Chi Lang Passage is a narrow valley between the Bao Dai mountain range in the east and the Cai Kinh range in the west in the northern province. The mountains form two natural barriers.

Running zigzag along the valley is the Thuong River. Historical accounts show the valley was once regarded as an impenetrable barrier that keep out invaders from the north. King Le Dai Hanh (941-1005) once said the area helped destroy enemies no matter how large and powerful their armies were.

From Hanoi, you can follow National Highway 1A to get to the place. It stretches for around 20 km, with the main sights being Chi Lang and Quang Lang communes in Chi Lang District, Lang Son Province.

Bai Hao Lake, one of the sights in Chi Lang, is surrounded by undulating mountains.

The Chi Lang Temple is currently being built by the lake as a spiritual and cultural complex to cherish the historical values of Chi Lang.

One of the curved paths in Chi Lang, about 1 km long, connects Dong Mo Town with the mountain communes of Chi Lang District.

The train runs through Bac Thuy Bridge in Chi Lang District on the Hanoi – Dong Dang (Lang Son Province) route. The train also connects with Dong Mo and Ban Thi stations in Chi Lang District.

An aerial view of an eucalyptus forest in Na Lap Village, Van Linh Commune, Chi Lang District.

The village cultural house next to a golden carpet of rice fields during the harvest season in Van Linh Commune, Chi Lang District.

About 30 km from the center of Chi Lang District is Khau Sao hill (Khau Slao), a popular destination for visitors. Situated in Suoi Ma A Village, Huu Kien Commune, it is dubbed the ‘Green steppe of Lang Son’.

The hill is 760 meters high and its terrain makes it a strenuous climb. Locals allow their horses and cattle to graze there. There are more than 1,700 horses being raised here, of which nearly 700 are pure white.

Horses on Khau Sao hill.

The Tay and Nung ethnic minorities here mainly make a living by raising horses. The abundant grass, clean water and salubrious climate help the horses breed rapidly.

The animals are left completely free. In the morning people bring their horses to the hill and leave them there until afternoon when they are taken to each family’s private area to drink water.

Custard apples are another Chi Lang specialty. They are grown throughout Chi Lang and the trees are ubiquitous along National Highway 1A.

One of the most famous places where the fruit is grown in Chi Lang is Dong Banh rock mountain, which is about 200 m tall. The harvest is transported in baskets by pulley from the top to the foot of the hill.

The custard apples are then delivered over a bamboo bridge by farmers to Dong Banh Market next to National Highway 1A. A lot of them are also sent to markets elsewhere including in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

On Sunday the third Chi Lang custard apple festival took place with many promotional activities and tips on growing the fruit. There were competitions between farmers to see who grew the best custard apples.

Photos by Bui Vinh Thuan

Farmers in the valley of Lang Son, which borders China, cultivate two rice crops a year that they harvest in July and November.

In late July and early August every year, the ripening paddy fields turn different shades of yellow and green, while wispy white clouds float above, making the panoramic view of the valley a sight to behold.

To see Bac Son Valley at its best, it’s best to hike up the Na Lay Mountain.

A dash of brown is added to the patchwork of yellows and greens because of the different times at which some of the rice is planted and harvested.

The rice harvest season in Bac Son Valley happens sooner than in other localities and lasts about a week, giving visitors a short span in which to enjoy the sight of vast yellow-green fields. A two or three day trip at this time is a sure winner.

Bac Son was once not as well known as other sites like Y Ty in Lao Cai Province or Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai Province, but photographers and backpackers are flocking here in increasing numbers during the rice harvesting season.

A river meanders through the fields that have limestone outcrops as their background. The area is home to the Tay, Nung and Dao ethnic minority groups who live in small houses next to their rice fields.

In the afternoon, people burn straw to clean up the fields and prepare for the next crop.

Mountains surrounding the Bac Son Valley are good sites for cloud hunting, giving the place an added attraction. From Hanoi, follow National Highway 3 to Thai Nguyen Province, and then 80 km on Highway 1B to reach the place.

On the way to Bac Son Valley early morning, visitors can stop by the Tam Canh mountain pass, about 3 km from Bac Son Town, to enjoy another majestic landscape.

Photographer Bui Vinh Thuan, a native of Bac Son, said the peak of Na Lay Mountain is about 400 m above sea level, and a great place to view the entire Bac Son Valley below.

“When the sun rises behind the mountains and valleys hidden in the clouds, Bac Son looks like a water color painting,” Thuan said.

He advised that visitors wake up as early as 3:30 a.m. to climb 1,200 stone steps in an hour to reach the Na Lay Peak. Climbing the steps after rainy nights is risky because they become slippery, he cautioned. And even in the summer, tourists should carry a thin jacket because it is cold early in the mornings and late in the night.

How to get there

Buses to Lang Son Province leave frequently from the Gia Lam, Nuoc Ngam and Giap Bat bus stations in Hanoi. Ticket prices are in the VND100,000 – 200,000 ($4-9) range. From the Lang Son bus station, one can take a taxi to Bac Son Valley for VND500,000 ($20).

There are trekkers and photographers who drive their motorbikes or cars all the way from Hanoi via the Nhat Tan bridge, Highway 3 and Thai Nguyen Province, turn right at Highway 1B and drive another 75 to 80 km to reach the valley.

Overnight stays

Hostels and homestays are available near the foot of the Na Lay Mountain in Quynh Son Village for VND90,000 – 200,000 ($3-8) per night. To save time going down the mountain, an option is to camp overnight on the mountaintop, for which tents, blankets, flashlights, lighters, food etc. have to be packed.

The Vietnamese workers said they had entered China through several border trails to find jobs because they could not find stable work at home.

They mostly came from northern mountainous provinces Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Tuyen Quang and Thai Nguyen, which are at or near the China border, and from the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh.

They were detained by Chinese police for failing to show valid work permits or personal identification papers.

On Wednesday, border officers in China’s Guangxi Province handed over the group of Vietnamese workers to Vietnamese authorities at the Chi Ma border gate in Lang Son.

Officers from the Lang Son immigration department said Saturday that they had cooperated with relevant agencies to take the illegal workers back home.

In recent years the number of Vietnamese going to China illegally to work, mainly from northern provinces, has remained high. Last year more than 35,000 were caught trying to enter illegally.

Last March, Chinese authorities also deported 49 Vietnamese nationals who were working illegally in China.