Pha Din pass . Yet every year, countless tourists from all over have, are and will set foot on this legendary pass. What’s so attractive here?
Pha Din Pass – Where heaven and earth meet
Pha Din in Thai is called “Pha Din”, in which “Pha” is heaven, Din is “earth”. The name of this pass means the place where earth and sky intersect – the name is enough to help people imagine the remoteness and danger here. Pha Din Pass is about 100km from Dien Bien Phu city. This is considered the boundary between Dien Bien and Son La provinces.
Pha Din is located at an altitude of 1000m above sea level, with a total length of about 32km. The starting point of the pass is 66km from Son La city, and the end point is about 84km from Dien Bien Phu city. Pha Din, together with O Quy Ho, Khau Pha, and Ma Pi Leng, make up the four legendary mountain passes of the Northwest highlands.
Pha Din Pass seen from above @TTXVN
How to get to Pha Din Pass
Tourists from far away who want to conquer this great pass need to come to Hanoi by bus, train or it is best to book a plane ticket to Hanoi . From Noi Bai airport, visitors can book an airport shuttle on MYTOUR.ASIA to get to the city center. From Hanoi, to Son La – the starting point of Pha Din Pass by sleeper bus, limousine or motorbike.
This pass is located on Highway 6, connecting the two provinces of Son La and Dien Bien. Backpackers departing from Hanoi will travel along Highway 6 through the Moc Chau – Yen Chau – Mai Son – Thuan Chau plateau to reach the starting point of Pha Din Pass. If departing from Dien Bien Phu City, you will follow Highway 279 towards Tuan Giao District.
The ideal time to conquer Pha Din Pass
Each season, Pha Din Pass has a different beauty. But the most beautiful seasons in Pha Din are spring and summer. Spring is the season when wild flowers bloom. There are pink peach blossoms, pure white plum blossoms, and banyan flowers filling the sky. March is the season when ban flowers bloom – a typical flower of Dien Bien province and is also considered the most beautiful season by backpackers. Summer in the delta provinces is scorching hot, but the climate in Pha Din is cool and pleasant.
Winter with cold drizzle and dangerous roads is not the ideal season to conquer Pha Din. In addition, from May to August is the rainy season in Dien Bien. Before starting the journey, you should closely monitor the weather. Because Pha Din area is a red soil mountain, not a limestone mountain. When it rains a lot, extremely dangerous landslides can easily occur.
Take in the majestic mountains @TTXVN
What attracts tourists and backpackers to Pha Din Pass?
Conquering dangerous mountain passes and majestic nature
Most tourists and backpackers come here to satisfy their adventurous spirit. The rugged mountain pass and majestic nature here seem to have a strange hypnotic power. From afar, the mountain pass stretches and winds like a rope suspended between the mountains and hills.
The terrain here is extremely dangerous with a cliff on one side and a deep abyss on the other. The highest point of Pha Din pass is 1,648m above sea level. The slope of the pass ranges from 10% to 19%. The mountain pass is zigzag with 125 dangerous curves, A-shaped and Z-shaped curves with a curve radius of less than 15m.
Winding curves @TTXVN
Going from the starting point to the top of the pass, each natural picture slowly opens, both majestic, breathtaking and poetic. At the foot of the pass are scattered villages. Halfway up the pass, clouds covered it. Looking down from the slope of the pass is the vast Muong Quai valley. Approaching the top of the pass, there is only the deep sky and majestic, vast mountains and forests. When conquering Pha Din, don’t forget to stop to admire the scenery at Ang Nua valley or check in at Pha Din Pass – a 50ha tourist area built by Pha Din cooperative.
Check in at the windmill hill in Pha Din Pass @www.vietnamplus.vn
Explore the highland market
Vitality is present throughout Pha Din pass. On the conquering route, visitors will encounter images of highland markets when passing through Phong Lai commune, Thuan Chau district, Son La province or Toa Tinh commune, Tuan Giao district, Dien Bien province. People gather at the market to buy and sell agricultural products, medicinal herbs, and mountain and forest products. Tourists can also stop to buy some to take home as gifts.
Highland market @vietnamplus.vn
Learn the history of the legendary pass
What makes Pha Din Pass more special than the other three great Northwest passes is that this pass is associated with the famous Dien Bien Phu campaign in five continents, shaking the earth. During the resistance war against the French, Pha Din was the route to supply and transport artillery to Dien Bien Phu and became a symbol of the brave spirit of 8,000 young volunteers. To block this supply route, the French army sent planes to bomb Route 6 continuously for 48 days and nights. In particular, Pha Din Pass was one of the two places that suffered the most from bombs and bullets. Now, Pha Din Pass has been recognized as a National Monument, a testament to the nation’s history.
Pha Din Pass Relic @dulich.tuangiao.gov.vn
Pha Din Pass is also known as the legendary pass, the historical pass. Because it is associated with the history of national defense, this place is increasingly attracting a large number of tourists and backpackers. If you want to set foot on it yourself and explore the interesting things in Pha Din, it’s time to plan your trip!