[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
In Vietnam’s northern highlands, replete with breathtaking scenery, one commune offers something extra special: a chance to commune directly with the clouds and get close to the stars.
Around 200km west of Hanoi, the commune, named after a mountain that it hosts, is an emerging tourism hotspot for good reason.
Ta Xua carries some French imprints in the manner of famous northern Vietnam destinations like Sa Pa, Tam Dao and Mau Son.
Ta Xua, nestling as it does in a 2,800m high mountain range in Son La Province, is no ordinary escape from the urban smog, dust and noise. While it takes some getting to on the road from Bac Yen that seems to spiral endlessly, a heady ending awaits.
The sight of clouds gliding across rice fields on arrival in Ta Xua during the day sets the tone for the euphoric experiences for the intrepid visitor. Arriving after the sun has set and it has gotten dark, twinkling stars line up to greet you.
As a perfect antidote to a somewhat long and tiring journey, the visitor can rest by a warm fire in a cozy, traditional H’mong home and savor typical local dishes like black chicken, pickled bamboo shoots with chilli and beef jerky smoked over the fire for more than two months. These delights can be washed down with the specialty tea of the area, Shan Thuyet (which you can take home for about VND2 million a kilo).
Enhancing the warm glow is the natural hospitality of the ethnic minority people who live in the commune. Mac Truong Giang, who runs a homestay business in Ta Xua, says: “The reason why I feel it’s a great place is that the people here are very friendly with especially lovely children. The community’s particular characteristics add to the attraction.”
October to April is considered the best time to take in the extraordinarily heady sight of a sea of clouds within touching distance. Such experiences, including opportunities to catch up close glimpses of the Milky Way, keep luring visitors back.
These incredible sensations are the commune’s USP and it would be wise for people to visit this place sooner rather than later, before it becomes a tourist hotspot that it is inevitably heading towards.
Dao Truong, who works in the local hospitality industry, said the commune’s tourism popularity was rising because of “very good online marketing” and the “short distance from Hanoi. Now, Ta Xua is often overloaded because there are not enough rooms for tourists.
Despite its growing popularity, tourism activities and facilities are still limited in the region, which experiences frequent power shortages on the weekends when establishments are filled with customers using multiple sources of electricity.
But, when one is sitting around a fire and looking up at the dazzling night sky with old and new friends, electricity loses some of its shine.
Truong said: “With its natural advantages, tourism development is happening in the right direction. Ta Xua will develop even more strongly in the future. It is even attracting people from other places looking for career opportunities.”
Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/places/ta-xua-where-you-can-sit-on-cloud-nine-actually-4401757.html WORD BANK: replete with /rɪˈpliːt/ (adj): đầy gì đó breathtaking /ˈbreθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/ [B2] (adj): ngoạn mục commune /ˈkɒm.juːn/ (n): xã commune with sth /ˈkɒm.juːn/ (v – formal): đến gần với cái gì emerging /ɪˈmɜː.dʒɪŋ/ (adj): mới nổi hotspot /ˈhɒt.spɒt/ (n): điểm nóng for good reason (expression): có lý do chính đáng imprint /ɪmˈprɪnt/ (n): dấu ấn nestle /ˈnes.əl/ (v): nép mình a no ordinary escape from sth (expression): một cách tuyệt vời / mới mẻ để thoát khỏi cái gì spiral /ˈspaɪə.rəl/ (adj): xoắn ốc heady /ˈhed.i/ (adj): hấp dẫn await /əˈweɪt/ (v – formal): chờ đợi glide /ɡlaɪd/ (v): lướt đi euphoric /juːˈfɔː.ri.ə/ (adj): hưng phấn intrepid /ɪnˈtrep.ɪd/ (adj): gan dạ twinkling /ˈtwɪŋ.kəl.ɪŋ/ (adj): lấp lánh antidote /ˈæn.ti.dəʊt/ (n): liều thuốc giải độc cozy /ˈkəʊ.zi/ (adj): ấm cúng savor /ˈseɪ.vɚ/ (v): thưởng thức pickled /ˈpɪk.əld/ (adj): muối (món ăn) bamboo shoot (n): măng tre beef jerky (n): thịt bò khô wash down sth (v): rửa trôi glow /ɡləʊ/ (n): cảm xúc tích cực hospitality /ˌhɒs.pɪˈtæl.ə.ti/ [C1] (n): lòng hiếu khách ethnic /ˈeθ.nɪk/ [C1] (adj): dân tộc take in sth (v): chiêm ngưỡng cái gì glimpse /ɡlɪmps/ (n): cái nhìn thoáng qua the Milky Way (n): Dải Ngân hà lure /lʊər/ [C2] (v): thu hút incredible /ɪnˈkred.ə.bəl/ [B2] (adj): đáng kinh ngạc sensation /senˈseɪ.ʃən/ [B2] (n): cảm xúc USP (Unique Selling Proportion): lợi thế bán hàng độc đáo inevitably /ɪˈnev.ɪ.tə.bəl/ [C1] (adv): chắc chắn, không thể tránh khỏi hospitality /ˌhɒs.pɪˈtæl.ə.ti/ [C1] (n): ngành khách sạn power shortage /ˈʃɔː.tɪdʒ/ [B2] (n): thiếu điện establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/ [C1] (n): cơ sở dazzling /ˈdæz.əl.ɪŋ/ [C2] (adj): rực rỡ ỦNG HỘ READ TO LEAD! Chào bạn! Có thể bạn chưa biết, Read to Lead là một trang giáo dục phi lợi nhuận với mục đích góp phần phát triển cộng đồng người học tiếng Anh tại Việt Nam. Chúng tôi không yêu cầu người đọc phải trả bất kỳ chi phí nào để sử dụng các sản phẩm của mình để mọi người đều có cơ hội học tập tốt hơn. Tuy nhiên, nếu bạn có thể, chúng tôi mong nhận được sự hỗ trợ tài chính từ bạn để duy trì hoạt động của trang và phát triển các sản phẩm mới. Bạn có thể ủng hộ chúng tôi qua 1 trong 2 cách dưới đây.
– Cách 1: Chuyển tiền qua tài khoản Momo.
Số điện thoại 0947.886.865 (Chủ tài khoản: Nguyễn Tiến Trung)
Nội dung chuyển tiền: Ủng hộ Read to Lead
hoặc
– Cách 2: Chuyển tiền qua tài khoản ngân hàng.
Ngân hàng VIB chi nhánh Hải Phòng
Số tài khoản: 012704060048394 (Chủ tài khoản: Nguyễn Tiến Trung)
Nội dung chuyển tiền: Ủng hộ Read to Lead
