Sapa - Lao Cai

Sapa, laying two thousand meters high among the North Vietnamese mountains, is one of the most romantic regions of the country. In the inaccessible valleys a large number of little peoples and particular languages have survived from before the Chinese and Vietnamese conquests. Lowland Vietnamese live here in a small number only since in this valley with a pleasant climate and clean air the French in 1912 founded a military sanatorium and resort. Above the valley rises the 3,142 meters high Fan Si Pan, the last peak of the southern Himalayas. The region with several rare animals and plants – many of which endemic only here – was declared a national park in 2006.

Ilya Stepanov, one of the best Russian photo bloggers was here in March, and since then he from time to time publishes a new beautiful photo series on the town, the surrounding area, a Hmong peasant house where he was invited in, a little buffalo herdsman. Here we present his enchanting images as a collection, and if there will be a new series, we will also add it.