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They said that 600 million years ago, the northwest region of Vietnam was still deeply sunk in the sea. After three movements of land formation, over one hundred millions of years, Hoang Lien Mountain urgently rose up as an endless mountain range with three peaks of Bach Moc Luong Tu, Fansipan and Pu Luong.

Fansipan is the highest peak of the Hoang Lien mountain range. According to the Lao Cai provincial map of geography published in 2000, Fansipan is 3,143m high over the sea level. To reach the peak, travelers have to climb up very high and down on the abrupt cliff to go ahead. Out of the main route to Fansipan peak, there are many others shortcuts often called crossing "cat road" that the Mong people used to go.

Compared with the roof of the fatherland, even adventurous people also have to admit that Fansipan peak was full of obstacles and difficult of access but very interesting. Fansipan climate is cool year round and suitable for all kinds of valuable and rare flora and fauna. Besides the gold mine like Pomu trees, Fansipan has many other kinds of famous timbers such as lanh sam, thiet sam, and lieu sam. Intermixed with Kim leaf forest are of various flowers such as water-rail, orchid and hoang anh. On Fansipan peak, water-rail flower has 4 families of 20 different species while orchid has 330 of the total 643 species in Vietnam.

Fansipan is also home for crops of temperate fruits such as plum, pear and peach... lasting till August of the year. Early temperate fruits are very big and sweet-smelling. In the end of crops, they are smaller but charming colour and fragrance.

From the height of 2,400m, you will enjoy a feeling of harmony in nature. At the height of 2,800m, the sky seems to be strangely clear and blue. 25 - 30 cm high bushes of ivory bamboo cover all the ground. There are some kinds of plants belonging to families of sedge, rose, chrysanthemum and hoang lien growing on rocks in frozen climate.

At the height of 2,963m, there is a milestone marking the year 1905 when French people conquered this peak. Continuing to climb up, you will see i a giant rock block lifted by smaller rocks like a table. Coming here, you will have a chance to have a panorama view. Fansipan, in dialect called hua-si-pan that means a giant rock lying tottery, some time they call Phan Xi Pang. The roof of the fatherland is so imposing under sky and created by giant rocks.

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