In mid-December, according to the reporter's records, at the time when Sa Pa is entering the first cold days of the season, the sun is dry but clear. On the hillside along the O Quy Ho pass, cherry blossoms bloom, covering a corner of the mountain slope with pink.
According to local people, the flowers are at their most beautiful at this time, and will begin to fade after about a week.
Mr. Vang A Do (Sa Pa ward) shared that the development of the new urban area needs to go hand in hand with preserving the typical landscape of the mountainous area.
"The rows of cherry blossoms blooming in the middle of the lush green tea hills create a poetic scene of the misty land of Sa Pa in winter. We also hope that units will calculate to keep the flower lines, or plant more for visitors to see, said Mr. Do.
Ms. Nguyen Mai (Hanoi) said that every year she goes to Sa Pa during the cherry blossom season to take photos.
"If it becomes a new urban area but still keeps flowers, it is even better. Sa Pa's tourism is really different thanks to nature and air," Ms. Mai expressed.
Through observation, in the project implementation area, the cherry blossom trees have been pruning and their roots are dug up waiting to move.
According to the investigation, the People's Committee of Lao Cai province has approved the investment policy for the O Quy Ho Tea Hill Ecological Urban Area project in Sa Pa ward.
The two selected investors are Hong Phong Investment and Development Company Limited and Ecopark Hai Duong Investment Joint Stock Company. The project has an area of 29.39 hectares, with an estimated population of about 1,451 people.
The urban area is oriented to develop according to a modern ecological model, synchronous technical - social infrastructure, combining urban space with tourism, commercial and resort services. The items will exploit the natural landscape and indigenous culture of Sa Pa region to the fullest.
Within the project scope, the investor built 403 commercial houses including 152 townhouses and 251 villas.
According to the plan, all legal procedures will be completed in the first quarter of 2026; the project will start construction and be put into operation from the third quarter of 2030. The total investment capital is more than 2,424 billion VND.
Talking to Lao Dong, Mr. To Ngoc Lien - Chairman of Sa Pa Ward People's Committee - said that the dossier and procedures for land allocation are in the completion stage.
"The project will be implemented in the oolong tea hill area. The total investment capital is about 2,400 billion VND. Green trees and cherry blossoms will be planted thickly to create a landscape," said the Chairman of Sa Pa Ward People's Committee.
Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee hopes that after completion, the O Quy Ho Tea Hill Ecological Urban Area will become a new highlight of the Sa Pa urban - tourism space, contributing to realizing the goal of developing an ecological, cultural and tourism urban area according to the Sa Pa National Tourist Area plan.
Images recorded at the oolong tea hill before the project:
