Lao Cai Province saw a surging number of domestic and international tourists in the first half of 2023 with nearly 3.8 million visitors, a sharp rise of 90 per cent compared to the same period last year. More than 1.5 million of them chose Sa Pa town as their holiday destination. Those impressive statistics were achieved thanks to a series of festivals held over the past few months, especially during the National Reunification Day and May Day holiday (April 30-May 1) and peak summer season.
The series of activities to celebrate 120th founding anniversary of Sa Pa resort town have been a highlighted attraction to visitors.
Visitors can feel the festive atmosphere right on the central streets of the town not only in the first six months of the year but also right now in July.
Tourists should not miss watching parade cars carrying fresh roses along with traditional dance and singing performed by local ethnic groups of H’Mong, Dao, Giay, Tay, Xa Pho. The Rose Festival is a new tourism product invested by Sun World Fansipan Legend to create unique attraction for Sa Pa town.
Nguyen Anh Vu, deputy director of Sun World Fansipan Legend, said the tourism programs with many preferential products of Sun World this year have contributed to the strong recovery of local tourism.
“In the past six months, the number of tourists coming here has increased by 45 per cent compared to the same period last year and is almost equal to the same period in 2019 before COVID-19,” he said.
Photo Caption: A garden covering thousands of square meters with hundreds of roses at the Fansipan cable car area. Photo: Q.Lien
This shows a positive sign showing Sa Pa has strongly recovered the smokeless industry. A lot of cultural festival events have been held throughout the year to celebrate 120 years of Sa Pa tourism, including Rose Festival (from April to the end of July), the Bicycle Race “Conquering Mong Sen – Vietnam’s tallest viaduct” (in July); Sa Pa Cultural Tourism Week (September); International Food Festival (September-October); Vietnam – China border trade fair at Kim Thanh commercial area, Lao Cai City (fourth quarter); Summer Festival “Sa Pa – Land of Love” (April-July); Autumn Festival “Sa Pa – Golden Festival” (August-October); Fansipan Purple Flower Festival (June-August) and Golden Flower Festival at Fansipan Legend Cable Car Resort.
Photo Caption: Various varieties of roses in Fansipan Legend. It takes visitors the whole hour to visit all garden. Photo: Q.Lien
Unique international food festival
The highlight of 120th celebration of Sapa tourism will be International Food Festival to be held this September.
Nguyen Duy Thanh, Vice Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial Tourism Association, said that this is one of well-prepared activities with the participation of about 100 domestic and foreign businesses. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy lots of dishes with regional identity such as Thang Co (stewed horse meat), sour vegetables, five-color sticky rice, buffalo soaked in rice ferment or dishes made from salmon, sturgeon, village pigs. Food sources are grown by Sa Pa’s local people.
Talking about Sa Pa cuisine, we should not miss dishes made from salmon and sturgeon. The year-round cool climate creates favorable conditions for salmon and sturgeon farming. Sa Pa has many salmon and sturgeon farms that supply fish to not only restaurants in Sa Pa but also many other provinces and cities. Dishes such as salmon salad, salmon hot pot, salmon sausage, braised salmon are highly recommended to tourists.
Photo caption: Braised Sa Pa salmon. Photo: Q.Lien
Photo Caption: A salmon breeding tank in Sa Pa. Photo: Q.Lien
Tourists should not also miss other Sa Pa unique dishes of ethnic community such as stewed horse meat, con sui (dry food in sauce), buffalo soaked in rice ferment.
The unique dish of con sui is attractive to young people. “Con Sui” is the local language, which means rice noodle soup served with sauce. The noodles are as soft as the Hanoi noodles. They are not served with broth but thick sauce only, making it a special taste.
Photo Caption: Con Sui in Sa Pa is a favourite dish of the youth. Photo: Q.Lien
Photo Caption: Buffalo soaked in rice ferment dish is worth a try, especially on chilly days. Image: Q.Lien
Taking about 4-5 hours to travel from Hanoi by car or 10 hours by train, Sa Pa is an ideal destination not only in the summer to help tourists escape the sweltering heat, but also in the autumn to enjoy terraced fields in the golden ripe rice season. September which is the autumn start will be the most beautiful season of terraced fields. The fields are then covered with golden sunshine in the cool and less cloudy weather.
Photo Caption: The terraces are the most beautiful when the rice turns ripe.
Sa Pa is entering the peak tourism season and always ready to welcome domestic and international tourists. Tourism promotion programs and products will be a driving force to promote local tourism./.
Words: Q.Lien
