Geography and climate

Lào Cai province is located in the north of the country and has an area of 6,383.9 square kilometres (2,464.8 sq mi). It borders the provinces of Hà Giang, Yên Bái, Sơn La, and Lai Châu, as well as the province of Yunnan in the People's Republic of China.

There are ten major soil groups under 30 categories in the province, under ten land groups. The land groups are: The Alluvial group (1.47% of the land area) along the Red River is good for growing food crops and trees; the Oxisol type which occupies 40% of land area has generally reddish brown soil, below altitude of 900 metres (3,000 ft), is a fertile land suitable for the annual and commercial crops; Team Red Yellow soil humus covers 30% land area in the Sa Pa, Mường Khương, Bắc Hà, Bát Xát districts of the province suitable for medicinal plants, fruit trees and vegetables; humus soil on the mountain occupies 11.42% of the land area mostly in Sa Pa district which has rich canopy of mixed forest; and the Oxisol color altered by rice in 2% of land area are formed into a landscape of terraced fields, as seen in Bắc Hà and Sa Pa districts.
Climate

As the province is mostly mountainous, it experiences a dry cold climate from October to March, while the tropical monsoon is rainy season, which lasts from April to September. The annual average temperature is 23 °C (73 °F). The temperature generally ranges between 18 °C (64 °F) and 28 °C (82 °F) in the lowland areas and between 20 °C (68 °F) and 22 °C (72 °F) in the highland areas. In Sa Pa town, however, the temperature can drop to less than 0 °C (32 °F) with snowy conditions. Fog and frost are a common phenomenon in the province.

Flora and fauna

Forests account for 2,789.07 kilometres (1,733.05 mi), accounting for 43.87% of the province's area, of which 2,292.97 kilometres (1,424.79 mi) is natural while the remainder is plantation forestry. The forests feature 442 species, including various types of birds, insects and frogs. The province has a rich forest reserve known for its many species of rare timber plants; some of the well known species are: po mu (fukiena), lat hoa (chukrasia tabularis), and cho chi, apart from many species of medicinal herbs.

In the Fansipan mountain ranges, vegetation varies with altitude, with elevation above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) retaining the forests. In the elevation range of 2,500–2,800 metres (8,200–9,200 ft), which is the mist area, "elfin forest" is the dominant forest vegetation of "gnarled trees (Tsuga yunanaris)" of less than 8 metres (26 ft) height covered with moss. Above 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) elevation, the mountain range has undersized vegetation with many bamboos and rhododendrons.

The Hoang Lien National Park has only 12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi) of forest left as a result of anthropogenic pressure over centuries. Grass, bushes and small trees are seen on the land which are devoid of forests, and large areas are used for cultivation; ginger plantation, as a cash crop is widespread.

According to a 1929 survey conducted in the area, the fauna (mammals) recorded by the French biologist Delacour who accompanied Theodore Roosevelt were: the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebuiosa), leopard (Panthera pardus), tiger (panthera tigris), binturong (Arctictus binturong) and black gibbon (Hylobates concolor), the stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), and Asiatic black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus). In Sa Pa forests, 150 species of birds were recorded such as the red-vented barbet ( Megalaima lagrandieri), collared finchbill (Spizixo semitoroues), white-throated laughingthrush (Garrulax albogularis) and the chestnut bulbul (Hypsipetes castanotus); all species are considered exclusive to North Vietnam.

History

Lào Cai has been known since ancient times as a historic trading post. Here, the Chinese, the Vietnamese and the ethnic minorities of the region fought to gain control of the region. In 1463, the Viet Kings established Lào Cai as the capital of their northernmost region, then named as Hưng Hóa. It came under French colonial rule in 1889 and was their administrative town, and also served as a military garrison. In the early 19th century the first railway line was built from Hanoi to this region. It took seven years to complete but at the cost of 25,000 lives of Vietnamese conscripted labour.

