Lào Cai — Sa Pa Ward authorities in northern Lào Cai Province have launched three digital kiosks and three free public Wi-Fi points to improve services for residents and tourists.

The facilities were inaugurated along with a new clock tower at the intersection of Xuân Viên and Ngũ Chỉ Sơn streets in central Sa Pa. The move is part of efforts to develop smart urban services and improve access to digital information.

The three kiosks, equipped with four smart information-search devices, and the free Wi-Fi points are located at key areas including the Stone Church, Sân Quần and Mắt Ngọc Lake. The network can serve about 2,000 users accessing the public Wi-Fi simultaneously.

The digital facilities were installed within 15 days, with about VNĐ800 million (US$30,400) mobilised from social sources.

The ward plans to expand the system to 22 digital kiosks during 2027-2030, prioritising community cultural houses, densely populated residential areas and public spaces with high demand.

The new clock tower, standing 10.6m high and costing VNĐ3.5 billion ($133,000), is also expected to add an architectural feature to central Sa Pa and support the town’s tourism development. — VNS