Lao Cai (VNA) - Sa Pa winter festival 2017 kicked off inSa Pa resort town, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai onDecember 23 as part of activities to promote tourism potential of the locality inthe framework of the 2017 National Tourism Year.
An art performance featured songs welcoming the NewYear, while booths introducing traditional products of the locality werearranged along streets in the town.
Especially, an artificial snow space covering nearly 10,000 square metres openedwith a slew of impressive check-in points. Sa Pa is one of few places inVietnam where snow sometimes falls.
Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Sa Pa district Le Manh Hao said thetown is expected to welcome 40,000-50,000 tourists during the festival whichwill last until December 31.
The festival is one of the most famous cultural-tourism events in winter inVietnam. This is the second year the event has been held. Last year, the festival drew the participation of over 20,000visitors.
Located 350km northwest of Hanoi capital city, Sa Pa is 1,600m high above sealevel, with the average temperature of 15-18 Celsius degrees. The whole town isdominated by the Hoang Lien Son mountain range which is famous with theIndochina’s highest mountain of Fansipan at a height of 3,142 m above sealevel.
Discovered in 1903 by the French, Sa Pa has manynatural scenic sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall),Cau May (Rattan Bridge), Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave. The hill town is hometo six main ethnic minority groups, including Kinh, Hmong, Dao, Tay, Day and XaPho with various traditional festivals and unique cultural practices,especially the Bac Ha market and Sa Pa love market.
SaPa has been recognised as a national tourism site.-VNA