LAO CAI – After more than 13 years, the stainless steel top weighing nearly 20 kg of Hanoi “crazy guys” is still stunned, shining on the roof of Indochina.
Meeting his “brainchild” again on top of Fansipan on May 2021, Mr. Le Hong Quang could not hide his emotion and pride through his eyes. Gently adjusting his five-body ao dai in front of the wind on the top of the mountain, he slowly talked about his idea of making a new peak for Fansipan, 13 years ago.
In the early days of 2008, on the Heart Vietnam Online website, one of the largest Vietnamese forums at that time, there were continuously posts warning about the damage of Fansipan peak. Although not once seen, the image of the marble block with many cracks still motivated Hong Quang to regenerate the tip for the Roof of Indochina.
“At that time, I just thought that the most difficult to conquer landmark in Vietnam had many sacred meanings,” he recalls. Thinking to do, on 9/1/2008, he posted an article calling for “Reworking a new peak for Fansipan peak” on the Travel box at the forum. The topic received the attention and encouragement of many people and attracted 4 members directly to participate.
The next day, he sent a letter to the director of Hoang Lien Son National Park (National Park), then Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tri, asking permission to allow the backpacker community and Fansipan lovers to be the top of the community. The group seemed to be empowered when Mr. Tri issued a written agreement.
Less than a week, Mr. Quang called for about 10 million VND to be raised and the group started construction. Female architect Le Thanh Van is the person who drew and designed the prototype of the first tip since 1964. Initially, the proposed material for the top was duralumin (đuyra) alloy for durability. But this alloy is difficult to find and the group does not have enough budget. At that time, Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan, a color metallurgy engineer in the group, decided to use 304 stainless steel, with a commitment that “the tip will last over time, so that on the top of the mountain to experience rain and wind, it will be increasingly shiny “.
On January 26, 2008, the tip was completed with a weight of nearly 20 kg, height of 99 cm. On 3 sides of the tip is a 5-pointed star with the words FANSIPAN 3,143m, created by corrosive substances. On the same day, Mr. Quang took the spire to Hoan Kiem Lake, to the statue of King Le Thai To to pray for peace, before getting on the bus towards Fansipan at night.
At midnight, the car that took the group to Yen Bai territory broke down. In order not to be late for the appointment to hand over the crown to the management board of Hoang Lien Son National Park the next day, Hong Quang jumped on the boat alone and headed towards Lao Cai. As soon as the train left the station, the car was repaired. Because of this incident, the whole group often jokingly said that it was “spiritual matter”, because everyone who came to Lao Cai that day had to take the train, so the top was no exception.
The next morning, the group met in Lao Cai and continued to go to Sa Pa town, handing the tip to the park management board. To complete the plan before Tet, Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan and some H’Mong porters piggybacked to the top of Fansipan. In winter days, the temperature in Hoang Lien Son sometimes drops below 0 degrees Celsius, but the cold rain winds do not relieve the youth and determination of the people carrying the top.
After two days of crossing the forest, the group reached their destination on the afternoon of January 28, 2008. Due to the extreme weather, the team drilled rocks and poured cement, fixed the tip for half an hour, and let it go down the mountain soon. However, each step is done very meticulously, so that the sharp angle of the tip turns to the North, the plane faces to the South, so on clear days, sunlight will sparkle on the top. Mountain.
On February 17 of that year, on the occasion of his 35th birthday, Mr. Hong Quang and his group “Love Fansipan – Fanlove” consisted of 34 members, who are also donors to the top, conquering the high mountain.
More than 10 years have passed, Mr. Quang still cannot forget the cold feeling through his flesh and frozen foliage in Hoang Lien Son forest that day. But what he most engraved on, perhaps his pride, his love for the country in his chest, when standing next to “his spiritual child” on the Roof of Indochina. Follow vnexpress