TAPHIN

population - approx. 3000

ethnic groups - red dao; black hmong; kinh

The small village of Taphin has become a popular spot for day trekkers. At the entrance to the village, tourist vans and buses park and are greeted by numerous Red Dao street sellers. The majority of visitors passing through Taphin make the short round-trip through the centre of the village to a cave at the other end of town (See map).

The town of Taphin is surrounded by small H’mong and Red Dao communes. The people who live in these communes are the soul of this small community. These groups have lived in this area for four hundred years and have sculpted the terraced landscapes and created irrigation routes for agriculture. They have planted the corn and forged the web of paths that get you to and from their homes and fields. Evidently, the people that live here have given life to this beautiful place.

For added information visit the Taphin community website, originally created for the village by Footprint Vietnam Travel.