A one-hour flight from Hanoi will take you to Muong Thanh airport in Dien Bien Phu. If you travel by car, you will pass Pha Din Pass.
In the local language, Pha Din means Heaven-Earth, and according to
local legend, it was the frontier between Heaven and Earth.
Pha
Din is some 1,000m above sea-level. Climbing and descending the slopes
with their many bends and deep gorges is a really interesting trip amid
such a magnificent scenery.
Pha Din pass that is about 32 km long. Pha Din means the earth and the sky in the language of Thai ethnic group.
According
to a legend of the local, it is the place where the sky meets the
earth. Long time ago, there existed a deputation on the border between
Lai Chau and Son La provinces. It was solved by a horse-racing. Two
horses started from each side of the pass and the border was determined
at the point where they met each other. The horse of Lai Chau province
ran faster than the one of Son La province so the pass belonging to Lai
Chau is longer than that of Son La.
At the height of above
1,000m, the pass is full of twists and turns, one side is a upright
cliff and the other is a deep gulf. Therefore, visitors will have a
chance to enjoy the natural landscape in the North-west area.