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"I was shocked to see children mastering suggestive dance moves commonly seen on TikTok," Thu Hoai, a tourist from Hanoi who visited Sa Pa in February, lamented.
She saw a group of children dressed in ethnic costumes playing loud music on portable speakers and dancing for money near the Stone Church.
She recorded the scene and posted it on social media, where it quickly went viral, garnering over two million views and thousands of comments.
"I can't countenance this," one netizen wrote, warning that such activities harm the image of local tourism and also encourage children to drop out of school to earn money.
Do Van Tan, vice chairman of Sa Pa City, admits that begging by children has been a persistent issue.
Since the recent Lunar New Year holidays a group of girls aged five to 10 have been gathering in central areas such as Sa Pa Square and the Stone Church.
There are four or five of them on weekdays, and their number increases to more than 10 on weekends when schools close.
Tan said their activities are largely organized by their parents.
A group of children perform dance moves at the Da Lan church area in Sa Pa in mid-February. Video by Thu Hoai
Since mid-February local authorities have been cracking down and mostly "eliminated" the occurrences within a week, but enforcement remains challenging on weekends when tourist numbers skyrocket, he said.
"Parents and children often wait for the time when authorities are not patrolling."
Authorities have been using loudspeakers to exhort tourists not to give money to the children.
Tan said: "When they see they can earn money from tourists, the children and their families may treat this as the main source of income. In the long run this does not improve their lives and negatively impacts local tourism."
He admitted it stems from economic hardships faced by many ethnic minority families in Sa Pa.
Authorities have encouraged them to pursue better job opportunities, but many remain reluctant. Some local tourism businesses have offered them employment, but convincing the people to take up the jobs has been a challenge.
"If this issue is not addressed properly, it could escalate into a security concern," Tan said.
City authorities are compiling a list of families whose children engage in street solicitation to offer them sustainable livelihood solutions.
City authorities have partnered with the Cat Cat Village Tourism Company to offer them opportunities.
On weekends, instead of begging, children can participate in cultural and tourism programs for a daily allowance of VND100,000 (US$4.40).
Authorities plan to involve them in cultural events that showcase their ethnic heritage at the city square's cultural park.
They are also cracking down on people exploiting children for financial gain.
"Our priority is to ensure children's rights and future while preserving the image of Sa Pa as a responsible tourism destination," Tan added.
