Sa Pa - Wikipedia

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District-level town in Northwest, Vietnam

Sa Pa Sapa
District-level town (Class-4)
Sa Pa TownThị xã Sa Pa
View of Sa Pa
Seal
Country	Vietnam
Region	Northwest
Province	Lào Cai
Capital	Sa Pa ward
Area[1]
• District-level town (Class-4)	685 km2 (264 sq mi)
Elevation[2]	1,600 m (5,200 ft)
Population (2022)[3]
• District-level town (Class-4)	70,663
• Density	103/km2 (267/sq mi)
• Urban[4]	20,503
• Rural[5]	50,160
Time zone	UTC+7 (UTC + 7)
Postal code	330000
Climate	subtropical highland climate (Cfb)

Sa Pa ([ʃaːpaː] ⓘ, also written as Sapa) is a former district-level town of Lào Cai province in the Northwest region of Vietnam. The town has an area of 685 km2 (264 sq mi) and a population of 70,663 as of 2022.[3] The town capital is located in Sa Pa ward.[6] It is an important market and touristic town. Ethnic minorities (such as the Hmong, Dao, Giáy, and Tày) make up the vast majority of Sa Pa's population.

Etymology

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The name "Sa Pa" originates from the Mandarin Chinese language (Chinese: 沙壩; pinyin: Sa Ba), meaning "sandy beach". The location name first appeared as "Chapa" on the national map when the French arrived in Tonkin in the late 1880s.[citation needed] Sa Pa is pronounced with the "Ch" sound of French ("Sh" in English).

History

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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.[citation needed] Later came the Hmong, Dao, Giáy, and Tày peoples, still present in Sa Pa today.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10]

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, 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.[11] The "Area of Old Carved Stone in Sapa" has been on the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Vietnam since 1997.[12]

Geography

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Sa Pa is located in the western part of Lao Cai province, Northwest Vietnam, roughly 250 km (155 mi) northwest of Hanoi and 20 km (12 mi) 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 1,600 m (5,200 ft)[2], 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 2,000–2,500 m (6,562–8,202 ft) above sea level. A dwarf forest is found at 2,500–3,000 m (8,202–9,843 ft), 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

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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

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Sa Pa
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     70     12 6     73     14 7     104     18 10     213     21 14     340     22 16     381     22 17     461     23 17     451     23 17     303     21 15     201     19 13     106     16 10     65     13 7 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: Vietnam Meteorological Administration
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.8     54 43     2.9     57 45     4.1     64 50     8.4     70 57     13     72 61     15     72 63     18     73 63     18     73 63     12     70 59     7.9     66 55     4.2     61 50     2.6     55 45 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Climate data for Sa Pa, elevation 1,570 m (5,150 ft)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	23.2(73.8)	25.8(78.4)	28.1(82.6)	29.8(85.6)	30.0(86.0)	29.4(84.9)	29.3(84.7)	29.6(85.3)	28.2(82.8)	27.2(81.0)	26.7(80.1)	24.0(75.2)	30.0(86.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	12.3(54.1)	14.3(57.7)	18.2(64.8)	21.3(70.3)	22.4(72.3)	22.9(73.2)	23.0(73.4)	23.0(73.4)	21.7(71.1)	19.0(66.2)	16.1(61.0)	13.2(55.8)	18.9(66.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	8.6(47.5)	10.4(50.7)	13.9(57.0)	17.1(62.8)	18.9(66.0)	19.8(67.6)	19.8(67.6)	19.5(67.1)	18.2(64.8)	15.7(60.3)	12.5(54.5)	9.4(48.9)	15.3(59.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	6.2(43.2)	7.8(46.0)	10.8(51.4)	14.0(57.2)	16.3(61.3)	17.6(63.7)	17.7(63.9)	17.4(63.3)	15.9(60.6)	13.7(56.7)	10.2(50.4)	7.0(44.6)	12.9(55.2)
Record low °C (°F)	−6.1(21.0)	−1.3(29.7)	−3.5(25.7)	3.0(37.4)	8.2(46.8)	10.8(51.4)	7.0(44.6)	10.4(50.7)	8.7(47.7)	5.6(42.1)	1.0(33.8)	−3.2(26.2)	−6.1(21.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	70.2(2.76)	73.5(2.89)	104.5(4.11)	213.4(8.40)	340.6(13.41)	381.4(15.02)	461.0(18.15)	451.9(17.79)	303.1(11.93)	201.3(7.93)	106.3(4.19)	65.7(2.59)	2,779.6(109.43)
Average rainy days	16.3	16.3	15.7	17.9	22.2	24.4	25.6	23.4	19.8	18.6	13.8	13.5	228.1
Average relative humidity (%)	87.8	85.5	82.1	82.3	84.8	86.9	88.3	88.8	90.0	90.8	80.5	80.3	87.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours	113.3	115.6	151.2	167.8	148.1	98.9	104.1	114.2	101.7	94.0	112.5	121.0	1,435.9
Source 1: Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology[13]
Source 2: The Yearbook of Indochina (1930-1931)[14]

