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Sa Pa (, also written as Sapa) is a
district-level town A district-level town () is a type of second tier subdivision of Vietnam. District-level towns along with urban districts, districts, municipal cities, and provincial cites have equal status. Also by virtue of Decree No. 42/2009/ND-CP, towns a ...
of Lào Cai Province in the
Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...
region of
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. The town has an area of and a population of 70,663 in 2022. The town capital lies at Sa Pa ward. It is one of the main market and touristic towns in the area, where several ethnic minority groups such as
Hmong Hmong may refer to: * Hmong people, an ethnic group living mainly in Southwest China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand * Hmong cuisine * Hmong customs and culture ** Hmong music ** Hmong textile art * Hmong language, a continuum of closely related ...
, Dao (Yao), Giáy, Xa Pho, and Tay live.


Administrative divisions

Sa Pa is subdivided to 16 commune-level subdivisions, including the 6 wards of: Cầu Mây, Hàm Rồng, Ô Quý Hồ, Phan Si Păng, Sa Pa, Sa Pả and 10 rural communes of: Bản Hồ, Hoàng Liên, Liên Minh, Mường Bo, Mường Hoa, Ngũ Chỉ Sơn, Tả Phìn, Tả Van, Thanh Bình and Trung Chải.


History

Sa Pa was a frontier and market and capital of former Sa Pa District in Lào Cai Province in north-west Vietnam. It was first inhabited by people about whom nothing is known. They left in the entire valley hundreds of petroglyphs, mostly composed of lines, which experts think date from the 15th century and represent local
cadastre A cadastre or cadaster ( ) is a comprehensive recording of the real estate or real property's metes-and-bounds of a country.Jo Henssen, ''Basic Principles of the Main Cadastral Systems in the World,'/ref> Often it is represented graphically in ...
s. Sa Pa is home to more than 200 pieces of boulders with ancient engravings. The "Area of Old Carved Stone in Sapa" has been in the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
tentative list since 1997. Then came the highland minorities of the
Hmong Hmong may refer to: * Hmong people, an ethnic group living mainly in Southwest China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand * Hmong cuisine * Hmong customs and culture ** Hmong music ** Hmong textile art * Hmong language, a continuum of closely related ...
, Yao (Dao), Giáy, Pho Lu, and Tày peoples, still present in Sa Pa district today. The Kinh (lowland Vietnamese) never originally colonised this highest of Việt Nam's valleys, which lies in the shadow of Phan-Xi-Pǎng (Fansipan, 3143 m), the highest peak in the country. It was only when the French arrived in highland ''
Tonkin Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, including both the ...
'' in the late 1880s that Sa Pa, the name of the Hmong hamlet, began to appear on the national map. Near to the now Sa Pa townlet is "Sa Pả commune", which shows the origin in
Hmong language Hmong or Mong ( ; Romanized Popular Alphabet, RPA: , Chữ Hmông Việt, CHV: ''Hmôngz'', Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong, Nyiakeng Puachue: , Pahawh: , ) is a dialect continuum of the West Hmongic branch of the Hmongic languages spoken by the Hmong p ...
of the location name. Sa Pa is pronounced with "S" almost as soft as the "Ch" sound of French, "Sh" in English, or "S" in standard Vietnamese, so Chapa as the French called it. In the following decade, the future site of Sa Pa township started to see military parties as well as missionaries from the Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP) visit. The French military marched from the Red River Delta into the northern mountainous regions as part of Tonkin's ‘pacification’. In 1894-96 the border between China and Tonkin was formally agreed upon and the Sa Pa area, just to the south of this frontier, was placed under French authority. From 1891 the entire
Lào Cai Lào Cai () is a city in the Northwest region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Lào Cai Province. The city borders Bảo Thắng District, Bát Xát District, Sa Pa and the city of Hekou Yao Autonomous County, in Yunnan province of southwe ...
region, including Sa Pa, came under direct colonial military administration so as to curtail banditry and political resistance on the sensitive northern frontier. The first permanent French civilian resident arrived in Sa Pa in 1909. With its attractive continental climate, health authorities believed the site had potential. By 1912 a military
sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...
for ailing officers had been erected along with a fully fledged military garrison. Then, from the 1920s onwards, several wealthy professionals with enough financial capital also had a number of private villas built in the vicinity. At the end of the Second World War a long period of hostilities began in Tonkin that was to last until 1954. In the process, nearly all of the 200 or so colonial buildings in or around Sa Pa were destroyed, either by Việt Minh sympathisers in the late 1940s, or, in the early 1950s by French air raids. The vast majority of the Viet population fled for their lives, and the former township entered a prolonged sleep. In the early 1960s, thanks to the New Economic Zones migration scheme set up by the new Socialist regime, new inhabitants from the lowlands started to migrate to the region. The short 1979 occupation of the northern border region by Chinese troops had little impact on Sa Pa town, but did force the Kinh (lowland Vietnamese) population out for a month. In 1993 the last obstacle to Sa Pa's full rebirth as a prominent holiday destination was lifted as the decision was made to open the door fully to international tourism. Sa Pa was back on the tourist trail again, this time for a newly emerging local elite tourist crowd, as well as international tourists. Sa Pa is now in full economic boom, mainly from the thousands of tourists who come every year to walk the hundreds of miles of trekking trails between and around the villages of Dao villages of Ta Van and Ta Phin. In 2006, the Chairman of The People's Committee of Sa Pa Province was elected to The Communist Party Central Committee as the youngest ever member (born in 1973).


