Like people in the northern mountainous provinces, these days people in the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa province – such as Quan Son and Muong Lat are suffering from the record cold spell. Temperatures in these districts drop to 3-5 degrees. According to the local authorities, such a cold spell has not happened for many years

Fires are flamed up everywhere for heating and cooking.

Sitting near a fire, Mrs. Ha Thi Ngan, 90 years old, said that for many years this region suffers from such an intense cold spell. "For many nights, children and the elderly in my village lost sleep because of the cold," she said.

Kids are covered by layers of clothing and blankets and put besides the fire.

These kids are absent from school due to extreme weather.

The cracked bare feet of children in a village in Muong Lat district.

A H'mong boy plays with soil with begrimed, cold hands.

This kid is over one year old only and she only wears very thin clothes.

At noon, when the sun appears, Hmong women carry their children to the front yard to sunbathe and sew new clothes for the upcoming Tet.

A baby sleeping on his sister’s back.

Poor pupils in an empty boarding tent.

Two H’mong girls playing in the sun to forget the cold.