In the middle of a small valley in the northern province of Ha Giang, the Fairy Mountain in Quan Ba District rises gracefully from terraced rice fiel.

The perfectly shaped twin peaks rise out of a patchwork of paddy fields, symbolizing Mother Nature’s bountiful gifts to the residents of Quan Ba District in the northern province of Ha Giang.

It is inconceivable for such an amazing formation to not have a legend associated with it.

It does.

A long time ago, in Quan Ba District, there was a handsome H’mong man who could play the dàn môi very well, making local girls fall madly in love with him.

Đàn môi, a traditional musical instrument of the H’mong people, is similar to the Jew’s harp.

The sounds of the young man’s đàn môi were as soothing as the river’s flow and as pleasant as bird songs. Sometimes, the sounds were profound as the night breeze.

One day, the đàn môi’s notes flew up into the sky, and a beautiful fairy named Hoa Dao heard them by chance. She fled to the earth to look for the man playing the music and fell in love with him. They got married and a baby boy was born soon after.

When he heard of the fairy’s escape to earth, the Ruler of Heaven was very angry. He ordered his subordinates to force the fairy to return to heaven. In desperation, Hoa Dao left her breasts behind on earth to nourish her baby.

The twin peaks are today called the Doi (Couple) or Co Tien (Fairy) Mountain.

Legend also has it that the two peaks provide succor and make fruits and vegetables grown in Quan Ba District more delicious. They also nourish rice fields and give farmers good harvests.

The peaks are today an attractive stop for tourists coming to the Dong Van Plateau, not to mention photographers who flock in sizeable numbers to the area.

Lying in the middle of a small valley in Quan Ba District and surrounded by terraced rice fields, the mountain and its surrounding areas possess a poetic beauty.

The best time to visit the mountain is in the spring when the mountain sides are lush green or in the summer when the rice fields turn a golden hue.

Standing on the top of the hill on National Road 4C, visitors can get a panoramic view of the beautifully shaped mountain.