The route to the “Indochina Rooftop”, the name given to the top of Phan Xi Pang (Fan Si Pan) Mountain, is being discouraged for tourists because in order to do so, one has to pass through a zone of primitive forest which belongs to Hoang Lien National Park and directly impacts the ability to preserve valuable gene sources for at-risk plants and animals that call the ecosystem home here.
These were the sentiments expressed by Dr. Tran Huu Son, Director of Lao Cai Province's Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism.
Tourists gather to take on Phan Xi Pang Mountain
According to Dr. Son, conquering Fan Xi Pan Mountain covers 3,000 metres is a desire for many people, especially young tourists and foreigners. However, the route to “Indochina and Vietnam's Rooftop” is extremely rough, especially when tourists have to pass through the base zone of primitive forest which belongs to Hoang Lien National Park (Asean Sapa Heritage Park) thus, it directly impacts the ability to preserve the valuable gene source for plant and animal systems in the small and temperate zone in Sapa and other mountains surrounding Phan Xi Pang.
For these reasons, the Culture, Sport and Tourism Branch in Lao Cai Province is discouraging people from climbing to the top of Fan Xi Pan Mountain.
In October 2010, The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism is cooperating with the People’s Committee in Lao Cai Province to host a climbing competition to determine who gets to plant the Vietnamese flag on top of Fan Xi Pan in order to celebrate the Thang Long – Hanoi 2010 Festival.
“We will be proposing that the number of people allowed to register in the competition be reduced as it is extremely difficult to to manage the fire and illegal logging incidents,” said Dr.Son.
Moreover, Dr. Son stated that 17 hydroelectricity projects getting licenses in Sapa will cause damage to the environment and negatively impact tourism. This could be the reason for a 54% reduction of the number of tourists visiting Sapa in 2009 compared to 2008.
Previously, Mr. Pham Van Dang, The Director of Hoang Lien National Park, stated tourists' impact is not as worrisome as the local people setting fire to the forest.
Flowers such as these are at-risk with tourists climbing Fan Xi Pan
Beautiful scenery in Ban Ho Commune (Sapa) attracts many tourists, but the views are disrupted by the Seo Chong Ho hydroelectricity Factory construction
