Decoding the mystery of the "hell village" Sao Ha

Mystery from movie to real life

Since the project was announced before airing, “Tet in Hell Village” has created a stir because it is a historical horror TV series adapted from the novel of the same name by writer Thao Trang. The film is currently in the top 1 on Netflix and is directed by Tran Huu Tan and produced by Hoang Quan.

There is no denying the appeal of “Tet in the Hell Village” when it rose to become the work leading in online views. The film attracted audiences with its horror and creepy script about a mysterious, unnamed village that was designated as “hell”, a place of refuge for descendants of a notorious gang of robbers. Due to the crimes of their ancestors in the past, the villagers encountered strange things that happened right on the occasion of Lunar New Year.

In particular, one of the factors that made the film successful and impressed viewers was the setting. The scenes in the film took place in Sao Ha village (Ha Giang), which retains its pristine, rustic beauty from the village roads to the houses. A village described as "three no's", no electricity, no water, no phone signal, but desolate and depressed, consistent with the story mentioned in the film. The film's setting, with the characteristics of a Northeastern mountainous region, is similar to the novel: the village appears hazy in the fog, like a long-abandoned ruin.

Besides the fascinating details of the film, perhaps many viewers are curious and want to explore the filming location of the mysterious and ghostly footage. Above all, this location is also one of the places described as "mysterious from the movie to real life".

The isolated village "hidden in the clouds"

Mentioning Sao Ha village, although it is not a famous and popular tourist destination, there have been many adventure enthusiasts who have come here. Mr. Giang A Phon - Director of Ha Giang Tre Travel Company said: "The number of times I have come to Sao Ha is now countless. In the winter of 2018, with the desire to experience the pristine beauty of the village, we put on our backpacks and set off to find a new destination for the journey. When we found this village, everyone was overwhelmed because the scenery was so beautiful and so intact."

Sao Ha village is located in Kho Cho hamlet, Van Chai commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang. The isolated village "hidden in the clouds" Sao Ha in the H'Mong language means "high valley". This also explains the village's location at an altitude of about 2,000 m above sea level.

According to Mr. Phon, the journey to Sao Ha village is quite arduous. First, you have to travel from Ha Giang city by motorbike to the center of Kho Cho commune. From here, the journey on foot through the trails, with dense forests on both sides begins. The road is winding, precarious with many steep slopes, one side is a deep abyss, the other side is corn and flax gardens planted with rocks. This is also the road that appeared many times in the movie "Tet in the hell village", when Mr. Thap - the village chief brought goods down the mountain to sell and returned.

“Before reaching the village, we will cross the bamboo forest and the sacred ancient forest, where there is a temple to worship the forest god, and listen to legendary stories, especially the period when the Dong Van bandits rebelled here,” said Mr. Phon.

Nestled under the shade of the vast green trees of the forest, Sao Ha village appears with a mysterious and magical beauty. With more than 20 roofs hidden under the tree canopy, this place is filled with the green color of the mountains and forests and the clouds covering it. The houses in Sao Ha village are all "thang" houses, a traditional house style of the H'Mong people. The walls are pressed with thick earth, the roofs are covered with yin-yang tiles. In particular, there are walls that were built a long time ago, now covered with green moss, creating an extremely unique scene.

Coming to Sao Ha village, visitors have the opportunity to experience the pristine natural space and explore the relatively intact traditional culture of the H'Mong people. "Every time I have the opportunity to visit, the people are very warm and hospitable and treat you like distant relatives returning to their homeland after a long time," Mr. Phon confided.

Sharing about the right time to explore the "hell village" Sao Ha, Mr. Phon said: "In fact, for me, not only Sao Ha but also Ha Giang has its own beauty no matter when you go. Each time will give you a different scene and experience. Coming to Sao Ha in the spring, you will see peach blossoms blooming pink next to the stone fences of the rammed earth houses. Going in the summer and autumn, you will see the clouds drifting on the road, and in the winter, the fog covers the whole day."

Phuong Mai is a reporter for Travellive Magazine in Hanoi.

Phuong Mai