{"id":120,"date":"2025-01-25T07:25:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T06:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travel.thatmanmatt.com\/?p=120"},"modified":"2025-01-27T14:06:44","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T13:06:44","slug":"day-5-ha-giang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travel.thatmanmatt.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/25\/day-5-ha-giang\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 5: Ha Giang"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Spoiler alert, I\u2019m writing this on day 6, after <\/em>already crafting a whiny day 6 post, so here will just be the fun stuff). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

T\u1ebft essentials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To properly prepare for T\u1ebft, you need at least three things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A tree in blossom (peach, in the north).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Kumquats.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A spinny, flashy, LED lantern. Seriously, these things are everywhere<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ha Giang has a neat little museum documenting the many indigenous cultures that make up the region. Most of the exhibits are in Vietnamese and English, but the first series of photos were not so I did a lot of phone translating, sometimes with less than stellar results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That\u2019s a lot of worshipping. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I especially liked the grass ghosts who will worship ancestors or the recently departed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And though I initially read the heading incorrectly, I am all for the idea of my wedding involving 50kg of wine, masses of rice and cold hard cash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Suffice to say though, that Ha Giang is not the prettiest city you\u2019ll ever visit, especially when shrouded in cloud (a topic for that day 6 post\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridge over the L\u00f4 river. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The river itself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Parade ground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vietnamese and communist flags against a mountain backdrop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Communications tower.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Unfinished hotel or apartment complex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Another bridge, another mountain, more clouds. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n