THE DAO MAN

Dao territory is made up of rice terraces and is listed as a natural national heritage. It’s absolutely breathtaking and a testament to Dao ingenuity in the grip of this hostile environment which is made up of deep valleys and mountains.

In September 2015, I was driving back to my hotel in Quản Bạ, when I caught a glimpse of a lady with an unfamiliar costume. When I asked her which ethnic group she belongs to, she answered “the Dao Mán”, Man being the name given by the French. That name was new to me so, intrigued, I asked if I could follow her to her village. After riding down 3 km of rocky road, we arrived in the pouring rain. I was  wondering how I would make it back up when I realised that almost everyone around me was wearing the traditional costume. It is now one of my favourite, and I feel grateful that I had this opportunity to capture this young girl’s portrait wearing it. Information about the Dao Mán is hard to come by, so I consider myself very lucky to have met this tiny sub-group.