Sa Pa 15th century and represent local cadastres. Then came the highland minorities of the Hmong and Yao. The township is one of the main market ones in the area, where several ethnic minority groups such as Hmong, Dao (Yao), Giáy, Pho Lu, and Tày live. These are the four main minority groups still present in Sa Pa district today. The Kinh (lowland Vietnamese) never originally colonised this highest of Việt Nam’s valleys, which lies in the shadow of Phan-Xi-Pǎng (Fansipan, 3143 m), the highest peak in the country. It was only when the French debarked in highland Tonkin in the late
Pang Xi the Governor of Yi Province. During this time, Liu Zhang appointed Pang Xi as the Administrator (太守) of Baxi Commandery (巴西郡; around present-day Langzhong, Sichuan) and ordered him to lead troops to attack his rival, Zhang Lu, in Hanzhong Commandery. Although Pang Xi never managed to make any territorial gains in Hanzhong Commandery, Liu Zhang still left him in charge of Baxi Commandery to guard against possible advances by Zhang Lu. Liu Zhang also arranged for his eldest son, Liu Xun (劉循), to marry Pang Xi's daughter. As time passed, Pang Xi became increasingly arrogant because he believed that Liu