The Lao Cai Culture, Sports and Tourism Department reported that a large number of tourists flocked to the province to see and take photos of early plum flower blossoms due to the warm weather. The tourists made the nearly 3,000 rooms in Lao Cai full.

In the first half of January, Lao Cai greeted nearly 15,000 tourists, mainly in Bac Ha and Sapa, including nearly 2,000 foreigners. The Lao Cai Culture, Sport and Tourism Department assessed that there would be numerous foreign and local tourists registering for the Hanoi-Bac Ha and Sapa-Bac Ha tours during the coming Lunar New Year 2010.