In 2016, the world's longest three-rope cable car system was inaugurated in the northern province of Lao Cai to connect Muong Hoa Valley with Fansipan Mountain – the so-called "Roof of Indochina".
At the inaugural ceremony, representatives from Guinness World Records presented a certificate recognising the system as the world's longest three-rope cable car (6,292.5 metres).
The facility was also named the three-rope cable car system with the world's biggest height gap between its departure and arrival stations (1,410m). It is able to carry up to 2,000 passengers per hour, with each cabin accommodating 35 people.
The system shortens the travel time to the peak of Fansipan – the highest mountain in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia at 3,143m. It will now take 15 minutes, instead of two days of climbing.
The project designer, Doppelmayr Garaventa Group, said that with the world's most modern three-rope system, the Fansipan cable car will withstand harsh weather, guaranteeing visitors' safety.
The system is expected to help boost the number of tourists to Sapa by 30 to 40 per cent every year and reach 3 million by 2020. It will also be the main tourism service in Sa Pa for the next few years.
At the inauguration, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said the cable car system would help energise socio-economic development for Lao Cai and the entire northwestern region. It will turn Sa Pa into a stronger magnet for domestic and foreign visitors.
Viet Nam's Sun Group began construction on the cable car system in November 2013 with consultations from Doppelmayr Garaventa.
Located 350km northwest of Hanoi, Sa Pa town in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai is 1,600m above sea level. The town is dominated by the Hoang Lien Son mountain range which features Indochina’s highest mountain of Fansipan at 3,142 m above sea level.
Sa Pa has many natural scenic sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall), Cau May (Rattan Bridge), Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave. The hill town is home to six main ethnic minority groups, including Kinh, Hmong, Dao, Tay, Day and Xa Pho with various traditional festivals and unique cultural practices, especially the Bac Ha market and Sa Pa love market.
The resort town was recognised as a national tourism site in December 2017.
