The beauty of Sapa in winter

The winter in Sapa covers a new shirt that is different from other season. The beauty that could find no where in Vietnam.

Photographer Nguyen Van Thi has traveled to Sapa many times in the past 3 years every at the end of the year to hunt for pictures only available in winter.
He started touring the Northern provinces and fell in love with landscape photography at the end of 2018. He has been to Lao Cai 6 times to hunt for photos, but the most impressive trip is the trip to Sapa on the occasion of snowfall in Fansipan peak on New Year of the Ox.

“I was excited because I had never seen snow since I was a child, so I didn't miss the opportunity to arrange my things, contact a few friends in Sa Pa in advance, and then took a bus to go right in the night. The next morning, I was the one of the people who went to Fansipan at the earliest, when the snow covered everywhere had not yet left footprints. It is really beautiful and overwhelming, the emotions are indescribable, I don't know what to do but pick up the camera and take a photo," said Van Thi.

(Photo: Nguyen Van Thi)

The work of photography “The unchanged mind in the variable life”, won the prize, realistic photo category at the Young Photography Festival announced in October. The photo has the background of the Great Amitabha Buddha statue on Fansipan. In the middle of the snowy winter, the shooting angle was noticed by the author in previous shots.

The image of Buddha is the embodiment of well-being. Buddhism encourages people to live a good life to perfect their behavior, keep their faith steadfast in the face of difficulties and temptations around, and lead us to stay away from life's greed, hatred, and delusion. That's why Van Thi named the photo as above.

(Photo: Nguyen Van Thi)

The Bich Van Thien Tu pagoda on Fansipan in the white snow, built in the pure Vietnamese ancient pagoda architectural style, is a place where tourists and Buddhists from all over the world come to visit and worship during the holiday and New Year season.

(Photo: Nguyen Van Thi)

Frost and snow cover the lamp at Do Quyen station - departure station of Fansipan mountain train.

(Photo: Nguyen Van Thi)

Sa Pa is a famous tourist destination with many beautiful landscapes, especially in the year-end cloud season. In the photo is a sunrise scene taken in Hau Thao village, one of the places that still preserves unspoiled natural beauty, about 7 km from Sa Pa. In the distance is Ham Rong mountain with the highest point of 1,850 m, one of the beautiful places to hunt clouds.

(Photo: Nguyen Van Thi)

Clouds float over the church of Hau Thao parish, Hang Da village, Muong Hoa commune. Before hunting clouds, visitors should check the weather forecast, if the previous day it is still reporting rain but the next day it is sunny, there is a good chance that you will encounter a sea of clouds.

(Photo: Nguyen Van Thi)

Coming to the center of Sa Pa town, visitors can't ignore the Stone Church, an ancient symbol in the middle of the mountain town, built by the French in the early 20th century. This Catholic church is located on a prime location. It is a prime location with Ham Rong mountain behind, and a large, flat land in front. On winter days, the landscape around the church is shrouded in fanciful mist, bringing its own beauty.

A cold winter night in the area of the square with shimmering lights, opposite the Stone Church, there are only a few shops nearby to serve tourists.

(Photo: Nguyen Van Thi)

In addition, the central area, visitors can visit Sa Pa villages to experience the life of ethnic minorities, such as the H'Mong, the Red Dao or the Giay.
In the photo is the scene in the kitchen of the Red Dao women in Ban Khoang commune.

(Photo: Nguyen Van Thi)

In recent years, the cherry blossom garden on O Long tea plantation, Sa Pa is a famous destination on the tourist map of Lao Cai, attracting tourists and photographers to take pictures. Around the end of November last year, in the cold weather and dense fog, the cherry trees bloomed, dotted on the green tea plantation, creating a landscape picture like a fairyland.

From the center of Sa Pa, visitors go to the direction of National Highway 4D (ie the road to Thac Bac or O Quy Ho pass) about 8 km, notice the point of O Quy Ho Kindergarten on the right hand side, look opposite there is a small road turning left and go about 500m to reach O Long tea plantation.