In recent years, the two highland communes of Hang Kia and Pa Co (Mai Chau district) are no longer unfamiliar to those who love to experience and explore the Northwest region. The beautiful, pristine natural landscape and the unique cultural features of the Mong ethnic group are preserved almost intact, creating interesting discoveries for visitors.

The ancient plum gardens attract visitors to admire and take photos

About 150km from Hanoi, passing winding roads, visitors will set foot in Pa Co commune, and travel another 10km to Hang Kia commune. The weather is cool in summer, cold in winter and the indigenous culture is prominent. Looking down from above, the green of the mountains and forests is captured in the eye, with the Mong people's roofs appearing and disappearing in the misty space. The landscape here always inspires photographers who love to hunt for photos. From the winding small road with steep, narrow bends to the tea hills, stone fences, and bright yellow mustard flowers embracing the space in front of each porch. Going deep into the village, occasionally you will see Mong women diligently embroidering, children laughing and playing mischievously. Even the piles of firewood stacked in the middle of the yard, the thin smoke rising from the kitchen roof are enough to make visitors leave behind all the hustle and bustle to enjoy a different sense of peace.

This place has a very special cloud hunting spot, a trekking tour program with an old forest exploration journey, rich cultural experience activities, etc. In the middle of winter, plum and peach blossoms bloom early, visitors can freely check-in with grass, flowers, tea hills, plum gardens in Ta Xong A area, Ta Xo area, Thung A Lang. Along the roads connecting the hamlets and villages, do not miss the high points on the mountain which are ideal places to "hunt clouds". Those are the Heaven's Gate area, the Pa Khom area going to Thung Mai or on Sam Tha mountain, you can see Pu Luong peak (Thanh Hoa) and Pha Luong peak (Son La).

The trekking route with the journey to explore the mountains 

and forests attracts tourists.

The Mong people in Hang Kia - Pa Co always preserve a rich and unique culinary culture such as: corn wine, thang co, sticky rice cake, local chicken, sticky rice, wild bamboo shoots, etc. Traditional crafts that are closely associated with daily life such as: Hand weaving, brocade embroidery, indigo dyeing, beeswax painting, blacksmithing, making do paper, etc. are also respected and preserved by the people so that they do not disappear. When spring comes to the village, all the roads and mountain slopes are covered in the pure white color of apricot and plum blossoms, with the light pink color of ancient peach trees. The new spring is also the time when people are bustling to prepare for the Gau Tao Festival. Gau Tao Festival is the biggest and most important festival that opens the Tet holiday of the Mong people. Here, people enthusiastically participate in traditional folk games such as: Crossbow shooting, stick pushing, tu lu beating, panpipe dancing, etc. Visitors can experience how to make sticky rice cake. Mong girls and boys wear colorful traditional clothes and skirts to go to the festival; the joyful and bustling atmosphere brings out the vitality of the land and people here. 

Every Sunday, visitors will experience the Pa Co highland market. The market only meets once a week, on Sunday. This is also a place where the sounds of life and the cultural identity of the Mong people converge. To fully explore the market, many visitors have to spend the whole day, but there are a few destinations in the market that visitors can hardly miss, one is the place to exchange and buy agricultural products made by the people themselves, the other is the display area, introducing traditional products located at the end of the market. The products here are dresses, shirts, hats, scarves, meticulously and delicately handcrafted on the basis of woven fibers, raw linen, beeswax painting, etc. Currently, in the two communes of Hang Kia and Pa Co, there are typical homestays such as: A Pao Homestay, A De Homestay, Y Mua Homestay; A La Homestay; Y Sao Homestay. The homestays are designed with a strong Mong character, the facilities and service quality are highly appreciated by tourists. Households doing community tourism are actively linking tours, routes and building and perfecting local tourism products to enrich the experience, attracting more and more tourists.