Geography

Sa Pa District is in Lào Cai Province, northwest Vietnam, 380 km northwest of Hanoi close to the border with China. The Hoàng Liên Sơn range of mountains dominates the district, which is at the eastern extremity of the Himalayas. This range includes Vietnam's highest mountain, Fan Si Pan, at a height of 3143 m above sea level. In addition, other mountains like Aurora & J (where the sun appears at sunrise) complete a very steep terrain. The town of Sa Pa lies at an average elevation of about . The climate is moderate and rainy in summer (May—August), and foggy and cold with occasional snowfalls in winter. Sa Pa is a quiet mountain town and home to a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples. The total population of 36,000 consists mostly of minority groups. Besides the Kinh (Viet) people (15 percent) there are mainly five ethnic groups in Sa Pa: Hmong 52 percent, Dao 25 percent, Tay five percent, Giay two percent, and a small number of Xa Pho. Approximately 7,000 live in Sa Pa, the other 36,000 being scattered in small communes throughout the district. Most of the ethnic minority people work their land on sloping terraces since the vast majority of the land is mountainous. Their staple foods are rice and corn. Rice, by its very nature of being a labour-intensive crop, makes the daily fight for survival paramount. The unique climate in Sa Pa has a major influence on the ethnic minorities who live in the area. With sub-tropical summers, temperate winters and 160 days of mist annually, the influence on agricultural yields and health-related issues is significant. The geographical location of the area makes it a truly unique place for many interesting plants and animals, allowing it to support many inhabitants. Many very rare or even endemic species have been recorded in the region. The scenery of the Sa Pa region in large part reflects the relationship between the minority people and nature. This is seen especially in the paddy fields carpeting the rolling lower slopes of the Hoàng Liên Mountains. The impressive physical landscape which underlies this has resulted from the work of the elements over thousands of years, wearing away the underlying rock. On a clear day, the imposing peak of Fan Si Pan comes into view. The last major peak in the Himalayan chain, Fan Si Pan offers a real challenge to even the keenest walker, the opportunity of staggering views, and a rare glimpse of some of the last remaining primary rain forest in Vietnam. Geology, climate and human activity have combined to produce a range of very distinct habitats around Sa Pa. Especially important is Sa Pa's geographic position, at the convergence of the world's 14 "biomes" (distinct biographic areas), producing an assemblage of plant and animal species unique in the world.


Ecology and nature

Environment and
microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...
types, and overall forest quality, change as one ascends higher into the mountains; indeed, at around 2000 meters (approx. 6,560 feet) above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
, the pristine,
old-growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...
begins to take over. At 2500 meters (approx. 8,200 feet) dwarf
conifers Conifers () are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All e ...
and rhododendrons (
Ericaceae The Ericaceae () are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with about 4,250 known species spread acros ...
) predominate in the ' elfin forest', named for the nutrient-deficient soils at this elevation which prevent most plants from fully maturing; trees will only grow but a few meters at this location. Further up the mountainsides, only the hardiest of plant species are found. Beyond 3000 meters (approx. 9,840 feet), Fan Si Pan's summit can only support some varieties of dwarf
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
( Poaeceae). In addition to abundant local
livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
and
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
, such as domestic water buffalo, the Hoàng Liên Mountains are home to a rich
biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
of plants, birds,
mammals A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle e ...
,
amphibians Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...
, reptiles, and many invertebrates, many of which are
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to Northwest Vietnam; for this reason, the Hoàng Liên Nature Reserve was established as a
national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
in 2006, covering much of the mountain range to the immediate south of Sa Pa. Among the herpetological species found in the area are several
snakes Snakes are elongated Limbless vertebrate, limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales much like other members of ...
, including the beauty ratsnake ('' Elaphe taeniura''), the Mandarin ratsnake ('' Euprepiophis mandarinus''), the mountain water snake ('' Trimerodytes percarinatus''), big-eyed rat ('' Ptyas dhumnades'') and big-eyed bamboo snakes ('' Pseudoxenodon macrops''), and Gumprecht's green ('' Trimeresurus gumprechti'') and Jerdon's pit vipers ('' Protobothrops jerdonii''). Lizards include Kuhne's grass lizard ('' Takydromus kuehnei'') and several species of skink ( Scincidae).