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 (Cfb).[15] Mean annual temperature for Sa Pa town is 15.3 °C (59.5 °F), with a record high of 30.0 °C (86.0 °F) and a record low of −6.1 °C (21.0 °F). 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 2,779 millimetres (109.4 in), with a high of 4,023 millimetres (158.4 in) and a low of 2,064 millimetres (81.3 in). 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.[citation needed]

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

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Sa Pa is subdivided into 16 commune-level subdivisions, including 6 wards (Cầu Mây, Hàm Rồng, Ô Quý Hồ, Phan Si Păng, Sa Pa, Sa Pả) and 10 rural communes (Bản Hồ, Hoàng Liên, Liên Minh, Mường Bo, Mường Hoa, Ngũ Chỉ Sơn, Tả Phìn, Tả Van, Thanh Bình, and Trung Chải).

Demographics

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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

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The people of the Sa Pa area have been among the poorest in Vietnam, even by rural standards.[16] As of 2022, the poverty rate in Sa Pa was 28%.[17]

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.[18] Oxfam is also involved in programs in Sa Pa.[19][20] 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.[citation needed]

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,[citation needed] and had surpassed 2 million by 2022.[21]

Transportation

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Currently, Sa Pa can only be reached by road, either by National Route 4D or Provincial Road 152 through the Muong Hoa Valley.[22]

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 283 km (176 mi) to the southeast, and Dien Bien Airport, which is 264 km (164 mi) 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 370 ha (914 acres) airport is expected to be capable of serving 1.5 million passengers each year.[23]

Gallery

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• Rice terraces in Sa Pa
• Rice terraces in Sa Pa
• Panorama of Sa Pa towards Fansipan
• Sa Pa town viewed from Ham Rong mountain
• Sa Pa Lake
• Sa Pa Lake Square
• A street in Sa Pa
• An area selling clothes and other items
• Sa Pa Stone Church
• Hmong women selling handicrafts
• Hmong people in Sa Pa
• Hmong children
• Dao women in traditional costumes
• Children in Sa Pa
• Silver Waterfall, Sa Pa
• Cát Cát Waterfall, Cát Cát village, Sa Pa
• Petroglyphs in Sa Pa
• Sa Pa blanketed in snow
• Sa Pa blanketed in snow
• Sa Pa blanketed in snow

References

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1. ^ Lao Cai Statistics Office 2023, p. 29.
2. ^ a b Lao Cai Statistics Office 2023, p. 9.
3. ^ a b Lao Cai Statistics Office 2023, p. 73.
4. ^ Lao Cai Statistics Office 2023, p. 79.
5. ^ Lao Cai Statistics Office 2023, p. 80.
6. ^ "Districts of Vietnam". Statoids. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
7. ^ Michaud, J. 2001, French Chapa, a short history. Hanoi: Victoria hotels.
8. ^ Michaud, Jean (2008). "Flexibilité de l'économie chez les Hmong de la haute région du Viêt-nam septentrional". Aséanie, Sciences humaines en Asie du Sud-Est (in French). 22: 151–183.
9. ^ China – Vietnam Boundary (PDF). International Boundary Study No. 38 (Report). Washington, D.C.: Office of the Geographer, Bureau of Intelligence and Research. 15 December 1978. IBS No. 38. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
10. ^ Michaud, Jean (2004). "French Missionary Expansion in Colonial Upper Tonkin". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 35 (2): 287–310. doi:10.1017/S0022463404000153. JSTOR 20072581.
11. ^ Michaud, Jean; Turner, Sarah (2006). "Contending Visions of a Hill-Station in Vietnam". Annals of Tourism Research. 33 (3): 705–808. Bibcode:2006AnnTR..33..785M. doi:10.1016/j.annals.2006.02.003.
12. ^ "The Area of Old Carved Stone in Sapa".
13. ^ "Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology" (PDF).
14. ^ The Yearbook of Indochina (1930-1931)
15. ^ "Temperature, Climograph, Climate table for Sa Pa". Climate-Data.org.
16. ^ Minot N., Epprecht M., Tran Thi Tram Anh, Le Quang Trung, 2006 Income Diversification and Poverty in the Northern Uplands of Vietnam. International Food Policy Institute. Research Report 145:29.
17. ^ Lao Cai Statistics Office 2023, p. 514.
18. ^ Sheffield Telegraph, 14 June 2012, "Sheffield teaching a class apart".
19. ^ Centre for Social Initiatives Promotion, Start-up Level 2011.
20. ^ Oxfam 2012, Oxfam in Vietnam.
21. ^ Lao Cai Statistics Office 2023, p. 380.
22. ^ "Muong Hoa Valley". Asia King Travel. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
23. ^ "Construction on Sa Pa airport begins". VietnamPlus. Hanoi, Vietnam: Vietnam News Agency. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2025.

