What Happens When a Place Like Ha Giang Loses Its Name?

A Name That Meant More Than a Map

For those of us who’ve ridden its roads, sat at smoky dinner tables in clay-walled homes, or watched clouds roll across the limestone peaks—Ha Giang is more than a destination. It’s a memory. A rhythm. A name that means something.

That name is being taken away.

Starting July 1, 2025, Ha Giang will no longer be a province. It will be merged neighboring Tuyên Quang, one of many changes in a plan to restructure Vietnam’s administrative map. Officially, it's about efficiency. Fewer provinces, better management, they say. In the end, Ha Giang Loses Its Name to be part of Tuyen Quang.

But no spreadsheet or government document can explain what it feels like to watch a place you love lose its name.

If You’ve Been Here, You’ll Understand 

Ha Giang was never flashy. It didn’t have the bright lights of Hanoi or the curated shine of Ha Long Bay. But what it had—what it still has—is soul.

It’s in the curve of Ma Pi Leng, where the earth drops away beneath your wheels. In the laughter of kids chasing chickens through a morning market. In the way strangers wave roadside homes as if they’ve been waiting just for you.

It’s in the quiet moments—helmet off, feet in a stream, unsure where the road will lead but certain you’re exactly where you should be.

And always, when someone asked, “Where are you?”—you said “Ha Giang.” Hence, it is these moments that it stings, when you realized Ha Giang Loses Its Name.

Now What Do We Say?

The roads won’t disappear. The views will still be there. Dong Van will still rise out of the mist, and the Nho Que River will still cut through Tu San Canyon like it has for centuries.

But the name on the sign?

The name on the map?

That’s changing.

Maybe for some it won’t matter. They’ll still ride, still post their photos, still tag the same places, just with a different name in the end- ''look, We got pass through the Quan Ba ​​Heaven Gate in Tuyen Quang!''. But for those of us who knew Ha Giang as Ha Giang, it feels like saying goodbye to something we thought would always be there.

This Isn’t Just About Borders

It’s not the lines on a government map that hurt. It’s what the name stood for.

Ha Giang meant independence. Wildness. Realness. It meant a place that didn’t need to be repackaged to be beautiful. Where locals still lived their culture—not for show, but because it was simply their life.

To the H'mong, Dao, Tay, and other minority communities who call this land home, the name Ha Giang carried weight. It was one of the few northern provinces that stood on its own—recognized, distinct, proud.

Taking the name away feels like erasing a part of that pride. Even if we understand the government decisions, It still hurts regardless

There’s Still Time

If you haven’t been there—go before it is to late.

Go now, while the signs still say Ha Giang. When during this transistionary period of 1-2 years when the signs havent been fully updated yet. While the borders are still drawn in a way that means something. While the locals still smile when you say the name out loud, recognizing not just the words, but the respect behind them.

Because next year, a new traveler might come here and never hear the name Ha Giang. They might ride the same roads, see the same views, take the same selfies—but never know what this place used to be called.

That’s the part that stings.

Ride With Us, While Ha Giang Still Echoes

We don’t know what maps will say next year. Maybe we would have to rebrand as Tuyen Quang Vision instead. But this year—right now—you can still ride the Ha Giang Loop. You can still feel what it means to be here before the name fades history.

Come while Ha Giang is still Ha Giang.

Book a ride with Ha Giang Vision

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