Ham Rong Mountain: The famous dragon-head-shaped mountain of Sapa

Sapa is known as one of the famous tourist destinations with its fresh and cool climate all year round. Besides that, the area is also famous for its pristine and majestic landscapes. Among them, you cannot miss the Ham Rong Mountain, a favorite hiking destination for many. Let’s explore the important experiences when traveling to Ham Rong Mountain.

Ham Rong Mountain – The Land of Fantasy in the Northwest

Ham Rong Mountain is no longer unfamiliar to the people in the misty town of Sapa. It is one of the mountains in the Hoang Lien Son range, located near the town of Sapa. At the same time, this place is recognized as an ecotourism area, a famous tourist destination loved by many domestic and foreign tourists.

There are many legends about Ham Rong Mountain, such as: Some people have witnessed two dragons playing with each other, and suddenly, there was an extremely fierce downpour. Because it came so fast, only one dragon managed to fly up to the sky, while the other dragon remained trapped in the mortal world and later turned into a stone facing the dragon that flew away. 

Therefore, the head of the dragon is now Ham Rong Mountain, and the tail extends from Heaven’s Gate to the O Quy Ho Pass and ends in Muong Hoa commune. In addition, there is another legend about three dragon siblings. Because the Jade Emperor ordered that every creature had to establish its own boundary, the three dragon siblings looked to the East and saw no available space, so they decided to run to the West to claim their territory. However, the youngest dragon was unable to keep up and turned into stone when the competition ended. At that time, he raised his head high and opened his mouth, so the mountain is now called Ham Rong (Jaw Dragon). The other two dragons returned to save him but failed, and they also turned into two large mountain ranges side by side, which you can observe from Sapa commune.

Ham Rong Mountain was officially exploited, constructed, and developed for tourism in 1996, with many attractive tourist spots such as flower gardens, stone gardens, a cloud yard, and a sky gate to attract more visitors.

How to Get to Ham Rong Mountain

Ham Rong Mountain is one of the tourist destinations quite close to Sapa town. When you arrive in Sapa, you only need to travel about 3km to reach the base of Ham Rong Mountain. When you arrive in the town of Sapa, to get to this tourist destination, you need to head in the direction of the Sapa Stone Church. After that, you continue straight along that road to reach Ham Rong Mountain, just past the church. Since the mountain is only about 3km from the town center, you can choose various ways to get there, such as walking to improve your health. In addition, you can travel by personal vehicle, and there is a parking area at the foot of the mountain. You can also choose convenient transportation services in Sapa, such as taxis or electric cars if you are traveling with a group, or use public buses.

Exploring Ham Rong Mountain in Sapa

The total area of the Ham Rong Mountain ecotourism area is up to 148 hectares, so you can be assured that you will have valuable check-in photos for your efforts when visiting this place. The mountain is 1,800 meters high and features many small landscapes, vibrant flower gardens, and stunning scenery. The combination of natural and man-made beauty creates a highly attractive natural space. The construction began in 1996 to exploit the natural and cultural values of the mountains. The higher you go, the more beautiful the scenery becomes, and to reach the summit, you have to go through stone steps, accessing many unique landscapes. Let’s explore some beautiful sites in Ham Rong Mountain:

Central Flower Garden

The central flower garden at Ham Rong Mountain is the area with flowers arranged into the words “Sapa” in a very beautiful and delicate style, with a very European and unique Western style. You can climb to a higher stone staircase to get an overview of the beautiful flower garden.

Thach Lam Stone Garden

Thach Lam Stone Garden makes you feel like you are getting lost in a fairyland with stone slabs resembling dragon claws and dragon scales, looking very unique and interesting. This area has many giant stone walls, which are the creations of nature, so you may be amazed by the wild beauty that nature provides.

12 Zodiac Statue Garden

The 12 Zodiac Statue Garden is interspersed with various kinds of money plants and begonias. The garden has a solid concrete bridge crossing over a stone statue of a goat. Images of the zodiac are arranged in many different positions, and on both sides of the path, so you can easily and comfortably take pictures here.

Cherry Blossom Garden

The Japanese cherry blossom garden at Ham Rong Mountain will bloom beautifully on New Year’s Day. In addition, there are also fading cherry blossoms and red cherry blossoms in the native cherry blossom group with very large and beautiful, dense petals. Every spring, the cherry blossom garden at Ham Rong Mountain is bustling with families visiting and enjoying the flowers, so the atmosphere is always lively and full of laughter.

Orchid Garden

The orchid garden has up to 200 different orchid species, because the year-round cold climate ranges from 15 to 18 degrees Celsius. This type of flower is precious and expensive due to its beautiful and elegant appearance, but it is quite challenging to care for. You don’t have to go looking for any orchid gardens in Sapa because Ham Rong Mountain is one of the places with the most varieties of orchids. If you fall in love with this type of flower, you must visit the Ham Rong Mountain orchid garden at least once in your life.

Cloud Yard, Sky Gate

The Cloud Yard, also known as the Sky Temple, is the highest point for sightseeing at Ham Rong Mountain. Have you ever felt the sensation of clouds curling beneath your feet, drifting on the clouds? From the Cloud Yard, you can overlook all of Sapa town, Muong Hoa Valley, Cat Cat Village, and the beautiful terraced rice fields. Following the stone wall for an additional 10 minutes, you will reach the vibrant Sky Gate when the golden sunlight shines through the layers of clouds. This priceless moment will become an unforgettable memory at Ham Rong Mountain.

Sapa Telecommunications Station

Located at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level, the Sapa telecommunications station is the second main sightseeing spot at Ham Rong Mountain. From here, you can observe the “Roof of Indochina,” the highest peak in Southeast Asia, Fansipan.

Best Time to Visit Ham Rong Mountain

As mentioned briefly above, the best time to visit Ham Rong Mountain is during the spring months. Specifically, you can choose to travel to explore Ham Rong Mountain from January to April each year. This is the time when the flower gardens and plant carpets in Sapa start to grow and become lush and beautiful. During this period, the weather in Sapa is very pleasant, with little rain, not too cold, and little fog, making it very convenient for tourists to explore.

In addition to this time, you can also choose to visit Ham Rong Mountain from April to June. When traveling during this period, you can admire the terraced rice fields in their flooding season, which are extremely beautiful, like a giant mirror. However, if you want to go to Ham Rong Mountain to chase clouds, you should choose to travel from October to December. During this time, there are usually more clouds and fog, making your cloud-chasing trip more successful.