Thuong Temple Festival 2025.

Rich historical tradition, diverse cultural identity

According to many historical sources and research by historians, throughout history, in ancient times Lao Cai was the ancient tribal center of An Duong Vuong, before An Duong Vuong led his army to Co Loa.

Geopolitical position, since ancient times, Lao Nhai street (Lao Cai) has become a bustling gathering and trading place for merchants, a gathering place, a place of residence for many ethnic minorities and people from all regions of the country, creating a colorful cultural picture, making Lao Cai an important cultural center, with the exchange and connection between the cultures of Vietnam and China. Historical documents record that in 1257, Tran Hung Dao commanded two naval and land forces to Lao Cai; in 1427, Le Loi sent talented generals to guard Le Hoa pass (today's Lao Cai border gate); during the French colonial period, Lao Cai was still an important administrative center, in 1899, the IV military region was established, including Yen Bai Sub-military Region and Lao Cai Sub-military Region, Lao Cai was the capital of the IV military region; in 1907, Lao Cai province was established, the provincial center was located in Lao Cai town; After the liberation of the South and the unification of the country, with an open economy, Lao Cai was a wide open door to neighboring China, a trade bridge between Vietnam and ASEAN countries and the Southwest region (China). Therefore, at the time of the first establishment of Hoang Lien Son province (1975), Lao Cai town became the provincial capital of Hoang Lien Son province.

Special geographical location creates large development space

Historically, Lao Cai city was also the regional center. Scholar Le Quy Don in his book “Kien Van Tieu Luc” clearly recorded many roads from Lao Cai to Phong Tho to Lai Chau; from Lao Cai along the route from Van Ban to Than Uyen. In particular, the road from Lao Cai along the right bank of the Red River down to Yen Bai to Hung Hoa, the Bach Hac River junction (Viet Tri); from Lao Cai there was also an ancient road to Khai Hoa prefecture of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Today, with its location between the Northwest and Northeast regions, an important ecological region for the whole country; Lao Cai has a strategic position and role in terms of geopolitics and geo-economics of the country in economic exchange, foreign affairs, and international cooperation with Yunnan province, the Southwest region (China) , an area with more than 400 million people and a major economic center; Lao Cai is also the center of the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic corridor, the shortest and most effective sea route for goods from the Southwest - China market to the Southeast Asian, East Asian markets and vice versa. Through Lao Cai city , goods from Vietnam and ASEAN countries can easily access this large market. Lao Cai Border Gate Economic Zone with modern industrial parks and logistics zones is becoming a major investment attraction, contributing to increasing import - export and promoting international trade.

Lao Cai province's border gate economic zone is expanded by nearly 16 thousand hectares.

The above-mentioned special advantages have promoted the strong development of border gate economy and cross-border trade . The total value of import and export of goods through Lao Cai in the period of 2004-2025 reached over 35 billion US Dollar, with an average growth rate of over 15 % /year . Exported goods through Lao Cai are mainly agricultural products from regions and areas of the country and imported goods are mainly raw materials and supplies for domestic production, thereby showing the strategic role of Lao Cai border gate economy in the economic activities of the whole country.

Diverse, synchronous, connected and regional infrastructure

Lao Cai has a convenient and diverse domestic and international transport infrastructure system with all types of network connectivity. National highways are widely distributed (QL 70, 4D, 4E, 279); Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway is the longest in the country, connecting 3 provinces in the region with the capital region; the Hanoi - Lao Cai railway connecting with Kunming - China has been in operation for more than 110 years; the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong high-speed railway has been approved by the Central Government for investment (expected to start construction in 2025 - completed before 2030) ; the waterway on the Red River has historical value for the entire Northern region. In particular, Sa Pa Airport is a 4C-scale airport with a total investment of over 7,000 billion Vietnamese dong (the Prime Minister has approved the investment policy and is preparing to start construction in 2025). Lao Cai has become the only locality in the Northern Midlands and Mountains region to have all four types of transportation directly connected to the Chinese market.

Lao Cai has built a spacious and modern urban infrastructure system.

Regarding urban infrastructure, Lao Cai city is systematically planned, with spacious urban infrastructure, green space, and modernity. The administrative area has a synchronous planning architecture, many large works that are symbolic of the whole region; a system of 3-5 star hotels, with thousands of rooms, meeting the needs of guests coming for work and vacation. Regarding the system of facilities, cultural and social institutions, Lao Cai has many large works of regional scale, typically: Canadian International School (the first international school in the Northwest region), Thai Nguyen University Branch in Lao Cai; Provincial Sports Competition Center has hosted many international sports tournaments; Cinema, Museum, Cultural Center, Provincial Library, ... Provincial General Hospital with a scale of nearly 1,000 beds, many modern equipment to meet the needs of medical examination and treatment, health care for people in the whole region. Regarding housing, Lao Cai has many urban areas from medium to modern, especially social housing projects that have been and are being built with a scale of 8,500 apartments ready to meet the housing needs of officials and workers.

