Mã Pí Lèng is the reason many people ride the Hà Giang Loop at all. Between Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc, the road climbs to about 1,500 metres and then runs along the edge of a cliff above the Nho Quế River, which flows through a narrow canyon far below, a ribbon of jade green between walls of grey rock. The view from the top is one of the most famous in Vietnam, and it lives up to the reputation: on a clear day you can see the river snaking through the gorge, terraced fields clinging to the slopes and endless ridges stretching into China.
The name is said to mean "the bridge of the horse's nose" in a local language, a reference to how steep and difficult the pass was to cross on horseback. The road was built by hand in the late 1950s and 1960s by thousands of young volunteers from across the region, who worked with hammers and chisels, hanging on ropes over the cliffs. Many died during its construction, and the road is known as the Road of Happiness, Con Đường Hạnh Phúc. A monument at the top of the pass commemorates their work.
The riding is the stuff of legend: tight hairpins, sheer drops, narrow lanes and some of the most spectacular views anywhere. The tarmac is mostly sound but broken in places, and there are plenty of hazards, including trucks, buses, local motorbikes, livestock and other tourists stopping on the bends to take photos. In the rainy season, from May to September, landslides are common, and fog can make the road dangerous. Take it slowly, stop often, and enjoy the view from the designated viewpoints rather than on the bends.
Down in the canyon, the Tu Sản gorge is one of the deepest in Southeast Asia, and boat trips run on the river from a landing at the bottom, reached by a steep side road. There are a few cafes at the viewpoints on the pass, selling coffee, drinks and snacks, and a skywalk at the top for those who want an even more dramatic view. The best light is in the early morning, when mist fills the canyon, or in the late afternoon, when the sun turns the rocks gold.