Hoang Lien National Park is one of the most important special-use forests in Vietnam with a total area of 29 845 ha core. It consists of a high mountain system of Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range, including Fansipan peak 3,143 m high. The area of buffer zone is 38,724 ha, consisting of Sapa town, some communes of Sapa district, a part of Van Ban district, Lao Cai province and 2 communes in Than Uyen district, Lai Chau province. Hoang Lien National Park is mainly primitive forest with the system of rich and diverse flora and fauna.
In terms of forest vegetation, Hoang Lien National Park is home to more than 2,000 species of plants with typical wood such as Bo tree, rhododendron, azaleas, plum..., of which about 66 species are listed in Vietnam Red Book, namely blue cypress, bamboo pine, red pine..., 32 rare species such as blue cypress species distributed in karst of Ban Ho commune (Sapa), red pines species found in Sapa commune (Sapa), Van Sam Hoang Lien species - cold Sam allocated in the core area of the national park (these 3 species are the main ingredients used to extract a variety of rare medicines) and hundreds of other precious herbs... In addition, lingzhi mushroom and Sapa bamboo were also detected here - which are mainly distributed in the high mountains of China and Vietnam. Beside a rich forest flora, the forest fauna is extremely diverse with 66 species of mammals, popularly such as black gibbons, hornbills, silver langurs..., in which 16 species are listed in Vietnam Red Book; 347 species of birds such as large-spotted eagles, red crested pheasant...; 41 species of amphibians and 61 reptile species, consisting of rare horned frogs in Vietnam recently been discovered. The diverse flora and fauna contributes to turn Hoang Lien National Park into one of the appealing attractions in Sapa.
Thanks to such rich forest ecosystems such, Hoang Lien National Park is considered as one of the most biodiversity centers in national parks in Vietnam. In particular, Hoang Lien National Park has also stored and preserved numerous traditional cultural beauty of the ethnic communities living in the core area and buffer zone of the national park. They are music and dance activities of Mong, Dao, Giay ethnic people with instruments such as panpipe, flute, trumpet...; the housing architecture of the ethnic groups. In detail, Mong ethnic people usually retains the low floor in their houses with raw materials mainly of wood; meanwhile, Tay people's housing architecture is generally applied stilt-house architecture with its roofs made of reeds or straw, which today has been replaced with tile.
Tourists coming to Hoang Lien National Park are to take part in attractive ecotourism environment. Here, tourists will have a chance to feel moments of seasons changing between spring - summer - autumn - winter within 1 hour; admire the sunbeams through dense foliage each, through the mist down on the lush carpet of grass; contemplate the clump of dwarf bamboos swaying when the wind sweeping through... All actually deeply left an impression for tourists in mind. Particularly, the most impressive is the feeling of sleeping overnight on halfway up the mountain to immerse in the spectacular nature of Hoang Lien Son Mount Range, hear the murmuring sound of streams and the sound of rushing waterfalls... In the vast space, tourists find themselves so small among heaven and earth.
In addition, tourists can also participate in the village tourism: come and stay right at home of ethnic people, do the housework with the host, and gather at community hall to join in cultural exchanging activities in the evening. Tourists can also comfortably participate in traditional sports with the locals such as push sticks, archery, tug of war, walking on stilts... or visit villages, rice mortars, the terraced areas... of ethnic groups. Particularly, the national also hosts the climbing competition "Conquering Fansipan" with national scale for both domestic and international athletes. The competition aims to introduce Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range with Fansipan - the roof of Indochina, promote Sapa resort and Hoang Lien National Park - ASEAN heritage Garden.
Thanks to the unique values of biodiversity together with unspoiled tranquil natural landscapes, Hoang Lien National Park deserves the impressive attraction in Sapa tourism. Simultaneously, the national park contributes to the conserve and store precious values that the nature has favorably bestowed for fascinating Sapa land.