In the minds of those who love to travel in Vietnam, there are 4 passes in the Northwest that have become legendary because of their ruggedness and enchanting beauty, dubbed the “Four Great Passes”…
Ma Pi Leng Pass (Ha Giang) is a dangerous pass about 20km long, crossing the top of Ma Pi Leng mountain with an altitude of 2,000m, connecting Meo Vac with Dong Van. This pass is famous for its winding roads like snakes wriggling from one mountain to another. Photo: DutchTa (Flickr). 
Ma Pi Leng in Quan Hoa language means ‘the bridge of the horse’s nose’ literally. But in a figurative sense, this name refers to the craziness of the mountain top, where the slope is so high that the horse passing through must die, or the mountain peak stands up like the bridge of a horse’s nose. Photo: Phambaongoc75 (Flickr). 
The road running through Ma Pi Leng pass is called Hanh Phuc road, built by tens of thousands of young volunteers from 16 ethnic groups in 8 northern provinces of Vietnam from 1959 to 1965. At the pass, the workers. had to hang himself on a rope between the cliffs for construction for 11 months. Photo: Gavin White (Flickr). 
Since 2009, the Ma Pi Leng mountain area has been recognized as a national scenic relic. Accordingly, Ma Pi Leng pass is considered as a unique geological and landscape heritage area; The top of the pass is one of the most beautiful panoramic views in Vietnam, Nho Que river canyon is one of the unique tectonic valleys in Vietnam. Photo: Tu-geo (Flickr). 
Nearly 50km long, O Quy Ho Pass is a pass that holds the record for length in the Northwest mountains, and is also one of the most dangerous and majestic passes in Vietnam. This pass is located on the National Highway 4D crossing the Hoang Lien Son range, the pass connecting the two provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau with the top of the pass at an altitude of 2,000m is the boundary between the two provinces. Photo: Le Thanh Son (Flickr). 
The name O Quy Ho comes from the melancholy cry of a bird, associated with the legend of the unsuccessful love story of a couple. Besides, O Quy Ho pass is also called Hoang Lien pass, due to the passing of Hoang Lien Son mountain range, or May pass because the top of the pass is covered with clouds all year round. Photo: Vpts (Flickr). 
The height, ruggedness and length make O Quy Ho pass unorthodox known as the ‘king of the Northwest Pass’. The top of O Quy Ho pass is located between the mountains and clouds, also known as the Heaven Gate. In cold years, the top of the pass can be covered with snow and ice. Photo: Skda84pilot (Flickr). 
Not only dangerous, in the past, this pass was also associated with the story of the tigers stalking people, so very few people dared to cross. Today, the pass route has been much upgraded, so it has become a rather crowded road. Photo: Ngo Huy Hoa (Flickr). 
Pha Din pass or mountain pass with a length of 32 km is located on Highway 6, partly in Phong Lai commune, Thuan Chau district, Son La province and partly in Toa Tinh commune, Tuan Giao district, Dien Bien province, with a high point. the most is 1,648 meters. The name Pha Din Pass originally comes from the Thai language, meaning ‘Heaven and Earth’, meaning that this place is the confluence between heaven and earth. Photo: Hachi8 (Flickr). 
Pha Din Pass is both famous for its ruggedness and for its breathtaking scenery. In the middle of the pass, it is often cloudy with clouds, at the foot of the pass are scattered villages. However, when approaching the top of the pass, almost no village can be seen but only the deep blue sky and majestic mountains and forests blend into one. Photo: Imax-73 (Flickr). 
In recent years, the project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 6, section Son La-Tuan Giao has been completed. The road to avoid Pha Din pass was built along the mountainside of the secondary pass peaks on the left of the old National Highway 6, with an altitude of about 1,000m (200-400m lower than Pha Din pass), causing less traffic to pass through the bridge. The road through Pha Din pass and the pass is only suitable for adventurous tourists. Photo: Peter Garnhum (Flickr). 
During the resistance war against the French, Pha Din Pass was one of the important bloodlines supplying weapons, ammunitions and food for the Viet Minh’s Dien Bien Phu campaign, which had to bear the heavy bombardment of the French air force. . This has made Pha Din pass a symbol of bravery with more than 8,000 young people volunteering to “death for the Fatherland”. Photo: ManhThaiSG (Flickr). 
Khau Pha Pass is the longest pass on Highway 32 with a length of over 30 km, and is also one of the most winding and steep passes in Vietnam. The pass is located in the bordering area between Van Chan district and Mu Cang Chai district of Yen Bai province, passing many famous landmarks such as La Pan Tan, Mu Cang Chai, Tu Le, Che Cu Nha, Nam Co etc at high altitude. from 1,200m to 1,500m above sea level. Photo: Hachi8 (Flickr). 
The pass crosses the top of Khau Pha mountain, the highest mountain in Mu Cang Chai. The name of this mountain peak in the Thai language means ‘Horn of Heaven’ (the horn of the mountain rises up to the sky), because the peaks often rise in the middle of the sea of clouds surrounded like a horn. Photo: Thanh Nien Village (Flickr). 
The view from Khau Pha pass is most beautiful in the ripe rice season, around September-October, when the rice on the foot of Tu Le terraced fields is ripe. This is the time when many tourists venture to conquer the pass to enjoy the scenery. Photo: Haikeu (Flickr). 
In addition to the terraced fields stretching endlessly, located on the winding pass road of Khau Pha, there are also old forests with bold pristine features that preserve many rare and precious animals and plants. Photo: Hoang Giang Hai (Flickr). https://dulich.petrotimes.vn/
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