Close

0913.72.72.72

Monday - Friday 8:00 to 20:00

Top Destinations In Cao Bang

07/04/2020

TOP DESTINATIONS IN CAO BANG

Cao Bang, a mountainous province in the north with a cool climate all year round, has a bunch of magnificent and wild landscapes. Expect mountains, forests, rivers, streams, waterfalls, and more. Not only that, many historic relics that mark a history-rich period of Vietnam can be found here too, this is especially appealing if you’re interested in learning more about the Vietnam War. The best part is, this area is not as crowded as Sapa, so you can relax and enjoy a peaceful trip without the chaos. The following places are the most interesting and famous in Cao Bang, if you are lucky enough to spend time here, do not miss these points of interest.

  1. Ban Gioc Waterfall

Ban Gioc waterfall is the first top destination in Can Bang. Ban Gioc is the fourth largest waterfall in the world that is situated on a border between two nations, Vietnam and China. It’s also the most majestic and beautiful waterfall in Vietnam. It is more than 30 meters tall and it flows through many layers of limestone.

The waterfall is divided into two branches. The large branches have low elevation and flow over limestone steps. The smaller branches are higher up and cascade just like a young girl’s hair. Turquoise is the feature color of the waterfall in autumn. At the foot of Ban Gioc Waterfall is a wide and flat river with green grass and forests covering the banks. Tourists can sit on floating rafts on Quay Son River and observe local people fishing.

  1. Phat Tich Truc Lam Ban Gioc Pagoda

Phat Tich Truc Lam Ban Gioc is the first pagoda built in the northern frontier of the country, on Phia Nhu mountain, Dam Thuy commune, about 500 meters from Ban Gioc Waterfall. From the pagoda, you can see the entire Ban Gioc Waterfall and a large area below. It is one of the top destinations in Cao Bang.

The pagoda was built in the style of Vietnamese architecture, including a three-door gate, bell tower, drum tower, steles, temples of national heroes, Hung Kings, guest houses, and a beautiful landscape.

  1. Nguom Ngao Cave

Nguom Ngao cave is a very famous top destination in Cao Bang. Located in Gun Hamlet (Dam Thuy Communce, Trung Khanh District.), 5km from Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave is the natural masterpiece which is worth to visit when coming to Cao Bang Province.

The cave was discovered in 1921, became a tourist site in 1996 and was recognized as the nature site of national significance in 1998.

According to Tay ethnic language, “Nguom Ngao” means tiger cave. It is said that, this cave used to be the natural habitat of many tigers, so the local villagers names it after that. Another legend said, the roaring sounds come from the sound of the springs flowing in the cave listened like a roar of an angry tiger so the local people called Nguom Ngao Cave.

With the total length of 2,144m (including 1,000m for tourist service), the cave is truly an idea place for nature-lovers. It has three main gates: Nguom Ngao, Nguom Lom and Ban Thuon (Tay names). According to research, Nguom Ngao Cave was derived from limestone that contained petrified corals, because the area was previously ocean, around 400 million years ago. It is very cool in summer and warm in winter.

Stepping into the cave, the natural landscape with many strange stalactites will make visitors feel overwhelmed. The countless stalactites grow from the bottom up, from the high stone arches hanging down with many shapes, reflecting shimmering, fanciful light. The surrounding terrain of cave is karst. As a result, stalactites in this cave are markedly different than those in other regions because of its high calcium volume an other residues.

Looking at the stalactites, the imagination of visitors to freely fly with image of stones look like people, forest trees, animals, fairies combing their hair, lotus buds, breast milk …

Two greatest attractions in Nguom Ngao Cave are the upside-down lotus pedestal and the lonely stone pillar. It is said that if you catch the drops of water from Buddha’s hand, then rub it on your face, you will have many lucks.

Deep inside the cave, the beauty is more sparkling and majestic. Many nooks and crannies just fit for only one person, or sometime there is a stalactite from the ceiling suddenly blocking the path, making the visitors have to bend down to pass.

The unique features that make up the highlight of Nguom Ngao scenic spot is the image that look like terraced fields – creation of limestone floors eroded and weathered many millions of years.

  1. Thang Hen Lake

Thang He lake is an interesting top destination in Cao Bang. There is an interesting legend about Thang Hen Lake. It is said that, long time ago, in Tra Linh area, there is a handsome and intelligent young man, who passed the national examination (in the old time) and became a mandarin. He was awarded with seven days for returning to his village after achieving such honor and entering the imperial city. Before going back to the imperial city, he met and married a beautiful lady, Bi Ooc. Being so happy with the new marriage, he failed to depart for the capital city on time. Only in the seventh night did he remember to come back. Saying goodbye to the young wife and her parents, he hurriedly ran back to the imperial city. Passing 36 valleys, through rocky mountains in the midnight, he was so tired that he dropped down and unexpectedly smashed into the mountain and died.

