Quản Bạ Heaven's Gate and the Cô Tiên twin mountains
Quản Bạ Heaven's Gate and the Cô Tiên twin mountains: how to get there, the best photo spots, the best time for photos, the legend of the twin mountains and paragliding over the Tam Sơn valley.
Đội trưởng Mỹ · · 5 min read
Quản Bạ Heaven's Gate (Cổng trời Quản Bạ) is the first stop — and for many people the first big impression — of the Hà Giang Loop. From here you look down over the Tam Sơn valley, with the Cô Tiên twin mountains sitting among the fields. And right down in that valley is the Quản Bạ paragliding site — where you can fly over the very scenery you've just photographed.
Where is Quản Bạ Heaven's Gate?
Heaven's Gate lies on National Road 4C, around Km45 from Hà Giang city, just before the road drops down to Tam Sơn town. From the city it's about 1 hour 15 minutes via the Bắc Sum pass.
It's called "Heaven's Gate" because it's a high point on the pass where clouds often drift across, so looking down feels like standing at the gate of the sky. There's a rest stop with parking, a viewpoint and a few food stalls.
For detailed directions from the city, see our article getting to Quản Bạ from Hà Giang city.
The Cô Tiên twin mountains and their legend
The Cô Tiên twin mountains are two round, symmetrical hills sitting side by side in the middle of the Tam Sơn valley. According to local legend, they are the breasts of a fairy who left them on earth out of longing for a young Mông man.
