The Northwestern Region of Vietnam is a vast area full of mountain ranges and forests, of unique cultures and songs, of glorious history and hopes. It is home to thirty two ethnic minorities as well as thousands of plant and animal species. It is also a strategic location both economically as the main water resources for the whole Northern region, and politically with border to China and Laos.
Stunning Nature and Unique Ecology
The region is full of mountain ranges with some tallest peaks throughout Southeast Asia, as well as evergreen forests, abundant rivers and deep valleys.
High mountain ranges
The Northwest terrain is high and deeply divided, with many blocks and mountain ranges running from the Northwest to the Southeast. As a trough, a very dynamic crust of the earth, the Northwest is the region most at risk of earthquakes in Vietnam.
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Unique ecology
Besides Hoang Lien National Park (established in 2002) which consists of 25% Vietnamese native plants and animals, there are also twelve nature reserves, two species conservation areas, and seven landscapes protection areas in the region.
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Water source for the whole
Northern Vietnam
All drinking water in the area comes from various dams along Da River. The three biggest dams in Vietnam are also the abundant source for hydroelectric power.
Diverse Culture and People, Developing Economy
There are 32 minority ethnic groups living in the mountainous area of Northwestern Vietnam. The place is imbued with rich cultural heritages, many different festivals, traditional music, costume, handicrafts.
Diverse ethnicity and culture
The Northwestern is home to many ethnic groups with a rich cultural landscape. Many ethnic groups still preserve their traditional cultural identity intact in customs, practices, festivals, costumes, musical instruments, folk songs and dances, housing architecture, the fair market…
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Agriculture development
One of the most iconic images of the Northwestern region is the rice terrace field, which represents the traditional adaptive innovation for the regional terrain. However, the Northwest has not made much breakthrough in agricultural development due to difficulties in infrastructure and topography.
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Thriving tourism
The Northwest is a very familiar destination for tourists, with not only the cool climate year-round, but also its poetic and majestic natural scenery and famous landmarks such as Moc Chau, Sapa, Mu Cang Chai…
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The gate of economical exchange
Border-gate economy is identified as one of the most important economic pillars of Lao Cai, Lai Chau, and Dien Bien. This strategic geographical location allows the development of various projects, attracts investment, and creates thousands of jobs for locals.
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Historical significance
During the resistance war against France, there were many fierce battles and military campaigns in the region, in which the most victorious was the Dien Bien Phu battle. This was the first time that the army of an Asian colony defeated the army of a European power in a major military campaign.
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Persistent poverty
These six provinces are generally below the national average income. Furthermore, there is a clear variation between provinces, for example, Dien Bien is one of the least developed provinces nationwide, while Lao Cai is slightly better (might be explained by the developed tourism economy).
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Crimes hidden in the remoteness
Make use of the jungle and mountainous, vast yet divided terrain, as well as the poverty and lack of knowledge of locals, crimes are robust in the Northwestern area. Besides illegal logging, drugs and human trafficking are also prevalent, especially in the areas near the border.
Exploration: A Journey of
Planning for Land and Life
This website is developed as assignments for
“ENST 27103: PLANNING FOR LAND AND LIFE” – a class at the university of chicago for spring 2020.
All the content developed is from personal knowledge and annotated sources. Below is a list of blogs, each focused on a particular topic of the Northwestern Region.
Helpful links
As this is supposed to be an introductory site, here is a comprehensive list of useful links to learn more about the region.
The Mountainous Region of Northwestern Vietnam 