Sa Pa
Sa Pa is a former district-level town of Lào Cai province in the Northwest region of Vietnam. The town has an area of and a population of 70,663 as of 2022. The town capital is located in Sa Pa ward. It is an important market and touristic town. Ethnic minorities make up the vast majority of Sa Pa's population.
Etymology
The name "Sa Pa" originates from the Mandarin Chinese language, meaning "sandy beach". The location name first appeared as "Chapa" on the national map when the French arrived in Tonkin in the late 1880s. Sa Pa is pronounced with the "Ch" sound of French.History
Sa Pa was first inhabited by people about whom nothing is known. They left hundreds of petroglyphs throughout the valley, which experts believe date from the 15th century. Later came the Hmong, Dao, Giáy, and Tày peoples, still present in Sa Pa today.France gained control over Tonkin after its victory over China in the Sino-French War in 1885, and French Indochina was established in 1887. The Lao Cai region came under direct French colonial military administration to curtail banditry and political resistance on the northern frontier, including the Sa Pa area. Units of the French Army marched from the Red River Delta into the northern mountainous regions as part of the "pacification" of Tonkin. The border between China and Tonkin was delimited by treaties signed in 1887 and 1895, and the border was formally demarcated by 1896. In 1897, the French colonial government launched an expedition to study the ethnic minorities in the mountainous highlands. The area was visited extensively by missionaries from the Paris [Foreign Missions Society] at that time.
In the winter of 1903, while conducting surveying and mapping, an expedition of the Indochina Geographical Service discovered the landscape of the area, naming it Lo Suoi Tung, meaning "valley of the long stream". The area soon became known for its cool, fresh air and beautiful scenery. With its tropical montane cloud forest climate, the French believed the site had potential for settlement. A sanatorium for ailing soldiers was constructed in 1909, and a military garrison was stationed there in 1912. In 1917, a tourist office was established in Sa Pa, and the following year, several wealthy French families began building the first villas there. In 1920, the Hanoi–Lào Cai railway was completed, and Sa Pa was considered the summer capital of Tonkin. By that time, the French had built nearly 300 villas in Sa Pa.
As World War II drew to a close in August of 1945, a long period of hostilities began in French Indochina. This started with the August Revolution to overthrow the government of the Empire of Vietnam, which progressed to more extensive Civil conflicts in [Vietnam (1945–1949)|civil conflicts in Vietnam], which in turn led to the outbreak of a full-scale guerrilla war that lasted from 19 December 1946 until 1 August 1954. During this period, nearly all of the colonial buildings in Sa Pa were destroyed, and the vast majority of the population fled the area.
In the early 1960s, new inhabitants from the lowlands began to migrate to Sa Pa as a result of a migration scheme set up by the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The Kinh (Viet) population was briefly forced out of Sa Pa again during the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War, but returned later that year. In the 1990s, Sa Pa was restored and expanded. Many new hotels and villas were built. From 40 rooms in 1990, it increased to 300 in 1995. By 2003, Sa Pa town had about 60 hotels with 1,500 rooms. In 1993, the Vietnamese government decided to allow international tourism to Sa Pa. The "Area of Old Carved Stone in Sapa" has been on the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Vietnam since 1997.
Geography
Sa Pa is located in the western part of Lao Cai province, Northwest Vietnam, roughly northwest of Hanoi and from the border with China. It is bounded on the west by Tam Duong and Tan Uyen districts of Lai Chau province, on the east by Lao Cai city and Bao Thang districts, on the south by Van Ban district, and on the north by Bat Xat district.The Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range, which includes Vietnam's highest mountain, Fansipan, dominates the area. Situated at an average elevation of about, Sa Pa is characterized by a montane ecosystem. Remnants of old-growth forest featuring unique trees like the critically endangered Fansipan fir can be found from around above sea level. A dwarf forest is found at, while at higher elevations, only the hardiest of plant species are found, such as certain species of dwarf bamboo. The Hoàng Liên Mountains are home to a wide variety of plants and animals, many of which are endemic to Northwest Vietnam. For this reason, Hoàng Liên National Park was established in 2006, covering much of the mountain range to the immediate south of Sa Pa. The Muong Hoa Valley, which has been terraced for wet rice agriculture, is situated between Fansipan and Sa Pa town.
Geology
The geology of Sa Pa includes metamorphosed sediments and a granitic intrusion. The metamorphosed sediments strike from northwest to southeast along the Muong Hoa Valley. On the northeastern side of the valley is a craggy ridge of marble and metamorphosed carbonate rocks that exhibit a karst style of weathering. These formations are currently being quarried for road building. The valley floor is characterised by schist and, to a lesser extent, gneiss. 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.Climate
Sa Pa has a subtropical climate in the summer and a temperate climate during the winter. Under the Köppen climate classification, Sa Pa has a subtropical highland climate. Mean annual temperature for Sa Pa town is, with a record high of and a record low of. The warmest months are July and August, and the coldest months are December and January. Like the rest of northern Vietnam, Sa Pa 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%, with a yearly mean of 87%. It has snowed 21 times in Sa Pa town between 1971 and 2021.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 typically shrouded in clouds most days of the year and experience very high humidity. Cloud also penetrates the valleys, but these areas are usually less humid than the mountain slopes. In the extreme east of Sa Pa, around Ban Ho village, mean temperatures are considerably higher due to the lower altitude of these areas.
Administrative divisions
Sa Pa is subdivided into 16 commune-level subdivisions, including 6 wards and 10 rural communes.Demographics
Unlike most of Vietnam, where the Kinh (Viet) dominate, ethnic minorities are the majority in Sa Pa. The population of Sa Pa is around 52% Hmong 25% Dao, 5% Tày, and 2% Giáy, while the majority Kinh (Viet) people make up only about 15%, concentrated mostly in the town center. These groups maintain distinct cultures, languages, and traditions, often living in surrounding villages where they work the rice terraces and other agricultural endeavors, weave, and engage in tourism, with the Kinh usually managing government and commercial enterprises in the town.Economic and social development
The people of the Sa Pa area have been among the poorest in Vietnam, even by rural standards. As of 2022, the poverty rate in Sa Pa was 28%.Efforts to improve the situation for the local people include development programs conducted by governmental and non-governmental organizations. For example, Sapa O'Chau is a Hmong-run social enterprise based in Sa Pa that arranges visits through trekking and homestays at local villages, as well as placements for volunteers such as English teachers for short or long-term periods. Oxfam is also involved in programs in Sa Pa. Training by the Hoa Sua School also aims to improve vocational skills and earnings potential for residents. Sun of Hope is a charity based in Ho Chi Minh City that helps to rehouse minority families, especially those with young children. They build new homes and refurbish existing homes.
Before the 1990s, the town's economy was mainly based on small-scale agriculture. Tourist arrivals grew from 4,860 to 138,622 between 1995 and 2003, and had surpassed 2 million by 2022.
Transportation
Currently, Sa Pa can only be reached by road, either by National Route 4D or Provincial Road 152 through the Muong Hoa Valley.Vietnam Railways provides passenger service from Hanoi to Lào Cai station, which is the northern terminus of the Hanoi–Lào Cai railway. From there, one can reach Sa Pa in about an hour by bus, automobile, or motorbike.
The nearest operational passenger airports serving Sa Pa are Noi Bai International Airport, which is to the southeast, and Dien Bien Airport, which is to the southwest.
Sapa Airport is currently under construction in Cam Cọn commune, which is located in the Bảo Yên district of Lào Cai province. When fully operational, the airport is expected to be capable of serving 1.5 million passengers each year.