(Cinet)- Lao Cai is a mountainous province in northern Vietnam and has a favorable geographical position and many potentials of the development of foreign economic relations and tourism.
Lao Cai borders Ha Giang in the East, Son La and Lai Chau provincies in the West, Yen Bai province in the South and Yunnan Province (China) in the North. The province covers an area of 6.383,9 square kilometres, and its population was 626.2 peoples(according to statistic in 2010).
Cultural Resources
Cultural Heritage
Currently, the province has a total of 26 recognized monuments including 11 at  provincial level and 15 at national level.
Many famous heritages are terraced rice fields Sapa in Sa Pa district, Thien Phong Caves in Ta Van Chu town, Bac Ha distric, Lao Cai province. The cultural intangible heritages are Roong pooc Festival of the Giay, Sa Pa district; Put Tong Festival (Dance Tet) of the Red Dao people, Sa Pa district; silver carving and painting and paper cutting of the Nung Din in Muong Khuong district.
With more than 20 ethnic groups living together, Lao Cai becomes rich in cultural identities, historical traditions, cultural heritages...
Lao Cai has collected 13,695 artifacts, objects, antiques including 4,111 block –shaped antiquities which are of great value like Lao Vo drum in Van Ban district, ceramic pitcher in Muong Khuong district, blanket made of the barks of “sui” tree in Cam Duong commune; thousands of ethnographic artifacts of producing, hunting, gathering tools, the traditional instruments and costumes, jewelries, paintings...of 13 ancient ethnic groups in Lao Cai.
Some cultural values have gradually become its own brand of Lao Cai such as Bac Ha Thang Co Pan made in Guinness record in Vietnam, traditional horse race in Bac Ha, Sa Pa in the clouds festival.
Performing Arts
The Lao Cai ethnic groups have traditional dances and unique music, which are created by the process of production in their daily livies. The Mong, Dao, Ha Nhi are typical of cultural traditions of these ethnic people. The dances such as grinding rice dance, gong dance, screening rice dance, panpipe dance...of the Mong; catching turtle dance, bagua dance, Put Tong jumping, bell dance...of the Dao.
In addition, dances, musical instruments, folk songs are also researched and modified by musicians, choreographers to become works of art which have folk identities and are introduced to all tourists both nationally and internationally.
Destination
Lao Cai has great potentials for tourism development. Sa Pa resort is one of 21 major tourist destinations of Vietnam. Additionally,
Lao Cai also has a system of magic caves which are attractive landmarks such as Thuy Tien Cave (Bat Xat), Ta Thoi Cave (Cam Duong), Tien - Trung Do Cave (Bac Ha),  Xuan Quang Cave (Bao Win)...The nature in Lao Cai also creates famous pots such as the Hàm Rồng (Dragon's Jaw) Mountain with an ancient rocky ground containing hundreds of thousands of multifold rocks; the majestic Fansipan recognized as the roof of Indochina, a museum of various plants and animals, etc.
Food arts in Lao Cai is also very special and valuable like San Lung wine, sticky rice in Bat Xat district; brocade of Xa Pho; Hmong wax – shaped embroidery, medicinal herbs of the Dao in Sa Pa district; Seng Cu rice, chutney in Muong Khuong district.
As a mountainous developing province, Lao Cai keeps its landscapes and enviroments clean, which is important to an ideal tourist destination for domestic and foreign tourists.