In late 1978, the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia. In retaliation, the Chinese, as allies of Cambodia, countered and invaded North Vietnam with the aim of "teaching the Vietnamese a lesson". The attack was launched by 200,000 strong People's Liberation Army. They occupied territory from Paso (previously known as Phon Tho) in the Northwest to Cao Bằng and Lạng Sơn in the Northwest. Even though the Chinese suffered heavy casualties, they managed to conquer these cities, and declared that the gate to Hanoi was open and that their punitive mission had been achieved. On the way back to the Chinese border, the PLA destroyed all local infrastructure and housing and looted all useful equipment and resources (including livestock), which were mainly donated by China to support Vietnam's economy prior to the war, severely weakening the economy of Vietnam's northernmost provinces. The PLA crossed the border back into China on March 16. Both sides declared victory with China claiming to have crushed the Vietnamese resistance and Vietnam claiming that China had fought mostly against border militias.

After the province was invaded by the Chinese in 1979 from its border town Lào Cai, the border with China was closed for several years. In this war, the city of Lào Cai was destroyed by the Chinese. Remnants of the war in the form of land mines are reported to pose threat to people along the border with China.

The Lào Cai town at the border town on the bank of Red River as the provincial capital has now prospered in view of large trade with China and is a booming city with a community of many rich millionaires. Since 2006, Lào Cai has the status of a city, is the largest town in the region and strategically very important. An airport is planned to be built by 2020.

Demographics

With more than 20 ethnic groups, Lào Cai is a melting pot of cultures and history. Ethnic Vietnamese are the majority, especially since 1960 when the North Vietnamese government followed a policy of settling communist party cadres from lowland areas in upland areas, then predominantly occupied by tribes. According to the General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam, the population of Lào Cai province, as of 2008, was 602,300 with a density of 94 persons per square kilometre over a total land area of 6,383.9 square kilometres (2,464.8 sq mi) of the province. The male population during this period was 303,300 with females accounting for 299,000. The urban population was 125,900 against an urban population of 476,400 (about 25% of the rural population).

The province has 25 of Vietnam's ethnic minority groups accounting for 64.09% of its population. The distribution of the ethnic minorities comprises: Kinh - 35.9%, Hmong - 22.21%, Tay - 15.84%, Dao -14.05%, Giay - 4.7%, Nùng 4.4% and the others belong to Phu La, San Chay, Ha Nhi, and the La Chi groups.

Hoàng Liên National Park
The Hoàng Liên National Park is located within the province and was upgraded from a nature reserve in 2006. It covers an area of 24.66 square kilometres (30 km² is also mentioned in some references) and contains the peak of Fan Si Pan, which, at 3,143 metres (10,312 ft), is the highest peak in Vietnam. The park contains heavy forests and a rich biodiversity, although because of agricultural production of ginger and other land uses, today only about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of the park is forested. 1884 migrating raptors have been recorded in the national park, which is stated to be a rarity in terms of numbers and the species varieties. The area was surveyed by French biologist Delacour in 1929 who had accompanied Theodore Roosevelt to an expedition in southeast Asia. He collected 48 mammal species for the Chicago Natural History Museum although most were shot. Sediments in the park date back to the Mesozoic era, whilst the granite is a Palaeocene intrusion. The northwestern boundary of the national park is made with a rugged boundary of marble and metamorphosed calcium carbonate.
Transport

Lào Cai is one of the few mountainous provinces with well-developed transport networks consisting of roads, rail and waterways. An airport is planned in Bao Yen District. The provincial city is connected by road, rail and river transport links with Hanoi on its northwest (340 kilometres (210 mi)) and to Yunnan province in China. Within the province, road links exist to Sa Pa and Bắc Hà. The Haiphong railway to Yunnan is of strategic importance. There are four national highways totaling to a length of 400 km, provincial roads of about 300 km length and 1,000 km of village roads.

The Hanoi–Lào Cai railway is 296 kilometres (184 mi), of which 62 kilometres (39 mi) is in the province, and links to Chinese railways at the border. It can carry 1 billion tonnes of freight per year and thousands per day. Plans for a high-speed rail link between Hanoi and Lào Cai has been investigated by the Ministry of Transport and the Asian Development Bank. This is expected to create a high-speed rail corridor from Kunming – Lào Cai – Hanoi – Haiphong.

