Experts from the Institute of Earth Sciences under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology surveyed the Nam Voi-Pu Dao area as part of research into sustainable ecotourism development.
The team identified the roughly 10-km Nam Voi debris flow, nicknamed the Stone Dragon by local residents, as a feature of scientific interest that could support research on geological hazards and disaster risk reduction.
If further studies confirm its potential, the site could be developed as a geological research station and an educational destination for students, researchers and visitors.
Tran Quang Khang, deputy director of Lai Chau's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the survey was only an initial assessment and that no official geological evaluation or tourism development proposal had yet been submitted.
He said the province had asked the institute to conduct more detailed research, including geological surveys and landscape assessments, before any decision on tourism development is considered.
The department said the area also benefits from nearby cultural and historical attractions, including Pu Dao, the nationally protected Le Loi Stele, and the traditional culture of the Mang ethnic minority, which could support sustainable tourism in the future.
Any development, authorities said, should balance conservation, tourism and local livelihoods.
