Lying on the legendary road of Hanh Phuc or Happiness connecting Dong Van with Meo Vac town, Ma Pi Leng is the craggiest pass in Vietnam, belongs to Ha Giang province, northern Vietnam. Spectacular scenery with massive mountains and dazed hairpin turns, Ma Pi Leng challenges a lot of travelers to conquer on motorbikes.
With just only rudimentary labor tools like shovel, crowbar, the legendary 184 km Happiness Road was formed. This road was constructed by thousands of youth volunteers of 16 races from 8 provinces in northern Vietnam (Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Hai Hung and Nam Dinh) during 6 years (1959 – 1965) with over 2 million workdays; in which the 20 km Ma Pi Leng pass was built by a suicide squad, who hung on sheer cliffs, encroaching every single cm to accomplished the pass in 11 months. Happiness Road is the result of extraordinary effort and even the blood and bones of young volunteers.
Formerly there was no Happiness Road, Quan Ba heaven gate like a giant wall isolated the whole region (from Quan Ba heaven gate up to Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac) from the plains. Even horses climbing to the heaven gate also crumple up. 8 millions of compatriots behind the heaven gate lived in poverty and backwardness. Also before August Revolution, this region was the private kingdom of the Meo King Vuong Chinh Duc. He forced the residents to plant opium poppy and sell opium drugs to Qing dynasty (China), Chiang Kai-shek (Taiwan) and the Colonial French to get gold and foreign currency.
Towering and craggy “cat-ear” rocky mountains pierce the sky with diverse bizarre shapes, some upright, some skew, some highly green with trees while others only have fully a gray of bare rocks. Mã Pì Lèng means “nasal bridge of the horse”. However, indigenous Hmong people argue that the exact name is “Mão Pì Lèng”, which means “nasal bridge of the cat”.
Pai Lung slope is winding with numerous hairpin turns on the way up to the summit of Ma Pi Leng pass. Thanks to tortuous roads, Ha Giang now becomes a hot spot for motorcycling adventures in northern Vietnam. Regardless of difficulties, young people still eagerly travel to Ha Giang to quest awesome photos and admire the breathtaking landscape.
The pass protrudes among the flank of colossal mountains dotted with small villages perching on high. Do Doan Hoang, in his article The Miracle Ma Pi Leng, wrote: “Throughout the road construction history of Vietnam, Happiness Road is considered as a miracle which was 100% constructed by the human power on the highest plateau with the most workdays in the longest time and especially with the biggest casualty ever (when the pass was completed, there was a cemetery for people who sacrificed during the process of building the road)."
Under the foot of massive mountains, there is the chasm of Nho Que river, which seems to split the area into two parts. One part is the road to Sam Pun, where has the border landmark and frontier gate with China.
The pass meanders around imposing mountain walls, crossing over Ma Pi Leng peak at an altitude of barely 2000 m.
With craggy terrace, untamed and spectacular scenery, Ma Pi Leng is deserved as one of the four greatest and most dramatic passes in northern part of Vietnam (along with passes of Pha Din, O Quy Ho and Khau Pha).
Many Mong people (a Vietnamese ethnic minority) walk on this pass. They go to Dong Van or Meo Vac market. There are some get drunk, sleep naturally on side of road, and ignore everything around.
At the end of the pass, reaching the junction Sam Pun – Meo Vac, if lucky travelers will find some small drink stalls on side in beautiful sunny days, with simple wooden tables, a few bottles of corn wine and old chipped enamel bowls laid on, sparsely several wooden stools. Some men sit silently and release smoke in a refreshing way. Some women and kids walk across and look back. The life in the recesses of the mountains is so simple and peaceful.
Standing on the top of the pass, you will break into emotion and are overwhelmed by imposing space of mountains. The journey conquering the dizzy pass with a lot of tones of emotion, the landscape transforming incalculably once again urge the dream of setting foot on here of many adventurers. With those reached here, they desire to come back.
When the Nho Que River is completely hidden under the canyon, Meo Vac town appears. The life of ethnic minorities here is so exotic. They still wear their traditional costumes, speak their language and live their tradit ional lifestyle.