The 36 lakes of different sizes that we see today are all beautiful. It is believed that the place where the young men died is now the location of Thang Hen Lake. The place is attracting lots of travelers since provincial authorities have focused much on development of this site. In 2002, Thang Hen Lake was recognized as an eco-tourism site of Cao Bang province by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam.

  1. Pac Po Relic

Pac Po relic is a very famous top destination in Cao Bang. Pac Po is a famous revolutionary relic, where Ho Chi Minh worked and led the revolution of Northern Vietnam. Before that, he visited many foreign countries such as France, Russia, and China to learn about communism. China was the last country he visited, after which he left for Pac Po. He chose Cao Bang because most of the people were on his side and Cao Bang is adjacent to China. There are many famous relics in this area which all mark a historical period of Vietnam.

Le Nin Stream is famous for its turquoise color and it looks like a long swatch of silk hidden in the green forest.

Coc Po Cave has a narrow path leading to the other side of the border between Vietnam and China, and if you position yourself inside the cave, you can safely retreat on this path when the cave is exposed. You will also find an old bed which was once the working place of Ho Chi Minh during the war.

Cac Mac Mountain is in front of Coc Pho Cave. It’s named after Karl Marx in Vietnamese, a thinker and philosopher that has had a great impact on Ho Chi Minh’s career.

108 Border Marker, one of the 314 ancient Vietnamese-Chinese border markers, is made of monolithic stone, oval shaped, about 70 centimeters high, with engraved content in Chinese and French on the surface.

Khuoi Nam Shed is a place where Ho Chi Minh lived for four years. It is built in the style of the local ethnic minority stilt houses. It’s pretty small, only twelve square meters in area with two small rooms. The canyon leading to the shed was once covered in dense forest but it’s since been transformed into consecutive terraced fields.

House of Ly Quoc Sung is the first place where Ho Chi Minh stayed in this area before moving to Coc Bo Cave and Khuoi Nam Shed. It is also built in the style of the local ethnic minority stilt houses.

  1. Phuc Sen Forge Village

Forging is a traditional work of the Nung people, an occupation they have been perfecting for hundreds of years. It is one of interesting top destination in Cao Bang. There are many unique features of the forging industry. You must choose good steel ingots, the process of making the steel varies, and the unique technique characteristic of each family in this area all contribute to quality and diverse products. The main products of this village are the knife, scissors, hoe, and sickle which are the main tools of the local farmers.

There are a variety of tools made by the local people on sale along the two-kilometer road after you enter the gate of the village. Go deep inside the village, and you can see the burning furnace, flaming fire pots, and working scene in every corner. Phuc Sen commune has 150 families working regularly. On average, a product cost from 20,000 to 200,000 VND per unit, depending on type and size.

At the end of the year, Phuc Sen Forge Village is busy with orders from many places such as Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, Hanoi, and Nghe An. Forging is the main economy for the local people here and it has become the traditional culture of this land.

  1. Phia Oac – Phia Den

Spread over three communes including Thanh Cong, Quang Thanh, Phan Thanh and Tinh Tuc, Phia Oac – Phia Den is a special-use forest, a valuable heritage of the northeast. With a peak of 1,931 meters above sea level, Phia Oac is the roof of Cao Bang province and the northeast of Vietnam. Surprisingly, Phia Oac receives snow which creates a unique vegetation for this land.

Phia Oac – Phia Den attracts tourists with its beautiful landscapes of diverse forests, nature reserves, national parks with more than 300,000 hectares, and huge salmon aquaculture. Phia Oac is also the source of five large rivers in the area. Water from the mountainous rivers of the Phia Oac special-use forest is an endless source for Ta Sa Hydropower Plant.

The road of more than a dozen kilometers from Phia Den to the peak of Phia Oac Pass snakes its way through the mountains with many dangerous bends. Conquering this road is an awesome challenge for adventurous travelers.

The French built the road, resorts, stone villas, and a tin mining system through the mountains. The villas have been deserted for years but after all this time they still retain their shape, giving an impression of ancient French architecture.

  1. Border Gates and Markers

In addition, there are many border gates between Cao Bang and China such as Ta Lung, Tra Linh, Po Peo, Ly Van, and Soc Giang. Not only that, out of the 1,971 border makers in the seven northern border provinces, Cao Bang has the most border markers (634 markers). Therefore, you can visit them and check in as much as possible.

With all the interesting places above, Cao Bang is really an amazing travel destination in the north of Vietnam. Pack your bag and get here as soon as possible. Keep reading our articles below to prepare for your next trip.

(Author: Huyen Nguyen)

Saco travel company