Fansipan Book

The origin of the name Phan Xi Păng is unclear. The most accepted theory is that it evolved from Hủa Xi Pan (the tottering giant rock) – the name that the locals called the mountain based on its shape. Another theory suggested that the name came from the Hmong people, as it means Azalea Mountain in their language due to the prevalence of azalea and other species of Rhododendron genus on the mountain.[2] It has also been suggested that the name could have derived from Phan Văn Sơn, a geography official in the Nguyễn dynasty who helped the French to map the area and define the border with China in 1905. Due to the inaccurate local pronunciation, the name generally evolved into Phan Xi Păng.