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As Lao Cai Province is mountainous and still developing, its natural environment is relatively environmentally unspoilt. This means that its potential as an ecotourism destination among Vietnamese and foreigners is still intact. It has now become popular and a novel experience among both Chinese and Vietnamese as a tourist destination, particularly a “sexualized and sensualised” border town of Lao Cai. Special border travel packages for tourists, arranged between China and Vietnam under the present political set up in Vietnam, has relaxed regulations permitting tourists to visit selected locations under conducted tours to places in Northern Vietnam and particularly to the provincial headquarter of Lao Cai. Lao Cai is the last stop before crossing into China on way to Cumming across the border, which lies at the end of the train line to China. Since then the Chinese tourists visiting Lao Cai on a one day trip or two days trip including the hill station town of Sapa in the province (a popular five trip is also organized covering Lao Cai, Hanoi, Halong and Hai Phong) recorded a quantum jump, from 4200 in 1995 to 176,310 in 2002. Lao Cai is popular among Chinese travellers (males, in particular) who are said to be “obsessed with Zhao Xiaojie (“looking for misses”) for its sex market. A male tourist from China made a mention: “There is a common saying in China: Vietnam sacrifices one generation of young women for the well-being of the next three generations.” A popular motorbiking route among tourists that covers the mountainous region of the province known as the “Tonkinese Alps”, is to start from the White Thai villages, Son La, historic site of Dien Bien Phu and terminating at Sapa. Sapa is one of 21 national tourism areas in Vietnam. Sapa is at an altitude of 1,200–1,800 metres (0.75–1.1 mi), has a mild climate throughout the year, lush, forested and mountainous scenery, waterfalls and is a hub of cultural activities of various ethnic minorities in the region, such as the Hmong and Dao people used to gather during the weekly market to “attend an ephemeral “Love Market” where young men and women chose partners to marry. Sapa is now associated with sex tourism, mainly Chinese and Vietnamese along with the border town of Lao Cai. It is 38 km away from the border town of Lao Cai. Visit to Sapa town is said to be more popular among visitors from Western Countries in view of its attraction of ethnic tribals. In fact, the French had established a Travel Bureau, as early as 1917, and the town was popular among the “French colonist” all through their rule as a hill resort. However, Sapa has gone through several rounds of destruction between 1947 and 1953, and again in 1979 due to war with French and Chinese. It has been partly restored and has gradually become a tourist hub since the region was opened to tourism in 1993. A good time to visit Sapa would be when Rice Field in different green shades are being harvested in the fall season (September to November). The colours of the rice fields indicate the time for harvesting various plots. The women of the ethnic minority tribes who harvest the crops on the fields further accentuate the different green shades of the fields with their eye catching red and indigo coloured dresses. Lao Cai has many historical sites, natural caves and produces agricultural specialties such as Bac Ha plums. |
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