Sapa Ancient Rock Field

The Sapa ancient rock field is one of the interesting places that many tourists visit when they have the opportunity to come to Sapa.

Overview of the Sapa Ancient Rock Field

The ancient stone field has been part of the lives of the Lao Cai people for many generations. However, people only recognized this relic from a scientific perspective when V. Goloubew, a French archaeologist, discovered ancient characters in 1925.

The ancient rock field of Sapa stretches across the Muong Hoa valley in the communes of Hau Thao, Su Pan, and Ta Van, around the Muong Hoa stream (Hoa stream), about 7 km southeast of Sapa town. 

This 8 km² area of the remains consists of large, multi-grade rocks engraved with ancient images. It’s located in the Muong Hoa valley, between the terraced rice paddies of ethnic minority groups. The first exploration research, in 1925, recorded that there were 200 stones of various dimensions concentrated in the area.

Hon Bo, which is 15m long and 6m high, is the biggest of these rocks. The engravings on the stone’s surfaces are either pictographic or decorative.

Remarkably, among the engravings are drawings of humans, stilt houses of the ethnic minorities, and symbols believed to be a primitive form of writing. But their meaning has not yet been deciphered.

In addition, impressive images include a “da chong” (the husband stone), a “da vo” (the wife stone), stones that look like tigers, and a stela bearing an incantation by the carver to help his people defeat the tigers. The “da chong” and “da vo” tell the story of faithful love between a couple who overcame all difficulties to be together. Even though they turned to stone, they remain dedicated to each other. 

Archaeologists have proven that this area has been inhabited since ancient times. These fascinating Viet remains have drawn the attention of scientists and are being considered by UNESCO for inclusion on the World Cultural Heritage Site.

The ancient stone field is located outdoors, without a roof. Visitors should avoid going in the rain or at noon when the sun is hot. Visiting the ancient rock field in Sapa is free of charge. In addition, right next to the field, there is a coffee shop that many young people visit to check in with the terraced fields in the ripe rice season.

Source: collected by An

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