Tu Le rice fields ( Yen Bai ) are covered in a captivating yellow color during the ripe rice season - Photo: NAM TRAN
When you imagine magnificent Asian rice fields winding along majestic mountain slopes, do you think of one of the 7 most beautiful terraced fields in the world in Sa Pa (Lao Cai) or the golden steps that attract Western tourists in Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai)?
Possessing many similarities in terrain, nature, long history and seamless traffic connections, Lao Cai and Yen Bai are considered a pair of provinces with perfect complementarity on the Northwest tourism map.
Becoming the 'Northwest tourism pearl' reaching international level?
Lao Cai - Yen Bai when "coming together" is expected to become a key tourist area of the Northwest, where majestic landscapes, rich cultural identity and geographical location advantages converge.
In fact, in the past, from 1976 to 1991, the three provinces of Yen Bai - Nghia Lo - Lao Cai merged into an administrative entity called Hoang Lien Son. During this period, there existed a "giant" tourist area stretching from Fansipan peak to Thac Ba lake, names that have entered the Vietnamese and international tourism map.
Sea of clouds on Fansipan peak - Photo: MINH TU
After 15 years of existence, in 1991, Hoang Lien Son was divided again. Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces were re-established, marking a new stage of development, separate but still bearing the common historical mark.
Lao Cai owns Sa Pa, one of the most famous tourist towns in Vietnam, in the top 16 most beautiful towns in the world voted by Time Out magazine (UK), Fansipan peak is known as the "roof of Indochina" with a height of 3,143m, with Hoang Lien National Park - ASEAN Heritage Park...
In recent years, taking advantage of its position as a border province, Lao Cai has developed road tours to China through Lao Cai border gate. During all major holidays, this border gate is always crowded with tourists.
During the recent April 30 and May 1 holidays, the number of tourists traveling to China through Lao Cai international border gate was estimated at 40,000/5 days.
In general, during the 5-day holiday (April 30 - May 4), Lao Cai welcomed 265,000 domestic and foreign tourists, with tourism revenue reaching over VND900 billion. Of which, Sa Pa town still leads the province with about 152,000 visitors.
In Yen Bai, according to the report of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the total number of visitors is estimated to reach over 212,000. Of which, there are over 68,400 overnight guests, international visitors reached 36,104. Revenue reached over 180 billion VND.
Yen Bai tourism stands out as the "original land" with a unique geological and cultural area stretching from Mu Cang Chai, Tram Tau to Van Chan.
Places in Yen Bai with strong local cultural identity and wild scenery - Photo: NAM TRAN
CNBC has described Mu Cang Chai as a gem deep in the valleys built by the Red River, with many mountain villages blending with terraced fields.
This destination was voted by travel website Big Seven Travel as one of the 50 most beautiful tourist destinations in the world in 2020 (ranked 21st).
Many destinations in Yen Bai are loved by Western tourists with thrilling travel experiences such as parachuting to see ripe rice fields from the top of Khau Pha pass, one of the four great mountain passes in Vietnam, or ziplining in Tu Le (Van Chan district)...
Number of tourists to Lao Cai and Yen Bai over the years (Unit: million)
In terms of tourism data, there is a big difference between the two provinces, with Lao Cai outperforming in terms of visitor numbers for three consecutive years from 2022-2024.
However, in the past 2 years, Yen Bai has also clearly shown its transformation with the appearance of a series of high-end resorts and products attracting high-spending customers.
When the two provinces come together, the new Lao Cai will "embrace" two global tourist destinations, Sa Pa and Mu Cang Chai. The re-merger after more than 30 years of separation not only means streamlined administrative management, but also opens up new prospects for the Northwest tourism industry.
In particular, the "heritage belt" stretching from Fansipan peak to Thac Ba lake expands the destination fund, increases the length of stay, spending capacity and experience level of tourists. Balancing tourism development between regions within the locality with inter-regional and inter-provincial products...
The name of the province is not only a name but also a tourism brand.
According to experts, one problem that arose during the merger process was that the names of places with historical, cultural and tourist value were changed or erased from administrative maps.
This not only affects local identity but also impacts tourism brand recognition and people's psychology.
For example, when mentioning Sa Pa, people are not just talking about a tourist destination, but are referring to a symbol: a symbol of limitless beauty, a symbol of the intersection between nature and culture, between the past and the present.
Therefore, if the names of tourist destinations are changed, it will affect the number of searches on travel platforms such as Booking.com, Agoda or Facebook, because tourists will have difficulty identifying the location.
Furthermore, sites like Agoda and Traveloka will take a long time to update, affecting bookings. In particular, promotional campaigns associated with tourist destinations will also be affected.
Some travel agencies selling Northwest tourism products expressed their hope that even if the provinces merge, the names of famous tourist destinations such as Sa Pa or Mu Cang Chai will be kept forever.
At the same time, this is also considered a challenge for businesses when building new tourism products, with the question being: how to innovate products without losing the "core" of the locality, which is the cultural characteristics and national identity.
To preserve historical, cultural values and tourism brands, experts suggest applying dual naming or adding place names to the new administrative unit, such as "Sa Pa - Muong Khuong" instead of just Muong Khuong. At the same time, the government can maintain signs, historical documents and organize events to ensure that the old place names are still recognized.
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NG. THANH THUY
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lao-cai-yen-bai-sap-nhap-da-sa-pa-con-them-mu-cang-chai-dep-ai-chiu-noi-2025060117443123.htm
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