Xuan Son National Park is located in Xuan Son commune, Thanh Son district, Phu Tho province. The national park lies right at the end of Hoang Lien Son range, gateway of Northwestern. Being considered as the most outstanding natural tourism potential of Phu Tho.
Xuan Son National Park deserves to be one of unique natural heritages of the nation. Pristine beauty along with great efforts in conservation contributes to create an appealing picture for travelers who enjoy exploring beauty of nature.
Xuan Son National Park has a total area of 15,048ha, with the buffer zone of 18,639ha, in which strict protection area is of 9,099ha. Xuan Son National Park features the only primary forest on limestone mountain (2,432 ha). Xuan Son is considered as the forest diversifying in ecology, biology and terrain that creates the diverse landscape.
According to initial statistics, Xuan Son National Park has 726 vascular species of higher plant belonging to 475 genera and 134 species of which 52 species of conifer branch. Located in the adjacent area of two vegetable streams of Malaysia and Hoa Nam, flora system in Xuan Son dominantly consists of chestnut, oak and magnolia. Xuan Son is also the huge repository of native seeds and medicinal plants, especially bacopa monnieri which grows naturally with the highest density of the Northern.
Today, there exists 365 species of animal here, including 46 species listed in Vietnam’s Red Book and 18 species listed in the World Red Book. In addition to typical species characterizing for fauna system of the Northwestern such as gray langur, gibbon, silver cheek civet, red-bell white-tailed squirrel, bear, leopard… and bird species such as pheasant, land eagles… together with chamois with the largest number of all over the country.
In Xuan Son National Park, there are some animals featuring characteristics of India – Malaysia and Hoa Nam and the distribution of tigers on Vietnam map. This is the factor creating the difference between Xuan Son National Park and other national parks and conservation areas in the Northern.
In addition to the appeal of rich flora and fauna system, Xuan Son also has many wonderful natural landscapes. There exist here three peaks of above 1,000m high which are Mount Elephant, Mount Ten and Mount Can with hundreds of caves and streams such as Lap, Thang streams; together with waterfalls of over 50m high, covering caves, rocks swirling with silver cascade and blue color of ancient jungle contribute to create spectacular and dreaming scenery.
Xuan Son National Park has up to 16 limestone of large size due to weathered and watered process, with beautiful and diversified stalactites which creates the difference everywhere; streams flowing over caves make it more charming trailing along Lang village to Lap and Coi villages, in which, the longest cave has a length of 6,000m.
Spacious grotto heart with 20m high in some positions which can accommodate several hundred of people. Each cave is associated with a thrilling legend of thousand years narrated by tribesmen. Running along the cave bottom is a large stream with many big and rare fresh water fishes.
Residential community in Xuan Son has almost 30 thousand people, living the scattered clusters of village, including Muong and Dao minorities. Due to difficulty in traffic, ethnic people here are still pretty primitive and unique with lifestyle featuring strong traditional culture.
A day passing by in Xuan Son has four seasons: the cool in morning with fresh as spring; the warm in afternoon as summer; the windiness in afternoon as autumn; and pretty coldness in evening as winter. Generally, the climate in Xuan Son is fresh all year round, cool in summer and warm in winter.
With the foregoing huge potential, Xuan Son is favorable to develop diversifying forms of tourism attracting tourists such as resort, sightseeing, research, and climbing, caving and exploring culture of ethnic minorities.