For many years now, Sa Pa, a famous tourist town at a height of 1,500 meters above sea level, has gained popularity as an ideal snow-watching spot while Y Ty is loved for its oceans of clouds. Few people know about Nhiu Co San Village, home to ethnic Ha Nhi, at the foot of the eponymous mountain in Bat Xat District of Lao Cai Province.
The photo collection was taken early this year as the northern mountain region, including Lao Cai, was hit by a cold snap resulting from a strong cold front, leaving the village blanketed in thick white snow.
Located at an altitude of 2,965 meters, Nhiu Co San is the ninth highest mountain in Vietnam, also known as “Buffalo Horn.” It will take around two hours to travel by car or motorbike from Sa Pa to Nhiu Co San Village in Sang Ma Sao Commune, over a 60-kilometer distance.
A girl of the Ha Nhi minority group in warm clothes plays amid the frost. The area is home to 50 households.
According to Vietnam’s latest census, there are almost 21,800 Ha Nhi people living around the country.
Traditional 'trinh tuong' houses with yin-yang tiled roofs are covered in snow. These homes are built using a mixture of clay and mud to create a space that is warm in winter and cool in summer.
When the first rays of the sun shine, ice and snow on peach blossoms gradually melt, revealing colors like sparkling crystals.
The road leading to the village is lined by white snow with a thickness of more than 10 cm.
Vietnam typically encounters a tropical climate with annual average temperatures ranging from 22 to 27 degrees Celsius. But the northern highlands have received frost and snow every winter in recent years.
Authorities in Bat Xat District of Lao Cai Province said more than 3,000 tourists had visited the locality in mid-January as cold spells hit the area, with half staying at homestays in Y Ty.
A tourist poses for a photo amid the magical scenery in Nhiu Co San.
Many locals felt the brunt of the snowy weather, which typically affects their livelihoods.
