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Ma Pi Leng means ‘horse nose’ in
Mandarin. It is so named because the
sheer mountain peak is said to resem-
ble the long nose of a horse. Setting
off from Hanoi in the early morning,
we were in another universe by the
afternoon. Dong Van Karst Plateau Ge-
opark sits at over 1400 meters above
sea level. It is covered with rocky
mountain ranges and the awe-inspir-
ing pass of Ma Pi Leng cuts through it.
The route up is precipitous and slow-
going, but the views of the imposing
rocky mountain ranges make the trip
a constant pleasure.
The first night we stop at the 120
year old Dong Van town, the first point
on the Ma Pi Leng pass. There are 40
houses in the centre of Dong Van’s old
quarter. It’s most beautiful at sunrise
or during sunset when the dark grey
houses are cast in golden sunlight.
The town’s old quarter is lit up
with red lanterns hanging off the shut-
ters of houses along every street and
all around the market. As night falls
the town takes on a wonderfully fanci-
ful light in the midst of the mysterious
rocky highlands.
The town was built at the start of
the 20th century. At first, mainly Tay
and Hoa people lived here. During the
1940s and 1950s, Kinh, Dzao and Nung
tribes also settled in the area. In terms
of architecture, the two-storey houses
are a combination of styles. There is
some influence from the Zhongnan re-
gion of China. The houses are built with
thick earthen walls, dark brown wood-
en frames and stairs and dark grey Chi-
nese yin and yang tile roofs. Each house
has a yard and a three-step staircase
made from bluish limestone pillars. The
houses pay heed to the principles of
Feng Shui and highlight a need to bal-
ance natural and structural energy that
courses around the environment.
Our trip to discover the magnifi-
cent Ma Pi Leng Pass started early
after a good sleep. We drove out of
the old town towards one of the most
dangerous but most miraculous roads
in Vietnam. At 20 kilometers in length
it connects Dong Van town to Meo Vac
town. It is not long,but it is considered
the king of passes in Vietnam.
The road along the mountainside
has romantic, spectacular scenery that
is ideal for tourists.
The arduous Ma Pi Leng mountain
pass, traversing the Ma Pi Leng moun-
tain peak of 2,000m in Dong Van Karst
plateau, is part of the Happy Road
connecting Ha Giang city, Dong Van
and Meo Vac towns. It is the highest
point of the Happy Road. It took 11
months to build this most difficult sec-
tion. Workers, mostly from the Mong
tribe, were hung off the cliff to cut
into the mountain, little by little. The
pass was built by tens of thousands
of young volunteers from 16 ethnic
minorities over the course of six years
(1959-1965).
Before the 1960s, over 80 thou-
sand Mong ethnic people living in the
four districts behind the grandeur of
the Dong Van plateau had no concept
of a road. The only way to pass Ma Pi
Leng was to creep over nine craggy
mountain slopes full of rugged rocks.
The path to the Ma Pi Leng mountain
peak is also called the Slope of God.
THE HORSE
TRAVEL
The most famous view over Nho Que River from Ma Pi Leng Pass
Ma Pi Leng Pass