If you are looking for a place to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, head into the highlands to Xa Phin, a Dao ethnic village nestled beneath the Tay Con Linh mountain range in Thanh Thuy Commune. At an altitude of more than 1,000 meters, the stilt houses, roofed with palm leaves and blanketed in lush green moss, appear as though they have stepped out of a fairy tale. Adding to the village’s promise is the emerging “Tra Peng” tea brand, which is beginning to take root here.

Ant’s egg rice cakes are a specialty of the Tay ethnic group in Tuyen Quang province.