There is no other greater place than Sa Pa to hide away from scorching summer heat. A series of events including a horse race and Yoga International Day will be organized by Sa Pa Town People’s Committee and Sun World Fansipan Legend to attract visitors this summer.
Sa Pa is a popular destination among local and foreign tourists thanks to its natural landscape and climate advantages as well as events held all year around. According to Lao Cai Province’s Tourism Department, nearly 627,000 tourists visited the province in May, an increase of 25 per cent compared to the previous month. Sa Pa Town alone welcomed 316,000 tourists.
Sa Pa is expected to lure tourists this summer thanks to attractive activities.
Pham Van Bay, director of Vietravel Hanoi travel agent, said almost 2,000 tourists booked the agency’s tours to Sa Pa in nearly six months of this year. In the next three months of summer, additionally 1,000 tourists are forecasted to book tours to the town.
Fansipan – spiritual destination. Photo: Q.Lien
Visitors to Sa Pa these days will have chances to enjoy the atmosphere of the horse race (June 26 to July 2), celebrate the ninth International Yoga Day (June 24), Vu Lan festival (falling in the seventh lunar month to eulogize motherly love). These events will be held at Fansipan cable car station.
Visitors can also participate in the Mau Son – Mau Thuong – Mau Fansipan Temple Festival, Ethnic Culture Festival in Sa Pa Town, among others.
On June 4, Fansipan welcomed more than 700 monks, nuns and Buddhists as well as thousands of tourists across the country to attend the Buddha’s birthday. Cultural and spiritual activities such as the ceremony to pray for national peace and prosperity, the Dharma talk in the heart of the great Buddha statue, and the ceremony to offer the lanterns were held solemnly and respectfully, leaving positive impressions on tourists.
Monks and nuns at the ceremony to pray for national peace and prosperityon the top of Fansipan mountain. Source: Fansipan Legend.
Sun World Fansipan Legend tourism sitehas launched the northwest cultural space, which brings together traditional cultural beauty of 5 ethnic groups: Mong, Dao, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho. Sun World Fansipan Legend wishes to give tourists the opportunity to experience cultural characteristics of 5 ethnic minorities in Sa Pa at the same space.
Visitors will have the opportunity to discover quintessence of architecture, beliefs, cuisine, craft and handicraft products, as well as typical songs and dances of each ethnic group in a rustic way.
Tourists try five-colored sticky rice at the cultural space of Giay ethnic group. Source: Fansipan Legend.
Sa Pa is describedto be beautiful all year round. Four seasons here have different beauty. Spring is the season of cherry blossoms and green tea hills.
In late spring and early summer, the flooded terraces look like mirrors reflecting the deep blue sky and golden sunshine. When summer comes, the terraced fields with young riceturn green.
All the terraced fields then turn into a long golden carpet in the autumnfrom August to October. This is the time Sa Pa welcomes the most visitors, especially international tourists.
When winter comes, Sa Pa, especially the top of Fansipan mountain,is covered with snow and ice, creating a magical beauty that can’t be found anywhere else.
FansipanMount – the roof of Indochina – always attracts international tourists. Photo: Q.Lien
Sapa – Fansipan has been mentionedby foreign media as a destination not to be missed when coming to Vietnam. Recently, India Times has describedSa Pa terraced fields as “a symbol of the northwest mountains”.
“Call it ingenuity or simply coincidence, these rice terraces are a thing of beauty. Here’s why – the locals have sculpted the mountainside into a series of stepped terraces, creating a visually stunning landscape. These terraces look different with each passing season,” the media outlet described.
According to the India Times, Sa Pa rice terraces have their own characteristics that can be compared to famous terraced fields in Ubud and Tegallalang in Bali, Indonesia.
India Times also assessed that this land is home to many ethnic minorities such as H’Mong, Dao and Tay, creating a unique regional cultural identity.
A romantic scenery of Sapa Town. Photo: Q.Lien
This is not the first time Sa Pa has been mentioned by foreign media. In early May, the American travel magazine CnTraveler voted Sa Pa as one of 50 most beautiful towns in the world.
Good news for tourists who are students in the summer: Sun World Fansipan Legend is offering a discount of up to 50% of ticket. Students from the same school buying tickets in a group of 10 or more will have to pay only 400,000 VND each. Children under 1m in height are free of charge.
Visitors only need to present their student cards, group lists or the school’s recommendation lettersat the ticket selling counter or Fansipan Legend check-in gate./.
Words: Q.Lien
