A beautiful view from the top of Mt Long Tỷ Phùng. — Photo laichau.gov.vn

By Lâm Giang

The northwestern city of Lai Châu is considered one of the most attractive places to search for scenic clouds for landscape lovers.

From the centre of the city, the closest and easiest place to go and having the best view is from the top of Mt Long Tỷ Phùng, above Linh Ứng Pagoda.

Mt Long Tỷ Phùng is more than 1,100m above sea level, and there you will find a Buddha statue, looking towards the city.

Anyone who has been to Lai Châu and not ventured to the top of Mt Long Tỷ Phùng is considered to have not seen the city in all its splendour.

At about 5.30am, when everyone is sleeping or just getting up to exercise in the morning, we also woke to see the clouds at the top of Mt Long Tỷ Phùng. We rode motorbikes to Nùng Nàng Street, parked at Linh Ứng Pagoda and then walked up the mountain summit.

Mt Long Tỷ Phùng is currently a popular destination for young people to search for scenic clouds. — Photo baodantoc.vn

Around 6.00am, the sun comes out like a bright red ball, shining brightly on the sea of dazzling white clouds. 

Sometimes the white clouds stretch, we can see the image of the young city still sleeping. The rhythm of life in the early morning is still slow; slow moving cars; people running slowly around the lake; even the red and green traffic lights at the junctions don't seem to be in a hurry; the flocks of birds chirping on the canopy of trees; the surface of Thủy Sơn Lake, and the flower gardens blooming.

Under the early morning clouds, the city wakes up, reaching out to greet the new day in a brilliant dawn. Such sunny days with scattered clouds are signals of the wonderful weather of the city.

In Lai Châu City, you can search for scenic clouds in any season, as long as you overcome the early morning sleepiness. After monitoring the weather, if it rained heavily a few days ago, it is expected that the next day it will be sunny and possibly cloudy.

After seeing the wonderful sea of clouds and the beauty of the city from above, we continued to visit Linh Ứng Pagoda, which was built on an area of 5ha according to the prototype of northern Vietnamese pagodas.

Linh Ứng Pagoda of Lai Châu City. — Photo courtesy of Linh Ứng Pagoda

Attractive destination

Established in 2004, the young city of Lai Châu is on the rise with youthful, dynamic and modern energy, but still has a distinct and unique identity.

Located at an average altitude of nearly 1,000m above sea level, the city is one of the two with the highest elevation in Việt Nam (after Đà Lạt).

Lai Châu attracts visitors by the cool green colour of the surrounding mountains which embrace the city, the scenic tea hills stretching as far as the eye can see, the sparkling blue lakes and small winding streams. All are arranged in harmony with the lovely houses adorned with flowers.

In the city, visitors can also experience the daily life of ethnic groups at San Thàng Village and Gia Khâu Village or explore the Pu Sam Cáp cave complex that ranges from 1,300m to 1,700m above sea level.

This you will find in Sìn Hồ District, about 5km from the city centre, including three large caves: Thiên Môn, Thiên Đường and Thủy Tinh. Pu Sam Cáp is a wonderful product of the creator, with a landscape that is both poetic and charming, mysterious and magical.

San Thàng Village market. — Photo laichau.gov.vn

Meanwhile, San Thàng Village is home of about 70 households of the Giáy ethnics with rich cultural identities. Coming here, visitors will enjoy traditional cakes skillfully made from rice and maize by local women. VNS