Stories - Tonkin Express

The Journey Unfolds

Some journeys are remembered not only for where they take you, but for what they reveal along the way.

From living heritage and timeless traditions to the people, places and moments that shape the journey, our stories invite you to look beyond the window and discover Vietnam in a different way.

San Lùng — The Spirit of the Dao in a Cup of Rice Wine

High in the mountains of Lào Cai Province, tucked among terraced fields and misty forests, lies San Lùng, a small village inhabited primarily by the Dao people. While...

The Healing Steam — Tea, Herbs, and the Wisdom of the Mountains

In the highlands of Tây Bắc, healing doesn’t come in pills or clinics — it comes from leaves, roots, and steam. The Dao people, especially the Red Dao,...

A Lunar New Year Above the Clouds

Tết in the lowlands is fireworks and flowers. But Tết in the mountains is something else — a quieter, older celebration where snow dusts the bamboo, and joy...

Crafting Memory — Lanh, Dó, and the Art of Doing Things Slowly

In Tây Bắc, craft is not a hobby — it’s a heritage. From flax fields to fabric, the H’Mông lanh-dyeing process is a meditation in patience. The plant...

Fansipan — The Sacred Peak of the Indochina Sky

They call it the “Roof of Indochina.” And rightly so. Mount Fansipan, at 3,143 meters, is not just Vietnam’s highest peak — it’s a pilgrimage, a rite of...

When the Rice Turns Gold — The Breath of Autumn in Y Tý

Come September, the mountains of Y Tý glow as if lit from within, a sight that will leave you awe-inspired and amazed. Terraced rice paddies — carved like...

Dao & H’Mông — The Patterns That Speak

In every embroidered skirt, there is a story. The H’Mông stitch by hand — not for fashion, but for memory. Their textiles speak in indigo and red, in...

Highland Cuisine — A Fire, A Family, A Meal

Tây Bắc cuisine is not about garnish — it’s about gathering. Meals are built on firewood, mountain herbs, and hands that know the land. Warm your chest with...