Bibliography

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• Lao Cai Statistics Office (2023). Lao Cai Statistical Yearbook 2022 (PDF). Hanoi: Statistical Publishing House. ISBN 978-6047524655.
• Forbes, Andrew, and Henley, David: 'Sapa and the north-west' in: Vietnam Past and Present: The North (History and culture of Hanoi and Tonkin). Chiang Mai. Cognoscenti Books, 2012. ASIN: B006DCCM9Q.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sa Pa. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Sapa.

• Oxfam in Vietnam (PDF)

22°20′26″N 103°49′51″E / 22.34056°N 103.83083°E / 22.34056; 103.83083

• Official website of the provincial government Archived 2020-10-26 at the Wayback Machine (Vietnamese)

v t e Cities in Vietnam
Municipalities	Special Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Class-1 Cần Thơ Da Nang Haiphong Huế
Municipal cities	Class-1 Thủ Đức Class-3 Thủy Nguyên
Provincial cities	Class-1 Bắc Ninh Biên Hòa Buôn Ma Thuột Da Lat Hạ Long Hải Dương Hoa Lư Long Xuyên Mỹ Tho Nha Trang Phú Quốc Pleiku Quy Nhon Rạch Giá Thái Nguyên Thanh Hóa Thủ Dầu Một Việt Trì Vinh Vũng Tàu Class-2 Bà Rịa Bạc Liêu Bắc Giang Bến Tre Cà Mau Cao Lãnh Cẩm Phả Châu Đốc Đồng Hới Hà Tĩnh Lào Cai Lạng Sơn Móng Cái Nam Định Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm Phan Thiết Phủ Lý Quảng Ngãi Sa Đéc Sơn La Tam Kỳ Tân An Thái Bình Trà Vinh Tuy Hòa Uông Bí Vị Thanh Vĩnh Long Vĩnh Yên Class-3 Bắc Kạn Bảo Lộc Bến Cát Cam Ranh Cao Bằng Chí Linh Dĩ An Điện Biên Phủ Đông Hà Đông Triều Đồng Xoài Gia Nghĩa Gò Công Hà Giang Hà Tiên Hòa Bình Hội An Hưng Yên Hồng Ngự Kon Tum Lai Châu Long Khánh Ngã Bảy Phổ Yên Phú Mỹ Phúc Yên Sầm Sơn Sóc Trăng Sông Công Tân Uyên Tam Điệp Tây Ninh Thuận An Tuyên Quang Từ Sơn Yên Bái
District-level towns	Class-3 An Nhơn Bỉm Sơn Bình Minh Cai Lậy Kỳ Anh La Gi Long Mỹ Phú Thọ Quảng Yên Sông Cầu Sơn Tây Tân Châu Class-4 An Khê Ayun Pa Ba Đồn Bình Long Buôn Hồ Chơn Thành Chũ Duy Tiên Duyên Hải Điện Bàn Đức Phổ Đông Hòa Giá Rai Hòa Thành Hoài Nhơn Hoàng Mai Hồng Lĩnh Hương Thủy Hương Trà Kiến Tường Kinh Môn Mường Lay Mỹ Hào Ngã Năm Nghi Sơn Nghĩa Lộ Ninh Hòa Phước Long Quảng Trị Quế Võ Sa Pa Thái Hòa Thuận Thành Tịnh Biên Trảng Bàng Việt Yên Vĩnh Châu

v t e Districts of Northwest Vietnam
Điện Biên province	Điện Biên Phủ city※ Mường Lay town Điện Biên Điện Biên Đông Mường Ảng Mường Chà Mường Nhé Nậm Pồ Tủa Chùa Tuần Giáo
Hòa Bình province	Hòa Bình city※ Cao Phong Đà Bắc Kim Bôi Lạc Sơn Lạc Thủy Lương Sơn Mai Châu Tân Lạc Yên Thủy
Lai Châu province	Lai Châu city※ Mường Tè Nậm Nhùn Phong Thổ Sìn Hồ Tam Đường Tân Uyên Than Uyên
Lào Cai province	Lào Cai city※ Sa Pa town Bắc Hà Bảo Thắng Bảo Yên Bát Xát Mường Khương Si Ma Cai Văn Bàn
Sơn La province	Sơn La city※ Mộc Châu town Bắc Yên Mai Sơn Mường La Phù Yên Quỳnh Nhai Sông Mã Sốp Cộp Thuận Châu Vân Hồ Yên Châu
Yên Bái province	Yên Bái city※ Nghĩa Lộ town Lục Yên Mù Cang Chải Trạm Tấu Trấn Yên Văn Chấn Văn Yên Yên Bình
※ denotes provincial seat.

Authority control databases	VIAF