Mã Pí Lèng is the great pass of the Ha Giang Loop, a road cut along the side of a vast gorge on the way between Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc, and it earns its reputation in the first minute. At about fifteen hundred metres, the road clings to a cliff hundreds of metres above the Nho Quế River, which winds through a sheer, green-black canyon far below, often described as one of the deepest in Southeast Asia. The sides drop away on one hand, the mountain climbs on the other, and the colour of the river, a clear jade turquoise on a good day, is unforgettable.
The road has a story that matters. It is known as the Happiness Road, and it was built by hand between 1959 and 1965 by thousands of young volunteers and local labourers from many ethnic groups, who hung from ropes to drill and blast the cliff face with little more than hammers and dynamite, working for months at a time. A monument at the pass recognises their effort, and some of those who built it died in the work. Today it is a paved, if narrow, road, with viewing points, tea stalls and small cafés where you can sit and look across the gorge.
For a rider, the pass is a thrilling, careful ride. The bends are tight and often blind, the road is shared with trucks, buses, scooters and livestock, and fog can appear suddenly, cutting visibility to a few metres. Rain makes the surface treacherous. Go slowly, stay on your side, and use your horn before blind corners. Mornings are often clearest, and the best light is just after sunrise, when the sun burns off the mist. The road is frequently crowded with tour groups at midday.
Carry water, warm clothes and a rain jacket, as temperatures can drop sharply. Local food in the nearby towns includes thắng cố, a hearty horse or beef stew, and buckwheat cakes. In autumn, the buckwheat flowers bloom pink across the hills, and the days are crisp and clear, making it the best season.