Red River flowing through the province provides water transport facilities though its transportation capacity is limited. The planned Sapa Airport Project was approved by the government of Vietnam and will be built in this province in the Q4/2021.

Visitor attractions

As Lào Cai province is mountainous and still developing, its natural environment is relatively environmentally unspoilt. This means that its potential as an ecotourism destination among Vietnamese and foreigners is still intact. It has now become popular and a novel experience among both Chinese and Vietnamese as a tourist destination, particularly a "sexualized and sensualised" border town of Lào Cai. Special border travel packages for tourists, arranged between China and Vietnam under the present political set up in Vietnam, has relaxed regulations permitting tourists to visit selected locations under conducted tours to places in Northern Vietnam and particularly to the provincial headquarter of Lào Cai; Lào Cai is the last stop before crossing into China on way to Kunming across the border, which lies at the end of the train line to China. Since then the Chinese tourists visiting Lào Cai on a one-day trip or two days trip including the hill station town of Sa Pa in the province (a popular five trip is also organized covering Lào Cai, Hanoi, Hạ Long and Hai Phong) recorded a quantum jump, from 4200 in 1995 to 176,310 in 2002. Lào Cai is popular among Chinese travellers (males, in particular) who are said to be "obsessed with Zhao Xiaojie ("looking for misses") for its sex market. A male tourist from China made a mention: "There is a common saying in China: Vietnam sacrifices one generation of young women for the well-being of the next three generations." A popular motorbiking route among tourists that covers the mountainous region of the province known as the "Tonkinese Alps", is to start from the White Thai villages, Sơn La, historic site of Dien Bien Phu and terminating at Sa Pa.

Sa Pa is one of 21 national tourism areas in Vietnam. Sa Pa is at an altitude of 1,200–1,800 metres (3,900–5,900 ft), has a mild climate throughout the year, lush, forested and mountainous scenery, waterfalls and is a hub of cultural activities of various ethnic minorities in the region, such as the Hmong and Dao people used to gather during the weekly market to "attend an ephemeral "Love Market" where young men and women chose partners to marry. It is 38 km away from the border town of Lào Cai. Visit to Sapa town is said to be more popular among visitors from Western countries in view of its attraction of ethnic tribals.  In fact, the French had established a Travel Bureau, as early as 1917, and the town was popular among the "French colonist" all through their rule as a hill resort. However, Sa Pa has gone through several rounds of destruction between 1947 and 1953, and again in 1979 due to war with French and Chinese. It has been partly restored and has gradually become a tourist hub since the region was opened to tourism in 1993. A good time to visit Sa Pa would be when rice fields in different green shades are being harvested in the fall season (September to November). The colours of the rice fields indicate the time for harvesting various plots. The women of the ethnic minority tribes who harvest the crops on the fields further accentuate the different green shades of the fields with their eye-catching red and indigo-coloured dresses.

Lào Cai has many historic sites, natural caves and produces agricultural specialties such as Bắc Hà plums.

III. Frequently Asked Questions About Sapa

1. Which Experiences Are Best For Tours In Sapa?

   These experiences are best for tours in Sapa:
   CLASSIC SAPA (3DAYS/2NIGHTS)
   SAPA TREKKING TOUR (4 DAYS/5 NIGHTS)

2. What Are The Best Places Plus With Tours In Sapa?

   These places are best for tours in :
   ESSENTIAL HA LONG AND SAPA (7DAYS)
   MU CANG CHAI-SAPA TOURS (3DAYS)
   SAPA-BAC HA MARKET TOUR (4DAYS)

3. Which Place Is Must See In Sapa?

   These places must see in Sapa:
   1: TAVAN VILLAGE
   2: CAT CAT VILLAGE
   3: BAC HA SUNDAY MARKET
   4: TA PHIN VILLAGE