Ancient Stone Gallery of Sapa: A Mysterious Historical Treasure

The Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery, nestled in Vietnam’s misty highlands, showcases over 200 massive stone blocks intricately carved with mysterious ancient patterns and symbols, their origins and meanings still baffle scientists. To make the most of your visit to this captivating destination with Vietnam Airlines, explore these essential tips in the article below!

1. Location and How to Get There?

The Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery stretches across Muong Hoa Valley in Hau Thao commune, Sapa town, Lao Cai province. The stone field covers approximately 8km² with nearly 200 stone blocks divided into two main areas:

• Ancient stone field near Pho village of the H'Mong people: This area has fewer stones, but they are larger with complex carved patterns. The stones are distributed on the mountainside along the main road, extending down near the stream.
• Ancient stone field at the border between Hau Thao and Lao Chai communes: This area contains over 100 unique stone slabs stretching from the main road through terraced rice fields up to Hau Chu Ngai H'Mong village on the mountaintop (also called the route to Hang Da cave).

Muong Hoa Valley is about 8km from Sapa town center. Based on the preferences, visitors can choose different transportation options, including:

• Rent a bike (recommended): This option suits those who love exploring, but the con is that the road is bumpy with many steep sections. Visitors can rent bikes for a price of about VND 100,000 - 150,000 per day. You can ride via the route Sapa center - Muong Hoa pass road - Provincial Road 152.
• Taking a taxi from Sapa town: This is the convenient option for families or large groups. However, the taxi fares are high, ranging from VND 100,000 - 120,000 per trip for a 15 - 20 minute journey. Taxis cannot access narrow roads, so visitors may need to walk to reach the ancient stone field.
• Joining an organized tour: This option suits travelers who want to combine visits to famous sites in Muong Hoa Valley. The schedule is packed, and time at each location is limited, so visitors should consider this carefully.

Visitors can join sightseeing tours that combine visits to the ancient stone beach and nearby places (Source: Internet)

For visitors from far away (Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, or other southern and central provinces), you can take flights to Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi). After that, visitors can continue the journey to Muong Hoa Valley as guided above.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines is the airline operating many direct Flights to Hanoi with diverse frequencies and 4-star international standard services, providing comfort, convenience, and safety throughout the journey. Passengers can book flights to Hanoi at the best prices.

2. 5 Key Features about Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery

The site has about 200 stones spread over 4 km with different sizes and shapes that attract many visitors.

2.1. Enigmatic Stone Carvings

Many research documents show that the stone carvings are connected to ancient culture. According to the Vietnam Institute of Historical Research, these patterns have existed for at least 9 centuries, starting from around the 11th - 12th centuries AD.

On the rocks at the Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery, visitors can see unique patterns and carvings (Source: Internet)

When visiting the Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery, visitors can see abstract patterns and designs like parallel straight lines similar to I Ching symbols, curved lines, circles with added marks like Hoa Loc period patterns, ancient writing, or symbols.

Besides unclear patterns, the stones have more complex shapes like terraced fields, wheels, water mills, male and female figures representing fertility, stilt houses, carved separately or engraved on parallel straight lines.

2.2. "Father Stone" - The Largest Rock

The Father Stone is the biggest rock in the ancient stone field, measuring 15 meters (45 feet) long and 6 meters (18 feet) high. This is one of two stones connected to a love legend between a man and a woman from ethnic minorities.

The Father Stone is the biggest one in the gallery, about 15 meters long and 6 meters high (Source: Internet)

Legend says their love faced strong opposition from two tribes, so they decided to run away together. The man escaped but returned facing north, where the Father Stone stands today. Meanwhile, the woman was trapped in a swamp and turned to stone, with her head facing south (the Mother Stone).

2.3. Prehistoric Origin Theories

Some theories suggest the stones were created by ancient Dao and H'Mong communities about 200 - 600 years ago. However, many studies show that H'Mong, Giay, and Dao people only came to live in Muong Hoa Valley a few centuries ago.

There are many hypotheses surrounding the age of the stone patterns, but the truth is still a mystery (Source: Internet)

Other theories suggest they belong to the Dong Son period, about 2,300 - 3,500 years ago. Some theories even say the stone field appeared during the time of ancient civilizations, which is more than 5,000 years ago. However, scientists still have not found exact answers for the appearance of the Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery and the origin of the carved patterns on the stones.

2.4. The First Scientific Studies Were in 1938

Professor Victor Goloubew began studying the Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery in August 1925, but had no results. In 1938, based on Goloubew's documents, anthropologist Paul Levy compared the pattern images with ethnological studies of designs around the world.

