The Northwest has dozens of dangerous passes, and backpackers always want to conquer four legendary passes known as the "Four Great Passes" in the Fatherland's mountainous and remote areas.
Ma Pi Leng Pass - Ha Giang
The Northwest has dozens of dangerous passes, and backpackers always want to conquer four legendary passes known as the "Four Great Passes" in the Fatherland's mountainous and remote areas. Ma Pi Leng Pass, Pha Din Pass, O Quy Ho Pass, and Khau San Pass are among them.
Pha Din Pass
Where is the "first" pass?
Ma Pi Leng Pass, located in Ha Giang geopark on the 164km long Happiness Road, has 9 bends with a steep cliff on one side and a chasm on the other side, which has been the "fear" of many long-distance drivers. Any backpacker, however, wishes to conquer Ma Pi Leng Pass in order to see the majestic mountains and rivers of Nho Que deep and far like a green thread. And Ma Pi Leng Pass became legendary as a result of heartwarming stories about the power of community. For nearly a year, 16 ethnic groups from eight northern provinces stood shoulder to shoulder, hung themselves, razed the road to complete 20 kilometers of the pass, and marked the occasion with tears, smiles, and noble sacrifices.
The clouds covering the top of the mountain can be seen from Pha Din Pass.
Are heaven and earth gnawing on each other?
Pha Din is one of Vietnam's longest passes, measuring 32 kilometers in length. Pha Din pass is famous for its slopes and sleeve bends, letter A and letter Z, and is located in the two provinces of Son La and Dien Bien, with zigzag terrain on the side of the cliff. The original Thai name for the pass is San Din, which means "San" means heaven, and "Din" means earth, implying that this location is the meeting point of heaven and earth. Yes, from halfway up to the top of the pass, anyone feels like straying into the cloud realm, feet touching the ground, and the floating clouds wandering the ridges are very close to that, in the distance, peaceful villages with looming stilt roofs and single-colored rice and corn plots.
View the rice terraces as they pour water from O Quy Ho Pass.
O Quy Ho Pass
Is it snow-covered?
Few passes in Vietnam are as beautiful in winter as the O Quy Ho Pass, which connects the provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau. The Gate of Heaven is also known as the highest point of O Quy Ho Pass, which is more than 2,000 kilometers above sea level. From here, you can also see Lai Chau valley with mountains and the majestic Fanxipang peak on both sides of the two provinces. In the winter, when the cold air waves intensify, O Quy Ho attracts visitors to the highlands to watch the snow. The nearly 50km long O Quy Ho Pass is also in the path of many marathons, which athletes enjoy because they can race while also enjoying the beautiful natural scenery on the side of the road with waterfalls, majestic mountains, and clear air in peaceful mountains and forests.
Source: Hương Quỳnh