Mẩy Phược – Dao Do girl is preparing herbal bath water for tourists

About 12 km away from Sa Pa town, Ta Phin village is an attractive tourist destination. The landscape here still retains the wild, peaceful and unique cultural identity of Dao Do people. The road to Ta Phin village follows the ridge, winding around terraced fields. Arriving at Ta Phin, tourists will see the Dao women and girls sitting in groups, wearing red scarves and doing brocade embroideries at the yard. You are greeted by friendly and hospitable smiles of the local people here. The feeling is wonderful with cool air and scent of plants.

After a day of visiting and exploring scenery here, it will be extremely relaxing when you are immersed in pine wood emitting aroma of 12 types of herbal leaves. Bathing Dao Do herbal leaves will be a very “enjoyable” experience, making you dispel fatigue.

View of herbal bath zone of  Dao  Do people in Ta Phin

Herbal bath liquid of Dao Do people in Ta Phin village has a variety of leaves from 10 to more than 100 different types, depending on the use. Fresh or dried medicinal plants after washing, chopped, put into a large pot and boil. When the smoke rises, the color of herbal bath liquid darken like puce color will be mixed with cool water to allow visitors to drop in. The body seemed to be lightly floating in thin smoke, white foam floated on the surface of pine wood barrel water, smell of essential oils of 12 aromatic leaves spread throughout the space. View from herbal bathroom window overlooking distance is a poetic setting with clouds of clear mountains and newly planted green rice terraces.

Herbal leaves bathing recipe of Dao Do people have many uses. Ms. Tẩn Tả Mẩy, Ta Chai village, Ta Phin commune said that precious remedies of Dao Do Sa Pa family help treat rheumatism, arthralgia, muscle fatigue, sciatica, cold, skin diseases, or to recover for hard laborer. In particular, women bathing this herbal shower liquid will have smooth skin, blood circulation.

Acquiring his father's esoteric remedy about effects of each leaf on the forest, today, the Dao Do people are developing that knowledge to create a unique product – Herbal shower liquid of Daopeople to serve tourists, develop local tourism.

Ms. Phan Hoa - a tourist from Hanoi said: “Every year my whole family goes to Ta Phin village to bathe with herbal leaves. It has been 5-6 years until now. Everyone loves bathing here because it has fresh, very fragrant herbal leaves, the bathroom has a beautiful view, extremely relaxing. After bathing, feeling likes getting drunk, but then I felt refreshed, relieved and healthier.”

Herbal bath products at Ta Phin not only bring a sense of meaningful experience for visitors but also help the local Dao Do gradually get out of poverty, have a stable job. The Dao Do now not only go to the forest to collect herbal leaves, but also actively plant medicinal plants around their houses, on hillsides and mountains./.