The 2 Vietnamese localities duking it out for the Vietnam’s Coldest Place title
Friday, January 19, 2024, 08:34 GMT+7
While many claim that the Mau Son Massif in northeastern Lang Son Province is the coldest place in Vietnam, the more commonly-held belief that Mount Fansipan, the country’s highest peak, has the weather data to back it up.
The Mau Son Massif, situated 30km east of Lang Son City, the capital of Lang Son Province, sits just below the Vietnam-China border and has a reputation for frigid temperatures.
Standing at 1,541 meters above sea level, Phia Po Peak, also known as Cong Son Peak, is one of the 80 mountains that make up the Mau Son Massif and is known for being the highest point in Lang Son Province.
Mau Son is distinctly bow-shaped, opening up to the north and serving as a gateway for the weather to enter Vietnam ahead of the country’s annual monsoon season.
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| The Mau Son Massif is covered in frost in Lang Son Province, northern Vietnam, February 20, 2022. Photo: Hoang Lang Huy / Tuoi Tre |
It is usually veiled by cloud cover and maintains a cool average annual temperature of only 15.5 degrees Celsius.
During winter, mercury in Mau Son often plummets below zero degrees Celsius, leading to frequent frosts and occasional snowfall.
According to newsite VnExpress, the lowest temperature ever recorded in Mau Son was -5 degrees Celsius on February 2, 2008 and again on January 24, 2016.
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| The summit of Mount Fansipan is blanketed in white snow in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, February 9, 2021. Photo: To Ba Hieu / Tuoi Tre |
Though VnExpress called these the lowest temperatures ever recorded in Vietnam, the Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Climate Change begged to differ.
Sa Pa, a tourist town in northwestern Lao Cai Province, is the true holder of the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in Vietnam, at -6.1 degrees Celsius on January 4, 1974, according to the institute.
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| The summit of Mount Fansipan is blanketed in white snow in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, February 9, 2021. Photo: To Ba Hieu / Tuoi Tre |
Located about nine kilometers northeast of the 3,143-meter-tall Mount Fansipan – Vietnam’s highest peak – Sa Pa’s average yearly temperature stands at 16.2 degrees Celsius, according to climate-data.org, which claims to use data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
In winter, Sa Pa often sees sub-zero temperatures, frost, and snowfall, echoing the chilly conditions of Mau Son.
So, the next time someone debates whether Sa Pa or Mau Son is the coldest place in Vietnam, show them this article.
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