The Majestic Beauty of Cao Bang – The Global Geopark

About 300 kilometers away from Hanoi, the UNESCO Global Geopark with over 3.275km2 in width consisting of 9 districts of Cao Bang province is the habitat of 250.000 people come from 9 groups of ethnic minority. In December, 4th, 2018, UNESCO has passed through its final resolution to officially approve Cao Bang Geopark as the UNESCO Global Geopark. Thanks to this approval, Cao Bang Global Geopark has become the second Global Geopark of Vietnam, only after Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark of Ha Giang province. 

Along with the geologic value, Cao Bang Global Geopark is also famous for its tourist attractions such as Phia Oac, Phia Den recreational areas, lakes of Thang Hen, Nguom Ngao Cave and especially Ban Gioc waterfall, one of the four most magnificent and biggest waterfalls in border areas. Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark is also known as a place that preserves cultural and historical values with over 215 recognized cultural and historical vestiges, 3 of which have been classified as special national vestiges of Vietnam.

Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark is a precious territory where people can study about the earth history for over the past 500 years through the traces that still remain up until now. With a variety of limestone terrains and sceneries for instance stalactites, valleys, caves, the connective lake-river-subterraneous cave system, fossils, pelagic deposits, volcanic rocks, minerals are the most wonderful evidences about the earth’s evolution. They are, without doubt, worth being recognized as geologic heritages.

Here are some outstanding heritages that belong to Cao Bang Global Geopark

1.Ban Gioc Waterfall 

Lies in Cao Bang Geopark, Ban Gioc – the most beautiful and imposing waterfall in Vietnam, located in Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, Cao Bang province. It is estimated that there is huge volume of water flows through stratums of limestone then falls at the height of 30 meters from the top of the fall. People can discover the most beautiful sceneries of  Cao Bang from September to December when Ban Gioc waterfall is filled with pristine water. Especially, in early December forests are flourished with the beauty of buckwheats and wild sunflowers.

2.Phia Oac – Phia Den National Park 

Phia Oac – Phia Den National Park consists of complicate terrains, most of which are high mountains, combes, slopes over 38, there even exist abrupt slopes. There are many peaks that reach from over 1.000 meters up to 2.000 meters over the sea level such as Phia Oac which is 1.935 meters high, the second highest peak in Cao Bang, and Phia Den with 1.391 meters high.
Right from the beginning of the 20th century, the range of mountains has caught the French’s eyes. They chose Phia Oac - Phia Den as a place to relax, come in for climate and creature resources. Nowadays, there still lays the traces of old villas and guest houses that were once owned by French civil servant.

3. Trung Khanh Eastern Black Crested gibbon sanctuary

The precious gibbon sanctuary, where Eastern Black Crested gibbon is reserved, lied in 3 communes: Phong Nam, Ngoc Con and Ngoc Khe directly under control of Trung Khanh district, Cao Bang province with nearly 7.600 ha in the total area in which the core area accounts for 1.600 ha. 

4. Thang Hen Lake

Thang Hen Lake has been recognized as national tourist attraction. However, we cannot forget to mention the series of lake-cave-river-subterraneous cave in this area. There are approximately 36 natural lakes that connect to each other through subterraneous cave and river while they are nearly ten to hundreds meters apart. All of those lakes are located in a strath between Quoc Toan commune (Tra Linh district) and Ngu Lao commune (Hoa An district).

5. Ky Rang Cave 

Ky Rang cave belongs to Quoc Toan commune, Tra Linh district, about 1,5 kilometers away from Thang Hen lake to the Northwest, right in the Ky Rang mountain bed, next to Ky Rang lake. Ky Rang cave is 417 meters in length, 34 meters in height and 30 meters in width.  The cave is very clean, airy with the well-kept beautiful and grandiose developing stalactite system.

6. The Special National Historical Site – Pac Bo

55 kilometers away from Cao Bang city to the North, Pac Bo historical site appertain to Truong Ha commune, Ha Quang district, Cao Bang province. This historical site is a very famous revolutionary relic. Noticeably, Coc Bo cave was once chosen by President Ho Chi Minh to be his temporary place to live after tramping about abroad through thick and thin for 30 years to return to our homeland in 1941 and then directly guide Vietnamese revolution.