Happiness Road

Stretching across the UNESCO Global Geopark of Dong Van Karst Plateau, the Happiness Road (National Highway 4C) winds through rugged limestone mountains like a silver ribbon. For travelers and adventure enthusiasts, it is not only one of the most beautiful routes in Vietnam but also a symbol of endurance and the will to conquer challenges.

Tham Ma Slope – a challenging curve on the Happiness Road offers an exhilarating experience for travel enthusiasts.

On September 10, 1959, more than 1,500 young volunteers and workers from eight northern mountainous provinces began carving through rock to build the 185-kilometer road connecting Ha Giang 2 ward to Dong Van. Among all sections, Ma Pi Leng Pass was the most perilous, often called the “cliff of death.” Twenty members of the “Courageous Team” spent 11 months hanging from ropes on sheer cliffs, chiseling each centimeter of the road with bare hands and rudimentary tools.

In 1961, President Ho Chi Minh named the road “Happiness,” symbolizing the light, knowledge, and joy it would bring to ethnic communities in the highlands. After six years of construction, on March 10, 1965, the project was completed with more than 2.2 million workdays and over 2 million cubic meters of soil and rock moved entirely by human labor. Fourteen young volunteers laid down their lives, and hundreds more carried lifelong injuries.

Today, the Happiness Road is not only a vital transport artery linking Ha Giang 2 ward with 23 communes across the Dong Van Karst Plateau but also a popular destination for sports and adventure tourism. The annual international marathon “Run on the Happiness Road” has become one of the most unique sporting events in northern Vietnam. The 2025 season attracted nearly 2,200 runners, including over 60 international athletes from various countries.

The event’s success has contributed to boosting tourism in Tuyen Quang. In the first nine months of 2025, Tuyen Quang welcomed nearly 3 million visitors, including over 388,000 international tourists, generating more than VND8 trillion in revenue. Notably, more than 70% of visitors chose to explore the Happiness Road and the magnificent landscapes of the Dong Van Karst Plateau.

Born from sweat, blood, and sacrifice, the Happiness Road today stands as an everlasting symbol of Vietnamese resilience - a road of aspiration, pride, and true happiness.

Thu Phuong