The rocks are scattered across an 8 km long piece of land and protected by a wooden fence (Source: Internet)

He realized the patterns and stone carvings had many similarities with native art from Taiwan, Australia, and New Guinea. This was the basis for his initial theory that this stone field might contain remains of ancient people, opening up the archaeological potential of the area.

2.5. Mysterious Stone Distribution

The stone field near Pho village of H'Mong people has fewer stones, mainly large rocks, with the biggest one reaching 13 meters long. The patterns on stones in this field are also denser and more complex.

The uneven arrangement of the stones further highlights the mystery of this place, attracting the attention of visitors (Source: Internet)

Meanwhile, the stone field between Hau Thao and Lao Chai communes is larger, with over 100 stone blocks. The patterns and designs on stones in this field are more diverse, with some images appearing only once.

Besides the two main stone fields, in the area under Cau May Bridge in Ta Van village, Muong Hoa commune, or Ta Phin, there are also some individual stones with similar patterns and designs. This position arrangement creates the mystery of the Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery, making it one of Vietnam's cultural heritage sites, recognized as a National Historical Monument in 1994.

3. 5 Local Tips When Visiting Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery

If planning to explore this famous destination in the Northwest highlands, visitors can note these local tips:

3.1. Check Current Opening Status Before Planning Your Trip

The ancient stone field is in Muong Hoa Valley, so there are no specific opening hours. However, to explore and see the beautiful valley scenery, visitors should come in the morning, especially during spring (February to May) or summer (June to August).

Visitors can come to the Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery in the morning for the best experience in sightseeing or taking pictures (Source: Internet)

The road from Sapa center to Muong Hoa Valley is mainly mountain passes and steep, bumpy sections. For safety, visitors should avoid coming here on rainy days or during winter (late November to January) because roads can be slippery.

3.2. Hire a Local H'mong or Dao Guide

To better understand the stories and meanings around the ancient stone field, visitors can choose to go with the H'Mong and Dao ethnic people. They are the locals so can guide visitors on how to fully explore the 8-km-long stone field for the best experience.

3.3. Visit During Rice Harvesting Season

Muong Hoa Valley is one of the places with the most terraced rice fields in Sapa. Rice harvest season falls around September to October, with golden rice fields wrapping around hillsides, surrounded by towering limestone mountains.

Sapa's golden season is one of the times when this land possesses the most impressive beauty of the year (Source: Internet)

If coming here, visitors can smell the fragrant scent of new rice and watch highland ethnic people with baskets on their backs harvesting rice. This is one of Sapa's most beautiful moments, so visitors should try coming here during this time to explore.

3.4. Combine With Authentic Local Food & Drink Experience

Sapa cuisine combines simple ingredients with many special spices from the northwest mountains and forests, creating attractive flavors found nowhere else. If you have a chance to come here, visitors can enjoy dishes like:

• Grilled stream fish: This dish is made from fresh, delicious stream fish with white, firm meat. Fish is clamped in bamboo skewers and grilled over charcoal or fried crispy, eaten with wild vegetables - very appealing.
• Buffalo meat hung over the kitchen: The dish has sweet and spicy flavors mixed with a faint smoky taste that diners will remember forever.
• Vegetable (cai meo): This vegetable has curly leaves, dark green color, chewy and crispy when eaten, slightly bitter but with a sweet aftertaste. This is a characteristic mustard variety of Muong Hoa valley, usually stir-fried with fat.
• Traditional wines: Ethnic people often brew tube wine, cat apple wine, bamboo wine, or purple sticky rice wine to drink during meals. The wine has a distinctive aroma with harmonious sweet and bitter tastes that are very impressive.

Visitors can try the local food and drink during the trip to Muong Hoa Valley (Source: Internet)

3.5 Visiting Nearby Tourist Destinations

Besides the ancient stone field, visitors can combine visits to nearby places like:

• Cau May Bridge (Ta Van): This is a simple bridge made from rattan vines crossing the poetic Muong Hoa stream with pleasant gurgling sounds.
• Lao Chai Village: Located between the Hoang Lien Son range and Ham Rong mountain, Lao Chai village has many terraced rice fields and highland people's markets with many special festivals.
• Ta Phin Cave: This is a natural cave system with winding paths leading underground. In the cave, visitors can admire the stalactite and stalagmite system in various beautiful shapes.
• Ta Phin Ancient Monastery: A Christian wonder sleeping in the mountains and forests with poetic scenery and classic architecture. This is where visitors can visit and take photos.

Ta Phin Ancient Monastery, with its mysterious beauty, attracts visitors to come to explore and take pictures (Source: Internet)

The Sapa Ancient Stone Gallery is a famous destination with mysteries that remain unsolved. This place has magnificent scenery with diverse stone slabs scattered everywhere. Visitors can book flights to Hanoi and start their Sapa journey to explore this unique wonder with Vietnam Airlines!