Life of people living in the highland

Row upon row of mountains, fluffy white clouds, golden rice fields, those are beautiful creatures that nature grants to the Northwest highlands of the country. The grandiose allurement of the landscape commingles with unsophisticated and modest inhabitants generating a spectacular oil painting with poetic beauty. Is it kindling your curiosity on how the difference of people living in the highlands compare to towns?

Daily activity 

Residing on the high cordillera, alongside crisp rivers, compatriots on highlands doing agricultural cultivation follow the terraced field framework. These paddy fields result from the industriousness, creativity, and collectiveness of farmers in the Northwest area. The “barefoot artists” from the highlands cultivate all the affluent terraced fields using simple and primitive tools. The people from the Northwest not only adapt the mountainous terrain to agricultural production but also contribute to the development of cultural tourism in the region. The terraced crop imbricates each other on the flank and makes the striking beauty of the Northwest area. On this mountainous land, instead of skyscraper buildings, there are plenty of profuse terraced fields with the ripe yellow color of rice paddy waiting to be harvested.

Accommodation 

With the topography of immense mountains and pastures, the construction of houses, buildings, and apartments like in the urban areas is rarely erected in remote areas. As a substitute for that, the locals use stilt houses as the most common type of accommodation. Stilt houses are built mostly from wood, bamboo, rattan and roofs are formed from thatch. These are materials that can be easily found in the wood in the living area of highland ethnic people. The house is used for inhabiting residence, under the floor which was built higher a few meters from the ground is used for cattle and poultry husbandry. The reason why stilt house is opted in the upland is because from a long time ago, when human was not living in this area, this was the home of wild animals like tigers, bears, wolves, snakes, etc. so the denizen decided to build the house higher from the ground to avoid the penetration of the beast. Besides that, living in the woods causes many inconveniences such as diluvial rain, spate, and gusts of wind, making a massive impact on houses, harvested colored flowers and plants.

Clothes and costumes 

With people on the upland, their priority in clothes is being warmed. Thereby, they have a lot of ethnic costumes with many colors and eye-catching patterns sewn on the brocade fabric. Their traditional clothes are abundant, because every area has many ethnic groups living together. Based on each ethnicity, they have different kinds of costumes, different types of cultures, customs, traditions and notions of beauty. Their clothes also have different forms, colors, and designs originating the outstanding and diverse charm of the ethnic group. The rustic and homespun women wearing costumes with patent, colorful patterns just like the clothes are praising them, making them prettier and more glamorous. Needless to say, they also wear accessories like bandanas, necklaces, bracelets, colorful socks, belts, and many others that are simple yet stunning. The special thing is the art of forming clothes, neatness, and serenity, acclaiming the elegance and gracefulness of highland women. Come to visit the upland’s festivals which are the place for boys and girls to deck out in exquisite clothes to make them more attractive and unique.

Local fair and marketplace 

From brocades, clothes, fine arts, utensils, and manufacturing tools to traditional food like “thang co”, black rice sticky rice, grilled food, etc., they are all being sold at the local marketplace as a cultural activity of Northwest people. With city people, holding a market is simply just stalls selling many goods in an area to trade, buy, and sell necessities, clothes, shoes, etc. But with people from remote areas, these marketplaces are also considered as a place to exchange and know more about each other between men and women. Every fair is a happy, restless expectation for everyone. Grandmothers, mothers and sisters are rushing to prepare commodities. On the other side, guys are playing a khene melody with a dreamy, immeasurable high whistle. From the far, everyone can see the girls with peachy cheeks are chattering, whispering a love song romantically and velvety.

The life of the locals in the upland Northwest of Vietnam is very different from the life of people in the city. Maybe there are some limitations and difficulties but their lives are always surrounded by laughter from the people around them gathering together. The happiness from festivals, fairs marketplaces and cultural lives makes them never feel bored and uninspiring, in contrast, it is always boisterous and energetic.