Discovering Smiles in Sapa, Vietnam!

Rice terraces for days in Sapa, Vietnam

Rice Terraces of Sapa, Vietnam

April 16th 2018: Looking for a reason to smile? Then Sapa, Vietnam is a must visit destination. Located in northwest Vietnam near the China/ Vietnamese border, Sapa has some of the most stunning rice terrace landscapes in the world.

In 1990, more tourists began to go to Sapa, and in 2006, tourism in Sapa started to stimulate the community, leading to a better lifestyle for everyone. After tourism picked up, the government built more schools, allowing children to have a better future. Jobs consisted of being guides, working at hotels, working for the government, or studying to be a Doctor to name a few. After tourism, 90% of women know English now, and are guides, have more knowledge to grow more crops, host homestays, and sell fruit in the market to make a living.

With the first stop on the Global Smile Movement's SE Asia journey, we look into what makes the people around Sapa smile.

Meet Lang Giang.

Lang is part of the Black H'Mong Indigenous tribe,

What makes Lang SMILE?

1) Helping family (180 cousins!) and her community. Lang and her husband Dzuong started a local farm stay to add jobs to the community and grow fruit which workers can then sell

2) Spending time with 5 year old son,

3) Being a tour guide (via her family trekking company Real Sapa (http://www.realsapa.com) as she is able to encounter new people/ cultures while able to learn additional English

Meet Dzuong.

Dzoung is Lang's husband and is a part of the Muong Tribe

What makes Dzuong SMILE?

1) Having a Farm Stay and growing oranges, lemons, guava, pomelo. Only Dzuong’s family has the knowledge to grow these fruits in his community, as his family has experience growing fruits working on a government farm in Hanoi. Dzuong enjoys all fruit especially watermelon!

2) Dzuong, and all other natives around Sapa smile when they get a good crop/ food yield. This leads to plenty of food and stimulation for their local economy. Even though rice farming is hard work, it translates into a great deal of happiness if good crops result with good weather

3) Making family happy, people in the community happy

4) Higher Education for the new generation. Higher education is a newer concept for the indigenous people of Sapa, and the community is very happy with the progression of the younger generation with learning more and more

5) Simple Lifestyle with enough jobs for family makes them smiles

Meet Mimi! One of the friendliest locals you will find!

Mimi is Lang's mother and is part of the Black H'Mong Indigenous tribe.

What makes Mimi SMILE?

1) Mimi Loves talking to tourists that stay at her homestay

2) Enjoys drinking Rice ("Happy") water with them

3) Teaching Tourists workshops in her Indigo Cat craft shop

Meet Giang!

Giang is Lang's father and is part of the Black H'Mong Indigenous tribe.

What makes Giang SMILE?

1) Watching grandchildren makes him happy, enjoys cooking (pork, water buffalo

2) Hanging out with friends (and drinking rice wine)

3) smoking tobacco from his bamboo pipe

4) Watching his children get a better life

The people of Sapa are happy with the simple lifestyle of making enough to support their family and community, and a lot can be learned from the friendly people of Sapa!