Discover Cat Cat Village: Wild Beauty And Unique Culture In Lao Cai
1. Overview:
Cat Cat Village is located at the foot of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, formed in the mid-19th century, and used to be a resort for the French when they discovered the majestic beauty here. The village stands out with its poetic natural landscape, including waterfalls, terraced fields, and long valleys.
Not only attractive for the scenery, Cat Cat is also a place to preserve the traditional culture of the H’Mong people with wooden house architecture, brocade weaving, weaving, and many unique handicraft activities. This is the ideal destination to fully experience the harmony between nature and culture of the Northwest highlands.
2. Where is Cat Cat Village? Cat Cat Village Ticket Price and Opening Hours
Cat Cat Village is located in a beautiful valley, only about 2 km from the center of Sapa town (now Sapa ward). The road to the village is steep but very beautiful, especially if you choose to walk. On the way, you can see the panoramic view of the Northwest mountains and the majestic Hoang Lien Son range.
- Address: Cat Cat Village, Ta Van Commune, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam.
- Opening hours: 5:00–22:00 daily.
- Weekly performing arts time: Currently, there are performing arts sessions in the village, including Session 1: 09:00–09:40; Session 2: 10:00–10:40; Session 3: 11:00–11:40; Session 4: 14:00–14:40; Shift 5: 3:00 p.m.–3:40p.m.; Shift 6: 16:00–16:40; and Shift 7: 5:00 p.m.–5:40 p.m.
- Reference entrance ticket price (ticket price includes H’Mong village performance):
Adult: 5.68 USD/ticket.
Children from 1 m to 1.4 m: 2.65 USD/ticket.
Children under 1 m: Free.
H’Mong ethnic costume rental: 3.79-5.68 USD/set.
- Note: Ticket price and opening hours may change depending on the time; please contact the Cat Cat village management board via hotline (+84) 088.638.1188 for the latest information.
3. Discover the Wild Beauty of Cat Cat Village.
3.1. Tien Sa Waterfall—A Stunning Natural Picture
Located right in the village, Tien Sa Waterfall stands out with its white water flowing down from above, surrounded by cool green forests. This is an attractive check-in spot, especially in the rainy season when the waterfall is even more majestic.
The wild beauty of Tien Sa Waterfall in the sand village in the middle of Sapa mountains and forests. (Source: internet).
3.2. Terraced Fields and Flower Road
Cat Cat is famous for its terraced fields stretching along the mountainside. In the ripe rice season, the whole village seems to be covered in a brilliant yellow coat. In addition, visitors can also admire the colorful flower road and the wooden bridge across the poetic stream.
3.3. Admire the giant water wheel
The giant water wheels in the village are made of bamboo, using water power to pound rice. Besides the main purpose, the water wheels in Cat Cat village are also an interesting place for visitors to explore. Visitors to this village should not miss the opportunity to see the rotating water wheels and listen to the creaking and gurgling sounds, which are the harmony between the local people and nature.
Traditional water wheel in the middle of golden rice fields in Cat Cat village – a unique highlight in the Northwest mountainous landscape. (Source: internet)
3.4. Explore Mi’s House and A Phu’s House in Cat Cat Village
When coming to Cat Cat village, visitors cannot miss Mi’s House and A Phu’s House, the setting in the movie “A Phu’s Wife,” adapted from the work of writer To Hoai. The house has traditional H’Mong architecture with wooden walls and a yin-yang tiled roof, evoking the rustic scenery of the Northwest mountains and forests.
Today, this place has become a famous check-in spot. Visitors can step into the house, admire ancient objects, learn about H’Mong life, and fully feel the simple, close atmosphere of the highlands.
4. Unique Culture of the Hmong People in Cat Cat
4.1. Traditional Houses of the Hmong People
The Hmong people still maintain their traditional architecture with rammed earth houses and thatched roofs (“nhà gỗ trình tường”). With typical rammed earth houses made of po mu wood, built according to the terrain of the mountainside, showing the connection between people and nature. This is a highlight in traditional Hmong architecture that visitors can hardly ignore.
The simple houses in Cat Cat village have the traditional architecture of the H’Mong people. (Source: internet)
4.2. Learn about traditional brocade weaving
Cat Cat Village is famous for its traditional brocade weaving. Visitors can admire the colorful, intricately patterned fabrics woven entirely by hand from hemp and indigo dye.
This is a typical technique of the Hmong people, passed down through many generations. Not only can you observe, but you can also buy handmade products as souvenirs and chat with the artisans to learn more about the culture and life here.
4.3. Folk Art Performance
At Cat Cat Village, visitors can enjoy traditional dance and music of the Hmong people through special performances such as the Khen dance, love songs (“hát giao duyên”), or the melodious tunes of the Hmong flute. In addition to watching performances, you can also participate in folk games such as bamboo dancing (“nhảy sạp”), bringing a vivid and intimate Hmong cultural experience.
Tourists experience the traditional bamboo jumping game at Cat Cat village. (Source: internet)
4.4. Experience wearing ethnic costumes
Wearing traditional Hmong costumes is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture. The colorful brocade skirts, silver jewelry, and embroidered headscarves will transform visitors into locals. Along the road leading to the village, you will find many shops that rent traditional Hmong costumes, with prices ranging from about 1.6 to 8 USD per set.
Many shops in Cat Cat village offer rental services for traditional H’Mong costumes. (Source: internet)
4.5. Experience beeswax painting on linen in Cat Cat village.
A unique feature of the handicraft in Cat Cat village is the technique of beeswax painting on linen. The Hmong people melt beeswax and use bamboo or wooden pens to draw delicate floral and geometric patterns on the fabric. After dyeing and drying, the wax layer peels off to reveal colorful, artistic patterns.
Visitors can also experience beeswax painting directly. Creating a waterproof wax painting by yourself is both interesting and meaningful, and you can bring your product home as a souvenir, as a part of Hmong culture to keep with the trip.
Preserving the soul of the beeswax painting art of the H’Mong people in Cat Cat village. (Source: internet)
4.6. Attend the Gau Tao festival, a typical festival of Cat Cat village
If you come to Cat Cat village at the beginning of the year, do not miss the opportunity to participate in the Gau Tao festival. The Gau Tao festival (or Sai San festival) is an important event of the H’Mong community in Cat Cat village, usually taking place from the 1st to the 15th of the first lunar month.
This is an important festival of the Mong people and is also one of the most famous and biggest festivals in Sa Pa in the year. The festival is held to pray for the villagers’ luck and fortune, deeply reflecting the spiritual and cultural life of the community.
5. Enjoying Highland Cuisine
Coming to Cat Cat village, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy famous Sa Pa specialties such as thang co, chestnut cake, smoked buffalo meat, five-color sticky rice, grilled armpit pig, grilled chicken with honey, corn wine, etc. The cuisine here is not only delicious but also has a strong flavor of the mountains and forests.
The unique flavor of buffalo jerky – Lao Cai specialty. (Source: internet)
6. Cat Cat Village Travel Experience
6.1. Best Time to Visit Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village has a cool climate all year round, and each season has its own beauty.
- Spring (February-April) is filled with peach and apricot blossoms and many traditional festivals such as Long Tong and Gau Tao.
- Summer (May-August) has fresh air, highlighted by fields of yellow rapeseed flowers.
- Autumn (September-October) is the most ideal time when the terraced fields are dyed yellow by the ripe rice season.
- In winter (November-January), the village is covered in mist, sometimes covered in snow, creating a magical scene.
No matter the season, Cat Cat Village offers a memorable experience. The best time to visit is in the afternoon from 3:00 PM onwards, when the sun is mild and the road is dry. Especially if you come in the ripe rice season, you will admire the golden terraced fields—a wonderful natural picture to check in and keep memories.
6.2. How to get to Cat Cat village from Sapa?
From the center of Sa Pa ward, traveling to Cat Cat village is quite easy because it is only about 2 km away. Visitors can choose many forms of transportation depending on their needs:
- Trekking: The walking journey takes about 30-45 minutes and is suitable for those who like to explore and exercise. On the way, you will admire the fresh mountain scenery, waterfalls, and wooden houses of the H’Mong people.
- Motorbike: Renting a motorbike for around 4–6.5 USD/day gives you the freedom and opportunity to explore more destinations around Sa Pa.
- Taxi: Popular, fast transport with a price of around 3.5–5 USD/trip from the center to the village gate.
Once you arrive, there are two main entrances to the village. At Gate 1, you can buy an entrance ticket and start walking down to the village. Or you can go to Gate 2, where you can also buy a ticket and choose to take the electric car to the village center for a fee of 0.38 USD/person/trip. Both gates have convenient parking for self-driving guests.
Experience traveling by motorbike to visit Cat Cat village, Sa Pa. (Source: internet)
6.3. Things to note when visiting Cat Cat village
When visiting Cat Cat village, to have a complete and safe trip, you need to note some important things below:
Suitable clothing: Wear comfortable clothes, and wear sneakers to easily move on mountainous terrain and visit check-in points.
Bring water and snacks: The road to explore the village is quite long; you should bring water and snacks to keep your energy.
Respect local culture: When visiting, respect the living space of local people; do not make noise or trespass into people’s houses if not invited.
Protect the environment: Maintain public hygiene, do not litter to protect the natural landscape, etc.
7. Conclusion
Cat Cat Village is a must-see destination when traveling to Sa Pa. If you are looking for a complete journey, let Asia Luxury Travel accompany you. With professional service, flexible tour design, and high-class experience, we will bring you the most memorable trip to Sa Pa.
8. Contact :
Phone: +84 965 721 426
Email: sales@asialuxurytravels.com
Website: https://asialuxurytravels.com/
Address: No. 9, Alley 31/7, Phan Dinh Giot Street, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi
