Fansipan to close until the end of March 2014

Hoang Lien National Park has sent notice to all travel agents, tour operators with the content of closing the forest, prohibiting all activities related to go into this area. According to this notice, Hoang Lien National Park suspends the license to sell tickets for sightseeing tours in Hoang Lien National Park from 24 January to the end of March 2014. This prohibition is applied to all tourism activities within the park. That also means that activities relating to conquer Fansipan during this time will be canceled.

The weather on the north of the country is currently in dry time, increasing the risk of fire. Especially, in Lao Cai province on December 2013, the unprecedented sleet in history came down many local highland Sapa district. The most affected area is Hoang Lien National Park, snow fell for several days, thick layer of snow covered bushes, grasses, vines and ground in the forests. After more than a week when the snow stopped falling, the snow began smelting and then the hoarfrost appeared. Snow and hoarfrost makes the vegetation and the ground dead and dry, creating high risk of forest fires; travel routes are heavily damaged.

Hoang Lien National Park during the unprecedented sleet in history came down.

 Until the end of March, tourists will not have chance to conquer and explore the Fansipan mount. Many travel companies and tour operators have to cancel tours to Fansipan though many customers signed up early. Many backpackers had planned to travel to this location in the Lunar New Year and the beginning of a new year also had to cancel.

Fansipan Mount

By Mai Phuong