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Destinations in Sapa
From Lao
Cai city, on a sloping road of over 30 km to reach Sapa at a height of
1,560m over the sea level. Sapa, a rarely found city in mist is one of
21 tourist main point sites of the whole country. Let's go to Sapa of
over one hundred years to enjoy famous and extremely unique sites.
Ta Phin village
 Over 10
km away from Sa Pa to the northeast in Ta Fin commune, Where is
well-known of charming tourists sites and its specific holy
significance. Luyen tam monastery was half built from 1942 to 1944. Up
till now, it remains a grandiose architectural work within high
mountains. This place worships the founder of Ta Fin land where the
local people used to organize commemorative rituals and community rally
oath-taking ceremonies in Spring. Or the brocade co-operative with
skilled weaving techniques of Mong and Dao minorities specializes in
making famous brocade products which are sold domestically and
internationally. Moreover, the brocade weaving craft helps to arouse
curiosity and discovery desire of all travelers.
It will
be a big mistake if you forget not to visit Ta Fin cave. The rocky bendy
road will lead you to the miraculous Ta Fin cave which has a lot of
stalactites of different shapes inside such as shapes of fairies in
different postures of dancing, bathing, seating and carrying child in
their arms, a shape of giant steamed glutinous rice tray with ivory
unsmooth mineral pieces like coral, or ivory smooth columns falling down
from the top and knitting each other as sapphire sparkling antennas.
Drop of water run from mountain peak absorb and stagnate on the top of
stalactites, then drip and drum melodiously in vaporous space... Ta Fin
is now defined as one of the tourist main points of Sa Pa and
comprehensively investing with the aim of bringing about more new things
to travelers.
Ta Van village
 Ta Van
commune in Muong Hoa valley is located in the south and 8 km away from
Sapa town ship. Ta Van means "a big turning road" like a basket brim, or
tripod-leg line. Vast terrace fields with unique position of a big
turning road become a landscape and a destination of Ta Van.
Seo Mi Ti
scenery-old pine forest, a half day of sloping road away from township
centre, is also a particularly interesting eco-tourist site of Ta Van.
And Ta van has become an integral tourist site for ecological excursions
in Sapa.
Ancient rocks ground
 Arriving
in Sapa, it is impossible not to mention the ancient rocks ground in
Muong Hoa where is of great "god's books". The ancient rocks ground
covers on an area of about 8 sq.km and a part of Lao Chai, Ta Van and
Hau Thao communes, including 200 large and small stones spreading around
Muong Hoa valley. It was discovered in 1925 by a Russian French
orientalist Victor Goloubev. Also, scientists have found 159 large rocks
with carving shapes, which are the most ancient stone steles in Vietnam.
Lines of
strange letters, images of geographical map and battlefield sketch
carved on rocks are the ancient people's hallmarks which are still
decoded yet. According to scientists, the ancient rocks ground is a huge
fund of knowledge on nature and community life. And the folk legend
believed that these were mutual agreements and documents of the ancient
civilization.
Ham Rong Mountain
 Via Muong
Tien to get to Sapa, in vaporous clouds travelers will see a mountain
peak rising as dragon-head. It is Ham Rong mountain with 100 ha in area.
The name of Ham Rong was derived from the legend that, in primitive age
there were a couple of dragons which became attached to each other while
the deluge was rising high. Walking up, they hurrily separated from each
other but failed. They were drifted to different places. After a long
time, the female dragon was petrified but still tried to raise its eyes
to the male dragon on the Hoang Lien mountain in the west because its
instinct for survival remained.
As going
to Sa Pa, travelers often climb up Ham Rong mountain to enjoy a cool
atmosphere and charming landscapes such as cloud ground and stone
garden, gardens, garden of medicinal plants, especially the garden of
various orchids and specific houses on stilts of ethnic minorities. A
great deal of rocks in shape of dragon claws and fin appear to our eyes
and we will think of being lost in a wonderland. Following cliff will
lead us to the heaven gate I and II. Standing on the peak, you will
enjoy particularly interesting landscapes around as much as you wish and
throw your view farer to make the most of poetic beauty of Sapa town
looming in clouds.
