Fansipan, a rough pronunciation of the local name Hua Xi Pan means the tottery giant rock. The French came to Vietnam and in 1905 planted a landmark telling Fansipan's height of 3,143m and branded it the Roof of Indochina. Very few people climbed to the top of Fansipan at the time. Then came the long years of war and Fansipan was left deserted for hunting and savaging. The trail blazed by the French was quickly overgrown by the underbrush.
