The anniversary ceremony, themed "A Decade of Blossoming", took place in Sa Pa, attended by leaders from Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces, along with partners. A decade ago, the cable car project to Hoang Lien Son peak required 800 continuous days and nights of construction under challenging terrain and harsh weather conditions. Completed in 2016, the project set two Guinness World Records, realizing the dream of conquering the "Roof of Indochina" for all ages and opening a new development direction for the Northwest's "smokeless industry" (tourism).

Nguyen Tuan Anh, Chairman of the Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee, spoke at the ceremony. Photo: Sun Group

Over a decade of operation, the cable car system has served more than 10 million visitors. Data from the online booking platform Agoda for the first half of this year shows Sun World Fansipan Legend leading bookings in Vietnam. The platform also listed Sa Pa among Asia's fastest-growing destinations for 2025. International organizations like the World Travel Awards and VITA Awards 2026 have consistently honored the resort in categories such as leading attractive cultural destinations.

The cable car takes visitors to Fansipan peak. Photo: Sun Group

Nguyen Tuan Anh, Chairman of the Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee, stated that the cable car and large-scale tourism products have transformed Sa Pa's appearance, elevating the province's position on the world map.

The most significant impact of the new infrastructure system is evident in local economic indicators. According to data from the Lao Cai Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, in the period before 2016, Sa Pa welcomed only about 600,000 to 700,000 visitors annually. By 2025, the locality recorded over 5 million visitors, boosting tourism revenue to more than 19,500 billion VND, an 11-fold increase compared to a decade prior. Residents' lives improved as the poverty rate in Sa Pa decreased from 50,7% in 2015 to about 13% in 2025. Across the entire province, Lao Cai expects to welcome 11,28 million visitors this year, with estimated revenue of 51,100 billion VND, an increase of more than 8 times compared to the period before the cable car.

The spiritual complex on Fansipan peak. Photo: Sun Group

Beyond economic benefits, the project addresses sustainable livelihoods for local people. The resort currently maintains a 60% ethnic minority workforce. Local residents now have stable incomes in their homeland instead of relying on traditional farming. The operating unit also actively preserves and renews local culture. Traditional festival events, art spaces, handicrafts, and highland cuisine regularly take place. Locals directly participate in providing services and sharing stories of their homeland's culture. This approach helps Sa Pa gradually overcome seasonal tourism, attracting visitors evenly throughout the four seasons instead of focusing only on rice harvest season or cloud hunting as before.

Sun Group also honored the Top 10 "Blossoming Strategic Partners". Photo: Sun Group

At the event, the organizers also honored 10 strategic partners who made significant contributions to promoting Fansipan's image. Representatives from travel businesses noted that the cable car system provides practical benefits for the service business community. Through product diversification, tourism companies successfully expanded their customer base from Europe and many Asian countries. Some units recorded growth rates of 50% for international visitors and 70% for domestic visitors, setting the stage for Fansipan and Sa Pa to become leading cultural and natural destinations in the region.

Thanh Thu