Construction of the Fansipan-Sapa cable car system kicked off in Sa Pa town of the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on November 2.

The three-wire cable car system, which is the highest, longest and most complicated in the world, will stretch the 7km from Sa Pa town to the peak of Fansipan Mountain.

Once operational, it will shorten the current two-day climb to Fansipan to 15 minutes. The system is designed to carry a maximum of 2,000 people per hour. Each car can house 35 passengers.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai emphasised the importance of the system on the development of the local tourism. He said it will offer an opportunity for Sa Pa to attract more domestic and international visitors.

He also urged investors and contractors to minimise the project’s impacts on the local environment and landscape.

Invested by the Ba Na Cable Car Service’s Fansipan-Sapa Cable Car Service JSC, the system is part of the 4.4 trillion VND (210 million USD) Fansipan Sapa complex, which encompasses a luxury resort, four to five star hotels, entertainment facilities, restaurants, and a golf course.-VNA