaceae (formerly Myrsinaceae) and Araliaceae) are also recorded. Most of the tree trunks are covered with bryophyte mosses in this zone. ==Fauna==

16 reptile species (14 genera, five families) and 36 amphibian species (20 genera, seven families) have been recorded in the province. ==History==

Archaeological excavations carried out near Hà Giang city at Đồi Thông (Pine Hill) have established the region's antiquity to about 30,000 years ago. During the Bronze Age Tày Yu tribes with culturally rich traditions ruled over the region; archaeological findings in the form of bronze drums of that age used for ceremonial purposes are used even to the present day by the Lô Lô and Pu Péo tribes of the region (Mèo Vạc, Hà Giang province). Before 1975, Hà Giang comprised the districts of Đồng Văn, Vị Xuyên, Xín Mần, Yên Minh, Hoàng Su Phì, Bắc Quang, Thanh Thủy, and Quản Bạ. On November 18, 1983, Bắc Mê District was split from Vị Xuyên District; one commune from Xín Mần District was placed under Hoàng Su Phì District, two communes from Hoàng Su Phì District were placed under Xín Mần District, three communes from Bắc Quang District were placed under Xín Mần District, three communes from Bắc Quang District were placed under Hoàng Su Phì District, and one town and five communes from Bắc Quang District were placed under Vị Xuyên District. On August 12, 1991, Hà Tuyên Province was re-divided into Tuyên Quang Province and Hà Giang Province. Hà Giang Province comprised Hà Giang city, Bắc Mê District, Bắc Quang District, Đồng Văn District, Hoàng Su Phì District, Mèo Vạc District, Quản Bạ District, Vị Xuyên District, Xín Mần District, and Yên Minh District—a total of one town and nine districts. The provincial capital was Hà Giang Town. On December 1, 2003, Quang Bình District was split from Bắc Quang District, Hoàng Su Phì District, and Xín Mần District. On June 23, 2006, the communes of Phú Linh, Kim Sơn, and Kim Linh in Hà Giang Town were placed under the administration of Vị Xuyên District; part of Quang Trung Ward in Hà Giang Town was placed under the Phong Quang Commune of Vị Xuyên District. The communes of Phương Độ and Phương Thiện in Vị Xuyên District were placed under the administration of Hà Giang Town. On September 27, 2010, Hà Giang Town was upgraded to Hà Giang city. On June 12, 2025, Hà Giang Province and Tuyên Quang Province were merged to form a new Tuyên Quang Province. The former province was restructured into 2 wards. The province's name derived from the Sino-Vietnamese 河江. H'Mông lords of Sà Phìn The history of the Hmong lords of the northern region of the province, bordering China (Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc), is integral to the province, as the Hmong people have dominated the region from the late 18th century. The Vương family of the Huang clan established their rule at Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc, which was endorsed by the Nguyễn kings. During French colonial rule, the French further supported the lords in their hold on the border territory. Vương Chính Đức was recognized as the king of the Hmong in 1900. A palace was built between 1902 and 1903 at Sà Phìn (16 km west of Đồng Văn town). The lord's loyalty to the French was evident in the support that they got from him during their campaign to put down a rebellion launched by the local tribes. In recognition, the lord was given the rank of a general in the French Army (a fully uniformed picture of the lord is seen in the interior rooms of the palace). Increasing opposition by the Vietnamese to French rule saw the lord adopting a neutral stance. Vương Chú Sển, who succeeded his father after the latter's death in 1944, however, pledged support to Ho Chi Minh. The historical palace of the Vương lord was built in the traditional style of northeast Asian royal palaces. It has four double-storied wings, which are linked by three open courtyards. A moat surrounds the palace. Tombs of the royal family members, which are intricately carved in wood, are located outside the palace walls. Only the walls of the buildings are made of bricks, while the rest is made of wood. ==Administrative divisions==

Hà Giang was subdivided into 11 district-level sub-divisions: • 10 districts: • Bắc Mê • Bắc Quang • Đồng Văn • Hoàng Su Phì • Mèo Vạc • Quản Bạ • Quang Bình • Vị Xuyên • Xín Mần • Yên Minh • 1 provincial city: • Hà Giang (capital) They were further subdivided into 9 commune-level towns (or townlets), 181 communes, and 5 wards. Table of local government divisions ==Demographics==