Topography

The Hoang Lien Mountains lie at the south-eastern extent of the Himalayan chain. The national park is located on the north-east flank of these mountains and includes Vietnam's highest peak, Fansipan, at 3,143 m (see map). The lowest point is 380 m but most of the national park lies above 1,000 m. The flanks of the mountains are very steep and many areas are almost inaccessible on foot. Between Fansipan Mountain and Sa Pa town, lies the Muong Hoa valley, which has been terraced for wet rice agriculture. This valley becomes wider towards the east of the national park.


Climate

The climate of Hoàng Liên National Park is unique in Vietnam. It is highly seasonal, with a subtropical climate in the summer and a temperate climate during the winter. Under the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Sa Pa has a
subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...
(''Cfb''), above the sea level by nearly . Mean annual temperature for Sa Pa town is , with a maximum of and a minimum of on 4 January 1974. The warmest months are July and August, and the coldest months are December and January. Snow falls in some years on the highest peaks. It has snowed in the town itself in 1983, 2000, 16 March 2011, 15 December 2013, 19 February 2014, 24 to 26 January 2016, and 11 January 2021. According to statistics, in the period from 1971 to 2021, it has snowed in Sapa 21 times. In common with the rest of northern Vietnam, Hoàng Liên National Park experiences a marked wet season from May to September, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in July and August. Mean annual rainfall is , with a high of and a low of . Humidity ranges from 75 to 91 percent with a yearly mean of 87 percent. The climate varies considerably within the national park. The prevalent wind direction for most of the year is west to east, leading to cloud formation on the upper slopes of the Fansipan massif. These high-altitude areas are covered by cloud most days of the year and have very high humidity. Cloud also penetrates into the valleys but these areas are usually less humid than the mountain slopes. In the extreme east of the national park, around Ban Ho village, mean temperatures are considerably higher due to the lower altitude of these areas. Humidity is relatively high all year round, between 83 and 87%. Sa Pa can get quite cold at night during winter.


Geology

The geology of Hoàng Liên National Park includes metamorphosed sediments and a granitic intrusion. The metamorphosed sediments strike from north-west to south-east along the Muong Hoa valley. On the north-eastern side of the valley is a craggy ridge of marble and metamorphosed carbonate rocks that exhibit a
karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
style of weathering. These formations are currently being quarried for road building. The valley floor is characterised by
schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
and, to a lesser extent,
gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...
. The granitic intrusion extends from the Muong Hoa River to the summit ridge of Fansipan and beyond. Due to the high humidity and rainfall in the area, chemical weathering is prevalent. This is reflected in the clay nature of the soil.


Economic and social development

Before the 1990s, the town's economy was mainly based on small size agriculture. Tourist arrival between 1995 and 2003 grew from a total of 4,860 to 138,622. On average, 79% of the visitors are Vietnamese and 21% are foreigners. The people of the Sa Pa area have been very poor even by Vietnam's rural standards. Efforts to improve the situation for the local people include both governmental and non-governmental initiatives. The government of Vietnam and foreign governments have contributed to local development programs. International non-governmental organizations, such as Oxfam, have also been involved in Sa Pa. Locally, the Hmong-run social enterprise, Sapa O'Chau, organizes volunteer placements, such as English teaching, and for short or long-term periods. Vocational training by the Hoa Sua School also aims to increases skills and earnings potential for local residents.


Transportation

Sa Pa currently does not have its own airport at this time but Sapa Airport is currently under construction and is expected to be operational from 2026. Meanwhile, the nearest airports are currently Noi Bai International Airport in
Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
which is approximately 287 km south east of Sa Pa and Dien Bien Airport in
Điện Biên Phủ Điện Biên Phủ (, vi-hantu, ) is a city in the Northwest (Vietnam), northwestern region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Điện Biên Province. The city is best known for the decisive Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Battle of Điện Biên Phủ ...
which is approximately 266 km south west of the town. There are also direct bus and roads links to get to Sa Pa. In terms of rail, the nearest train station to Sa Pa is Lào Cai station which is an hour drive to Sa Pa. They provide direct train links to and from
Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
.


