Spring trip to Cao Bang

The white color of the water and the green color of the mountains and forests make Ban Gioc waterfall magically beautiful - Photo: Hai Duong

Vietnamese tourists prepare to take rafts to the foot of the waterfall - Photo: Tien Dat

Cao Bang in spring is very beautiful, the land and sky are as beautiful as a painting. Tourists have to endure the rain, white fog, then bury themselves in the freezing cold winds, muddy red dirt roads.

Mysterious Pac Bo

Coming to Pac Bo, it felt like Uncle Ho was still there, sitting fishing by the stream. Rarely does a stream flow with such clear and calm water. He named the stream Lenin stream. Schools of fish were swimming underwater, each one clearly visible. The guard of the relic site had just spread food into the stream, schools of fish jumped to the surface to catch the bait. There were banana fish, carp weighing 2-3kg, pink, brown... pleasing to the eye.

The guard happily said that the relic management board had a very clear regulation that fishing in Lenin stream was strictly prohibited. According to him, the schools of fish here were sacred and strange. Even though the water level was high during the rainy season, the schools of fish still stayed in the stream and did not go anywhere else.

Tourists are fascinated when walking along the clear, ancient stream and watching schools of fish swimming around. The way to Coc Bo cave where Uncle Ho lived from February to the end of March 1941, tourists have to go through exactly 79 ancient mossy stone steps. In Coc Bo cave, there is only a wooden bed for Uncle Ho to sleep on. In Pac Bo, there is milestone 108 where Uncle Ho crossed to return to the Fatherland after exactly 30 years of searching for a way to save the country.

Vietnamese people's stall selling goods at the foot of Ban Gioc waterfall - Photo: Hai Duong

A bit of peace at Thang Hen Lake - Photo: Hai Duong

Wonderful Ban Gioc waterfall

The 90km from Cao Bang to Ban Gioc is much more difficult than the nearly 300km from Hanoi. The first challenge for the drivers is to conquer Ma Phuc Pass, then Khau Lieu Pass, then the damaged asphalt roads... From the top of the mountain, the group suddenly cheered with joy because in the distance was indeed Ban Gioc Waterfall. White water cascaded down from upstream to Quay Son River.

Landmark 836 was planted in 2001 to mark the Vietnam-China border. The white water flows from a height of 30-40m straight down to the lake at the foot of the waterfall. The magical clear water flows into the Quay Son River, which is also the natural border between Vietnam and China. The two banks of the Quay Son River are two tourist bamboo raft wharves of the two countries, with green-roofed rafts belonging to Vietnam and gray-roofed rafts belonging to China.

Ms. Lanh, a resident of Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, who sells food and souvenirs here, said: "Ban Gioc waterfall is beautiful in every season, but especially in the summer when there is a lot of water, you can see all its majesty."

Looking across the border, the concrete solidifies the entire road down to the raft wharf, the dining and resting area is very impressive, there is even a lookout tower to watch the waterfall from afar... On the Vietnamese side, the road from the parking lot down to the waterfall is nearly 1km and is still a rice field road. Finding a motel and restaurant in Ban Gioc is probably the most difficult thing here. The best way is to prepare snacks or try to go hungry and go 25km to Trung Khanh town where there are restaurants and motels.

That is why the resort project that Saigon Tourist Corporation (Saigontourist) has just announced will be the biggest expectation of tourists who want to come here to visit.

HAI DUONG

The Thanh