Silver Waterfall (Thac Bac)
 13 km
away in the west from Sapa town, Silver waterfall is formed by sources
of water from the Lo Sui Tong mountain peak.
From the distance, Silver
Waterfall looks like a white dragon looking down from the sky. In
posture of free fall, a giant Silver Waterfall creates silver steam that
will fly up and merge in space to create a both cool and cold feeling.
You can
reach the Silver water fall by motor bike or by car in half an hour then
continue to visit the Tram Ton Pass 3 km away.
Sa Pa Market
 Market is
not only a place for goods exchange but also a festive day of 18
administrative units of Sapa district. The market day takes place in
Sapa town from 6.00am to over noon. It is very crowded and ends later on
every Sunday and last days of the year. After a week of work, Sunday is
good time for ethnic people to buy and sell goods in market. To start
the market day on time, people often go to market from Sunday. They sit
late and sing folk songs of their own minorities together. They use lip
musical instrument, flute, pan-pipe and bowls of wine to express their
affection. In aspect of form, the Sunday night in Sa Pa market (then
called love market) is similar to the night of folk song contests in
delta regions or Bac Ninh duo of love songs. In aspect of content, the
love market is just a traditional charm exchange night lasting till
9.00pm. However, if the couple agree to each other they will promise and
become husband and wife.
Cat Cat village
 Cat cat
village was founded since the 19th century and about 2km away from the
centre of SaPa town. People are mainly Mong minority and often build
houses spaced out dozens meters apart by mountain sides. They grow rice
in terrace fields and maize on the mountain according to the handicraft
cultivation method.
At
present, Cat Cat village is preserving its old architectural monuments
such as Pomu timber plank- roofed triple- room houses and many
traditional handicrafts such as growing cotton and flax, close weaving
and manipulating jewelry. Only with looms, the Mong people have created
colorful brocade clothes with patterns of trees, leaves, flowers and
animals. Besides this, Cat Cat village expands crafts of dying, printing
and embroidering patterns on cloth. The most popular method remains
dying in black and vegetable cinders water with forest leaves. Dyed
cloth will be shined by rolling with a round section of a tree trunk on
flat beeswax- covered rocks.
Lao Chai village
Located 6 kms far
from the centre town of sapa, you will see Lao Chai village where the black
H'mong people are living, it is also the begining of a valley which is
called Muong Hoa valley, here you will enjoy the fresh air, see terrace
fields, stream, visit and discover some of the H'mong's families.
In this
village which you will have a welcome feeling at any house of the
hospitable people there. You can interact them, learn about their
culture and customs
Sin Chai village
 After
about 40 minutes walk from Sapa town, you will reach Sin Chai village,
there are about 1.400 Black H'mong people are living here. Their houses
are scattered on mountain side. Sin Chai people's life is simple, they
earn their living by farming, dying indigo, planting flax, weaving
fabric. Their houses are traditional characteristics of the H'mong:
wooden building, ground foundation and cooking fire with coal.
Ban Ho village
 Located
30 km from southeast Sapa. Ban Ho village is settled by ethnic
minorities as Tay, Dao, H'mong... Ban Ho village is one of the most
interesting places of Sapa. When coming here, you get chance not only to
view wonderful spots, enjoy fresh air but also to see natural beauty.
You will have oppotunity to see water fall, go swimming in hot water
pool or cold water stream, find out traditional weave fabric, make
brocade... and take part in community activities.
Muong Hoa valley
 Starting as a small stream
of water from the foot of Silver Waterfall about 14 Km northwest of Sapa
town, weaving its way along mountains’ feet southeast between the two
mountain ranges. About eight kilometers southeast of Sapa town, the two
mountain ranges open wider to form the Muong Hoa Valley which get wider
and wider as it goes further south about 30 km. The Muong Hoa valley is
famous for breathtaking scenery and is the largest farmland for rice
growing in Sapa district.
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