Hydrology

Hoàng Liên National Park is drained by the Muong Hoa and Ta Trung Ho rivers, which feed the Nam Po River and, finally, the Song Hong (Red) river. The forest has an essential role in water catchment protection, particularly the forest at high altitudes, which is frequently covered in cloud. Water condenses on the vegetation and falls as ‘occult’ precipitation. Occult precipitation makes a major contribution to stream-flow during the dry season when rainfall is low.


Vegetation

The forest of Hoàng Liên National Park can be classified as belonging to 3 types: sub-montane dry evergreen forest, tropical montane deciduous forest and sub-alpine forest. The sub-montane dry evergreen forest, which occurs at lower altitudes, has been the most heavily disturbed by the activities of man. In addition to the forest habitats, the national park contains large areas of agricultural land, scrub land and Savannah. Agriculture is concentrated at altitudes below 1,500m, in the bottom of valleys. Scrub land and Savannah areas are found where forest has been cleared: around the edge of cultivated areas and on ridge tops, which have been subjected to burning. A final vegetation type represented at Hoàng Liên National Park is dwarf bamboo. This habitat is confined to the highest ridges of the Fansipan massif, at altitudes above 2,800 m.


Gallery

File:Nhà thờ đá tại trung tâm Sa Pa.jpg, Sa Pa Stone Church File:Stone church in Sapa.jpg, Sa Pa Stone Church File:Khu phố mới Sa Pa.jpg, A new neighborhood in Sa Pa File:Downtown Sa Pa, Vietnam.jpg, A corner of Sa Pa mountain town File:Một đường phố ở Sa Pa.jpg, A corner of Sa Pa mountain town File:Sapa4.jpg, Cultural works in the center of Sa Pa town File:Sapa5.jpg, Hàm Rồng flower garden File:Sapa1.jpg, Sapa town viewed from Hàm Rồng mountain File:Sapa3.jpg, Sapa town viewed from Hàm Rồng mountain File:Thị trấn Sa Pa.jpg, Sa Pa town viewed from Hàm Rồng mountain File:Thacbac.jpg, Silver Waterfall, Sa Pa File:Overlooking Rice Terrace Cat Cat.JPG, A rice field in Cat Cat village, Sa Pa File:Tien Sa Waterfall.JPG, Cát Cát Waterfall, Cát Cát village, Sa Pa File:Terraced fields Sa Pa 2.jpg, Terraced fields in Sa Pa File:Rice fields near Sapa, Viêt Nam.jpg, Terraced fields in Sa Pa File:Phụ nữ H'Mông.jpg, H'Mông women are selling goods File:Bán quần áo tại Sa Pa.jpg, An area selling clothes and other items File:Zao woman (Sapa Vietnam).jpg, Dao women in traditional costumes File:Trẻ em tộc người H'Mông.jpg, H'Mông ethnic children File:Sapalaocai1.jpg, Topas eco-tourism area File:Sa Pa lake.JPG, Central lake of Sa Pa town File:Bãi đá cổ.jpg, Patterns on ancient rocks in Sa Pa File:Cối giã gạo.jpg, Rice mortar File:Sa Pa ngày tuyết 1.jpg, Sa Pa snowy day File:Sa Pa ngày tuyết 2.jpg, Sa Pa snowy day


Notes


References

* Forbes, Andrew, and Henley, David: 'Sapa and the north-west' in: ''Vietnam Past and Present: The North'' (History and culture of Hanoi and Tonkin). Chiang Mai. Cognoscenti Books, 2012. ASIN: B006DCCM9Q. * Michaud, J. and S. Turner, 2006
Contending Visions of Sa Pa, A Hill-Station in Viet Nam.
''Annals of Tourism Research''. Vol 33, no 3, 785–808. * Michaud, J. and S. Turner, 2003
Tribulations d'un marché de montagne. Sapa, province de Lao Cai, Vietnam.
''Études rurales''. n° 165–166, janvier-juin. 53–80. * Turner, S. 2007
Trading Old Textiles: the Selective Diversification of Highland Livelihoods in Northern Vietnam.
''Human Organization''. 66 (4), 389–404. ekan Budaya di Sapa Vietnam Merayakan 120 Tahun Pariwisatahttps://intrend.id/pekan-budaya-di-sapa-vietnam-merayakan-120-tahun-pariwisata/


External links


Oxfam in Vietnam
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Official website of the provincial government
(
Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...
)
{{Authority control Populated places in Lào Cai province Districts of Lào Cai province County-level towns in Vietnam Lào Cai province