According to the General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam, the population of Hà Giang province as of 2019 was 854,679 with a density of 110 people per km2 over a total land area of . It is one of the least populated provinces in the northern midlands and mountain areas of Vietnam. The male population during this period was 431,771 while the female population was 422,908. The rural population was 719,108 against an urban population of 135,571 (about 19% of the rural population). There are 43 ethnic groups in Hà Giang recognized by the Vietnamese government. Each ethnicity has their own language, traditions, and subculture. The largest ethnic groups are: Mông (34.25%), Tày (22.55%), Dao (14.88%), Vietnamese (12.32%), Nùng (9.53%), Giáy (2.03%), La Chí (1.62%). Others accounted for the remaining 2.82%. Languages spoken in Hà Giang province include the following. • Hmong-Mien languages • Hmong • Iu Mien • Kim Mun • Pa-Hng (Bắc Quang, Quang Bình) • Tai languages • Nùng • Tày • Giáy (Yên Minh, Đồng Văn) • Buyei (Quan Ba) • Kra languages • Red Gelao (Yên Minh) • White Gelao (Đồng Văn) • Green Gelao (Đồng Văn • Qabiao (Pupeo) (Đồng Văn) • Lachi (Hoàng Su Phì, Xín Mần, Bắc Quang) • Tibeto-Burman languages • Red Lolo (Mèo Vạc, Yên Minh) • Flowery Lolo (Mèo Vạc, Đồng Văn) • Yi (Lolo) (Mèo Vạc, Đồng Văn) ==Economy==

Hà Giang is a highly mountainous region, and travel around the province can be difficult. Much of the province is too mountainous for agriculture, leaving much of the land covered by forests. Hà Giang's central plateau is good for growing plums, peaches, and persimmons, which the province exports. Tea is also grown there. Of the national figure of 7,592 agriculture, forestry and fishery cooperatives, there are only 32 cooperatives in the province, of which 22 are agricultural and eight are fisheries. There are only 169 known farms in the province against the national number of 120,699. The output value of agriculture produce at constant 1994 prices in the province was 838.4 billion dongs against the national value of 156,681.9 billion dongs. The province produced 280,300 tonnes of cereals against the national production of 43.58 million tonnes. The per capita production of cereals in the district was 397.5 kg against the national figure of 501.8 kg in 2007. In 2007, the industrial output of the province was 526.1 billion dongs against the national output of 1,469,272.3 billion dongs. There is a recently established cement plant with a 300,000 tonne annual capacity. ==Attractions==

Quản Bạ Valley Quản Bạ Valley, located from Hà Giang city, at , is called the "Heaven's Gate" and has a TV transmitter on a peak. Uniformly shaped hills of the valley are viewed from this summit. Quản Bạ Pass provides views of Thach Nui Doi (literal meaning: double stalagmite, but also known as "Two Stone Breasts" in the valley below Mã Pí Lèng Mã Pí Lèng is a mountain pass at about which forms the basin boundary of the Nho Quế River on the border with China and is restricted zone. The market, held at Khâu Vai, which is about from Mèo Vạc, is where once a year on the 27th day of the third month of the Lunar calendar an event known famously as the Khâu Vai "Love Market" takes place. The ethnic clans of White H'Mông, Tày, and Lô Lô congregate here, particularly the young, in search of life partners or to exchange partners. The Lô Lô people who dominate the local village by the same name in particular come here in their colourful regale. Sà Phìn Sà Phìn is a small town in the remote Sà Phìn valley ( from the Chinese border) where H'Mông Lords ruled. The unique feature is of the large double-storied houses which are built in Chinese style made out of yellow bricks with Chinese style roofs. The twin white towered palace building is distinct among the 20 odd buildings. Khu nhà Dòng họ Vương The Vương family mansion is an architectural heritage landmark in Sà Phìn commune, Đồng Văn district that was listed by the government in 1993. At the start of the 20th century, Vương Chính Đức, a member of the H'Mông people, was appointed the Bang Tá and he had the family residence expanded into a mansion from where he worked. It is of a style that is rare in this mountainous region of northern Vietnam. The building was designed in the style of the later period of the Qing dynasty of China, and is grouped into three sections, the front, middle and rear. It comprises six lengthwise and four sideways buildings, two levels, 64 rooms and of land space. The building is surrounded by a stone wall, with a width of and a height of . The mansion is to the northwest of Hà Giang city and to the southwest of the district of Đồng Văn. Nho Quế River The Nho Quế River originates in Yunnan Province, China, and flows through Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc districts before joining the Gâm River. The river is known for the deep canyon it forms beneath the Mã Pí Lèng Pass, often described as one of the deepest river gorges in Southeast Asia. Boat tours along the river provide views of steep limestone cliffs and emerald-coloured waters, making it one of Hà Giang’s most photographed natural attractions. ==Festivals==

Hà Giang has many cultural festivals due to the presence of more than 20 ethnic minority groups. Many of these groups are noted for their artistic abilities, especially their weaving and hand-made textile products. The Spring Festival is celebrated by the H'Mông and Dao people, usually shortly after the Lunar New Year and lasts between three and seven days. The people celebrate with singing and feasting and drinking alcohol. The Buckwheat Flower Festival, organized to celebrate the blooming season of buckwheat flowers across the Dong Van Karst Plateau; and the Long Tong Festival, a traditional agricultural festival of the Tay people marking the beginning of a new farming season. ==References==