Advantages of becoming a center for economic development, tourism and services

Sa Pa is expected to welcome 5.8 million tourists by 2025.

Lao Cai has the advantage of becoming a center for economic development of tourism and services , promoting tourism development of the region and the whole country. Sa Pa National Tourist Area has achieved the standard of "Asean Clean Tourist City" with the cable car route to the majestic Fansipan peak achieving 02 world records along with Y Ty tourist area which is being consulted for planning by the world's leading unit. In 2004, the number of tourists was only 400,000 but after 20 years it has reached over 8 million visitors and is aiming to exceed 10 million visitors by 2025 ; the tourism economy has contributed 15% of the total GRDP of the whole province. With the goal of welcoming 15 million visitors by 2030 (out of the total expected 30 million visitors to the region) and tourism revenue accounting for 25% - 30% of GRDP, Lao Cai will continue to contribute significantly to the tourism economy of the region.

With abundant mineral resources, Lao Cai focuses on exploitation and deep processing, affirming itself as the metallurgical and chemical center of the Northern midland and mountainous region and the whole country. Lao Cai is a province rich in mineral resources (the metallurgical and chemical center of the whole country ) with over 35 types of minerals, 150 mines of high value, large reserves along with a reasonable exploitation strategy combined with deep processing, so the industrial production value of Lao Cai in 2024 has reached over 45,000 billion Vietnamese dong, an average growth rate of over 20%/year.

Strategic location advantage in terms of national defense and foreign affairs

Lao Cai City is located at the center of the confluence of the Red River and the Nam Thi River, which plays the role of the "Fence" of the Fatherland. With a length of more than 182 km, the border between Lao Cai Province and Yunnan Province has been assessed as "A truly typical border that can be replicated across the entire Vietnam - China border", promoting socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security, and affirming the role of the "fence" of the Fatherland. Lao Cai City has become a trusted address for defense exchanges between Vietnam and China for many years; recognized by the Chinese Government as a "Friendship City with China".

Lung Po Flagpole - Where the Red River flows into Vietnam.

Over the years, Lao Cai has built a friendly and extremely good cooperative relationship with the Southwest region of China in general and Yunnan province in particular through comprehensive negotiations and exchanges in all fields. This is a long-term advantage for Lao Cai to become a reliable gateway and an important transit point for goods on the economic route of Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh. Along with the achievements in foreign affairs, Lao Cai has many opportunities to be selected to build a cross-border cooperation zone with preferential policies, investment guarantees and optimal monitoring mechanisms to facilitate the expansion of export markets for goods of the region and the whole country.

It can be affirmed that, after more than 30 years of re-establishment (1991), with the tradition of solidarity and the will to overcome difficulties, Lao Cai has achieved many great achievements, creating a foundation for breakthrough development in the new era. At the time of re-establishment, Lao Cai was one of the six poorest provinces in the country; however, with its potential, advantages and the tradition of solidarity, dynamism, creativity and overcoming difficulties of the Party Committee and the people of all ethnic groups in the province, after more than 30 years of re-establishment, Lao Cai has risen to become a top province among the Northern Midlands and Mountains.

Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW dated February 10, 2022 of the Politburo on the direction of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the midland and mountainous regions of the North until 2030, with a vision to 2045; Resolution No. 96/NQ-CP dated August 1, 2022 of the Government on promulgating the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW dated February 10, 2022 of the Politburo and the National Plan, Regional Plan, Lao Cai Provincial Plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2025 have all clearly indicated the development orientation: " Building Lao Cai into one of the growth poles, an important nucleus in regional economic development. At the same time, turning Lao Cai into a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region of China" . To concretize the above orientations, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1620/QD-TTg dated December 20, 2024 on the plan to develop Lao Cai into a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China. This was further emphasized by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the working session on December 22, 2024 with the Standing Committee of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee: “Lao Cai is a border province with an important strategic position, rich resources with many distinct potentials, outstanding opportunities and competitive advantages, converging all the "unique" favorable conditions to develop into a growth pole of the Northern Midlands and Mountains region and the whole country, becoming a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region of China”.