If you decide to take a tour to northern Vietnam, a stop in Cao Bang would be unforgettable. With three well-known sites worth coming to see, the first that should be at the top of any itinerary is Thang Hen.
Thang Hen Lake is a group of small natural lakes scattered on the top of a 1,000-metre height mountain in Cao Bang, a northern highland province.
It consists of 36 small lakes forming a large one, with clear water over four seasons reflecting trees that grow from its limestone borders.
Many limestone mountains around the lake have withstood the test of time. Rainfall erosion has formed many of its naturally strange-looking shapes from which, some of them, flows a stream.
Everyday, the water level in the lakes rise up and down, just like the tides of the seas.
Due to the height and eruption of water from artesian wells, Thang Hen’s climate is very cool. Water from the lake flows downward to form many spectacular waterfalls.
One is short-changed if visiting Cao Bang Province without going to Pac Bo Cave.
Pac Bo heads the Giang River that flows sixty kilometres downstream to Cao Bang town. Around Pac Bo are mountains with deep chasms and thick forests. In the morning, the mountaintops are misty with fog. At noon, the sunlight pours upon the high mountains and thick forests, making the river and stream glisten.
Near the forests of Pac Bo also lies Coc Bo Cave, where Uncle Ho used to live and carry out activities concerning Vietnam’s revolution between 1941 and 1944. The trail leading to the cave is rough and covered with trees.
The cave’s mouth is rather small and always wet, so one must cling to a cliff to get inside. Inside the cave are many beautiful stalactites. On the cliff of the cave, Uncle Ho sculptured a statue of Karl Marx using a knife. One can also see Uncle Ho’s bed made with two logs and some tree branches leaning upon rocks.
Next to the bed, there is a small cave that Uncle Ho used for document storage. In front of the cave is Lenin Stream, with the highest mountain in the region called Karl Marx Mountain. When Uncle Ho was in Pac Bo, he used a large stone as a table near Lenin Stream. Some other historical places in the region include Bo Bam Cave, Co Rac Ground and Khuoi Nam Camp.
Ban Gioc Waterfall should also not be missed. The waterfall originates from the Quy Xuan River and falls from a height of thirty meters. At the top, the waterfall separates into three lines by rocks and trees. When falling, water beats against the cliff and mixed with the sunlight, creates a seven-coloured rainbow. At the foot of the waterfall, there are many green trees and flowers that perfume the air.
