Lào Cai Province than with snowing conditions. Fog and frost are a common phenomenon in the province. Lào Cai is a mountainous region. In the northwest of the province is Phan Xi Păng (also called Fansipan; elevation , snow covered during winter season), Vietnam's highest mountain. It is located in the Hoàng Liên Sơn and the Hoàng Liên National Park. The Sa Pa Mountains form the western part of the province. While the province is drained by over 100 rivers, the main river that bisects the province is the Red River, (), the most significant river of northern Vietnam, which flows out of
Phu Phan Mountains unabated in Thailand's mountainous forested zones, even in the protected areas. In Thailand and in China this wood is highly valued in the furniture industry. The name of the range is derived from the characteristic tabletop shape of its peaks, for "phan" is a kind of traditional tray on a pedestal. "Phu" is the word for mountain in the Isan/Lao language (as opposed to "khao" in central and southern Thai and "doi" in northern Thai). The Phu Phan Mountains rise above the plateau and are not prominent. They straddle most of the provinces of northern and eastern Isan, including Khon