Located on the top of Khoang La San, A Pa Chai Flagpole is not only a historical and culturally significant work affirming national sovereignty, but also becomes an attractive destination for tourists when coming to the westernmost point of the Fatherland.
The A Pa Chai flagpole is located in Ta Mieu village, Sin Thau commune, Dien Bien province, about 270km from the provincial center and about 1.4km from the Vietnam - Laos - China border crossing.
The project is built on the top of Khoang La San at an altitude of 1,459m above sea level.
The construction site is 407m2 wide, including a flag salute yard, a walking path, a scenic flower bed and a flagpole located in the center.
Looking down from above, the entire architecture is shaped like a ban flower blooming in the Northwest mountains and forests, symbolizing the cohesion of brotherly ethnic groups.
The flagpole is 45.19m high, the body of the pole is designed in an octagonal shape, hanging the national flag with dimensions of 7.5 x 5m. The base of the pole stands out with 5 reliefs recreating the unique cultural features of ethnic minorities in the Northwest region according to 5 main themes.
On top of the column is a stone relief with the theme "Uncle Ho with the peoples of the Northwest".
To reach the flagpole, visitors must climb 519 steps along the mountainside. This number symbolizes 19 brotherly ethnic groups living in Dien Bien province.
The journey to conquer the A Pa Chai Flagpole is also a significant challenge.
From the center of Dien Bien province, reporters spent about 6 hours traveling nearly 300km along National Highways 4H and 4H2 to reach the foot of Khoang La San mountain.
Arriving at the foot of the mountain, visitors continue to climb more than 500 steep steps to reach the sacred westernmost point of the Fatherland.
In the thick fog of the July morning, limited visibility made the majestic scenery here not fully visible.
However, according to officials of the Culture Department of Sin Thau commune, the current access conditions are much more favorable than before.
Previously, to reach the top, you could only follow trails in the forest, which was very hard. Now there is a system of steps, so moving is safer and more convenient.
Since the project was completed, the number of visitors has been increasing. In particular, a 3-month-old baby was carried by his parents to the flagpole and completed the journey in stable health. This is considered the youngest tourist ever to set foot on the flagpole," the official said.
On July 14, Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee issued a decision recognizing A Pa Chai Flagpole in Ta Mieu village, Sin Thau commune as a provincial-level tourist destination.
Coming to the westernmost point of the Fatherland for the first time, Ms. Le Thi Duyen (Muong Thanh ward, Dien Bien province) said that conquering more than 500 steps is a not small challenge.
I don't exercise often, so the climbing distance is quite hard. But when I set foot on the flagpole, all fatigue disappeared.
As a Dien Bien girl, for the first time being able to see the border region of the Fatherland with my own eyes, and also being able to look to Laos and China, I feel very proud," Ms. Duyen shared.
Not only A Pa Chai Flagpole, Ms. Duyen is also impressed with the cultural identity of the Ha Nhi people at the foot of the mountain. According to her, this is a worthwhile destination to experience and will continue to return with relatives and friends in the coming occasions.
