Seo Lung, the last village in the northernmost part of Vietnam.
Not staying in the center of Dong Van with its many amenities, we chose to venture deep into the remote and underdeveloped northern border region, spending the night in Seo Lung village to better understand the lives of people in the northernmost part of the country.
Seo Lung is a small village in Lung Cu commune, located right at the foot of Lung Cu flagpole. This is where Lo Lo and H'Mong families have lived for many decades. Today, Seo Lung village does not exploit tourism. It is the last village in the northernmost region of the country, a place not many have the opportunity to visit. During the 1979 border war, 43 Hmong households from Seo Lung resolutely fought to protect their sovereignty and avoid annexation by China. Even now, they maintain their traditional customs, living simply and purely. The houses in Seo Lung reflect a fusion of Northern culture, with stone walls and baked tiles.
Choosing to stay in Lung Cu made traveling more challenging for us. It took about an hour to drive from the city center to Lung Cu and 10km hike, so all the distance of around 40 kilometers. We drove in and out several times each day. The deeper we ventured into the village, the foggier and more slippery the roads became, with unexpected curves and slopes appearing along the way.
We stayed in an ancient house belonging to the Lo Lo people. While most locals have moved to modern cement houses, these centuries-old homes are "offered" to visitors as a way to promote tourism. The rammed-earth houses are enclosed on three sides, with gates and fences made of hand-stacked stones. The front of the house is adorned with hanging corn and dried chili peppers, and the roof is covered with mossy tiles. These details showcase the primitive yet sturdy building techniques of the people from the rocky plateau. Using only natural materials like clay and loam, they create living spaces that remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
In late autumn, the air was chilly, and the bright yellow rows of mustard flowers and fields of blooming buckwheat flowers covered the village. We didn’t need to venture far—just walking around the village allowed us to enjoy the vibrant display of flowers. The children returning home from school saw us taking photos and laughed happily.
That day, as we followed the village children, lost in admiration of the flowers, we stumbled upon a peaceful, picturesque place. It was an old house with two plum trees full of fruit standing outside the gate and a garden of yellow rapeseed flowers blooming in the front yard. As dusk fell, the house lit up with Chinese-style lanterns, casting a warm and shimmering glow. It was a truly poetic and romantic scene!