Weekend Escape – Huu Lien, Lang Son

How to get there?

Located in Huu Lung district, Lang Son province, Huu Lien is  good place for the weekend escape from Hanoi. It is just 130 km from Hanoi and takes about two-and-a-half-hour drive to get there via National Highway 1A.

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What to see in Huu Lien?

Huu Lien has 5 communities: Coc village, Ben Village, Ao Bai, Ba Leng, Lan Dat.
Stay at the long house of local and try the fresh local food is recommended when you visit Huu Lien

Huu Lien is national natural reservation with spectacular mountain ranges and the diversity of 8 ethnic hill tribe’s people.
A short track to Dong Lam (3km from Huu Lien) attracts of lot local people to visit.
Dong Lam is green and nice in dry season with pretty grass field, mountains ranges, wildflowers, and hose farm. In the rainy season, the whole area of Dong Lam is submerged in water. Tourists can comfortably sail the lake to admire the mountain scenery in the wild natural space.

Surrounding the meadow is series of limestone mountain that glide down into the clear green stream. The softness of the water, the consistency of the stone and the vastness of the pasture bring tourists back to the natural source. Dong Lam can be considered as a great highlight; the spot cannot be ignored when tourists come to Huu Lien.

Huu Lien has much offer for tourists who like to explore nature. Just 30 km from National Highway 1A, Huu Lien National Nature Reservation is more than 10 thousand hectares with many rare and precious trees such as Hoang Dan, Thien Tue, One-leaf Tree. Various species of animals listed in the red list such as Deer, Python or Langur are living in special-use forests. It can be said that Huu Lien special-use forest is a green lung for the Northeast, has a high reserve of natural resources and biodiversity, which is an attractive spot for scientific research as well as ecotourism.

Unique and interesting cultures

With over 3000 people living in, mostly are ethnic minorities such as Tay, Nung, Dao, Hmong, Huu Lien certainly gives the tourists the chance to see and experience to live in interesting different cultures of the locals.

Visiting to Huu Lien, tourists will experience the stilt house culture of friendly and hospitable mountainous ethnic people. Stilt houses having 4 roofs with yin and yang tiles are hidden in the green of mountains and fruit trees, creating a typical landscape of the northern mountainous region.

Most of the stilt house there has its back leaning on the mountain, its face facing the field creates a feeling of calmness and airiness and elegance. Between a mountainous area, far from the national highway, and unfavourable transportation, Huu Lien is home of 8 ethnic tribes.

If coming to Huu Lien, tourists will be warmly welcomed by people there with many interesting local specialties. The homestay resorts are also clean, well-equipped with unique dishes such as corn wine handmade from the red yeast of Dao people, sticky rice of all colours from leaves, roasted pigs, roasted duck, baked rolls. Especially, tourists can enjoy many dishes made from the ingredients from the streams of Huu Lien such as stream snails, grilled fish and wild vegetables. Moreover, tourists can bath in fragrant leaf water, the Dao’s medicinal article makes all tiredness in the day dissolve.

I. Itinerary suggestions

 1. Hanoi – Huu Lien (2D1N)

– Day 1:

Morning: – Depart from Hanoi. Arrive at Huu Lien after 2.5 hour driving.

– Check in and take a rest at homestay

– Lunch break

Afternoon: – Soft trek

– Free to relax or meet local people

Meal: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Nung Long House

–  Day 2:

Morning: – Free time to visit Dong Lam Grassland/ Nation Natural Reservation

– Come back to Hanoi.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: N/A

2. Hanoi – Huu Lien – Binh Gia – Bac Son – Hanoi (3D2N)

–  Day 1: Hanoi – Huu Lien

Morning: – Depart from Hanoi. Arrive at Huu Lien after 2.5 hour driving.

– Check in and take a rest at homestay

– Lunch break

Afternoon: – Soft trek at Dong Lam Grassland/ Nation Natural Reservation

– Free to relax or meet local people

Meal: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Nung Long House

 – Day 2: Huu Lien – Binh Gia – Dang Mo waterfalls – Bac Son

Morning: –  Have Breakfast

–  Check out and move to Binh Gia

–  Visit Dang Mo waterfalls

–  Lunch break

Afternoon: – Leisure bike to Quynh Son village – home of Tay people.

– Free to relax

Evening: Music show of Tay people in the weekend

Meals: Home Hosted Dinner.

Accommodation: Long House of Tay tribe in Quynh Son village – Bac Son Valley.

–  Day 3: Bac Son – Na Lay Peak – Mo Mam Cave – Hanoi

Morning: – Have local breakfast

–  Soft trek from village to Na Lay Mountain

–  Lunch break

Afternoon: – Drive to “Mo Mam” spring and discover “Keeng Tao” Cave

– Back to Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: N/A.