Fansipan becomes Christmas wonderland as ice grips northern Vietnam

Around 5:00 am, temperatures at the summit of Fansipan dropped to zero degrees Celsius, coating tree branches, blades of grass, and walkways in a thick layer of ice and creating a striking winter scene.

It was the heaviest frost recorded on Fansipan so far this winter.

By 7:00 am, as the sun rose higher, its rays shimmered across the icy surface, leaving many foreign visitors visibly amazed as they rushed to capture the fairytale-like scenery.

Hai Anh, a visitor from Hanoi, arrived in Sa Pa and Fansipan for the first time on the opening day of the cold spell, which also coincided with Christmas Eve.

After seeing forecasts of plunging temperatures, she boarded the earliest cable car in the morning to reach the summit.

As the sun began to rise, the shimmering, dreamlike landscape, with sunlight reflecting off the ice, took her by surprise.

“I feel very lucky to witness frost on the summit of Fansipan today," Hai Anh said.

"It's also the first time l’ve ever stood in scenery like this, it's truly wonderful.

“If you’re planning to chase frost or snow, make sure to prepare warm clothing such as thick jackets, scarves, gloves, and wool hats, as temperatures at the summit are always low and the winds can be biting."

This winter, frost has appeared earlier and more frequently on Fansipan compared to last year.

Most recently, ice covered the summit on the morning of December 20, while light snowfall was recorded on the 'Roof of Indochina' on December 18.

Many visitors hope to witness snowfall on the summit of Fansipan, similar to the winters of 2019 and 2021.

To admire frost or snow, travelers can trek to the summit from the previous day or take the first cable car of the day, which departs at 7:30 am on Saturdays and 8:00 am on other days of the week.