Review Lạng Sơn for those who only think Lạng Sơn is a border gate. Lạng Sơn is a mountainous province, I haven’t been to many places in Lạng Sơn but I have to admit that “the scenery is charming” everything is like a watercolor painting. Just raise the camera anywhere, it’s beautiful and all have the unique charm of this land.
What does Lạng Sơn have?
The weather landscape in Lạng Sơn has a mix of Dalat and Northern style. You can travel on the road to CHI MA border gate. There are extremely romantic pine hills and also clumps of tall grass swaying in the wind. The most beautiful and romantic time is around October – December.Chi Ma border gate is not too big, but when I was there, I felt the sacredness of this land.
If you want to explore more, go to Bằng Tường, China. The best part is going abroad without needing a visa.Bằng Tường is a border town right next to the Friendship border gate (Lạng Sơn). Although not super hot, with many Instagrammable views like Hà Khẩu, it is still a place worth experiencing Chinese culture. Especially for those who love food like me (feeling like entering food paradise). THE IMPORTANT THING IS YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW CHINESE. If you want to see, just scroll down.
Where is Lạng Sơn located?
Lạng sơn Lạng Sơn is a province in the North of our country. This is a border province with China. There are many large trading border gates here, so many people think Lạng Sơn is just a border gate. However, Lạng Sơn has more fun spots and specialties than you think.
Lạng Sơn is 153km from Hanoi, you can go there in a day from Hanoi. For example, at 3 am, you can get on a VIP Limousine car and sleep, arriving at Mỹ Sơn intersection at 6 am, rent a motorbike here to go sightseeing. Go to Lộc Bình for the famous roasted duck pho and buy lunch. At 7 am, park at the foot of Mẫu Sơn mountain. At 11:30 am, reach the top of Mẫu Sơn. Eat, rest, go down the mountain. At 4 pm, pick up the car, at 5:30 pm get on the car back to Hanoi, arriving at 8 pm.
How to travel to Lạng Sơn by what means of transportation?
It is recommended to choose a motorbike as the means of transportation. The reason we choose a motorbike is that the distance is not too far and for comfort in terms of time and cost savings.
If traveling by motorbike or personal vehicle, you can refer to the following itinerary:
Hanoi – Bắc Ninh – Bắc Giang – Lạng Sơn. According to the travel experiences of backpackers, dirt travelers, and explorers in Lạng Sơn, this is a suitable route for those traveling by motorbike. Take the highway along QL.5 then onto road 1A. This route is suitable for those traveling by car.
If you cannot travel long distances by motorbike, check out the car travel method we recommend right above.
Places to visit, travel in Lang Son:
- Kì Cùng Temple
- Nhi Thanh Cave and Tam Giao Pagoda
- Tam Thanh Cave and Tam Thanh Pagoda
- Dong Kinh Market, Kì Lừa Night Market
- Mac Dynasty Citadel
- To Thi Mountain
- Ai Chi Lang Border Gate
- Tien Gieng Tien Pagoda
- Doan Citadel
- Phai Ve Mountain
- Na Lay Mountain
- Bac Son Flower Valley
- Triangle Buckwheat Flower Garden
- Tam Canh Pass
- Nong Luc Communal House
- Nhai Mine Post
- Tam Hoa Lake
- Pac Mỏ Lake
- Khuôn Bồng Cave
- Mau Son
- Dang Mo Waterfall
- Cao Lộc
- Mau Temple
- Tan Thanh
- Huu Nghi
- Ai Chi Lang Border Gate
- Ba Son Guerrilla Base
- Bac Nga Pagoda
- Bat Cave and Wind Cave
- Bo Dai Waterfall
- Huu Kien
- Bac Le Temple
- Nha Minh
Some of the hottest tourist spots in Lang Son according to my review:
Chia Po – the highest peak of Mau Son
CHIA PO is the highest peak in the Mau Son Mountain area, with an altitude of 1541m and also the highest point in Lang Son province. The road to the mountain is full of various landscapes: planted forests, grassy hills, year-round moss-covered dense forests, ancient Rhododendron forests, bamboo forests. Cherry Blossom Forest – kanhizakura, Bellflower Forest that Ba Na calls Bell Cherry. There’s also the single-petal White Tea Flower Forest. The scenery is breathtaking.
This is a mountain peak that looks sharp and mysterious when viewed from Loc Binh to Chi Ma. Even the residents around the foot of the mountain rarely climb to the summit. There are many legends surrounding it. In their minds, the mountain top is a deity.
The mountain top is only 1541m high, but according to some trekkers, it seems like it’s 3000m high. It will take you at least 8 to 12 hours to climb up and down the mountain. If you are fit, you can make a round trip: Mau Son intersection – Loc Binh – Na Miu – Phia Po – Than Diu – Mau Son tourist area – Mau Son intersection
Bac Son, a place with many stilt houses in Lang Son
- Not only the beautiful and poetic scenery, but the people here are also unforgettable. You cannot miss Na Lay peak when you set foot here
- When you reach Na Lay, you can have a panoramic view of Bac Son. The road may be a bit difficult, but the reward is truly worth it.
- I chose to stay at Duong Cong Chai homestay, the service is excellent and I personally like the garden and pond model, so this is a reasonable choice.
Huu Lien Ecotourism Area
The eco-tourism village of Huu Lien community (Huu Lien district) is located in the southwest of Lang Son province. Huu Lien is surrounded by limestone mountains, with lowland forests and valleys of rice fields in the middle.
Distance: 110km from Hanoi, 2.5 hours by car.
Entertainment spots:
- Dong Lam: – Visit, camp, have lunch, and take photos at Dong Lam, this is a plain resembling a vast 100ha golf course. Surrounded by natural grazing horses and cattle. Visitors can admire the pristine and rustic natural scenery.
- Nong Dung Lake: Here you can experience kayaking and enjoy the surrounding scenery, which is still very pristine and beautiful, with clear blue water.
- Visit the stream next to Dao ethnic village: there is a beautiful stream here, next to a large pine tree, the stream flows suitable for children to play here.
- Triangle flower field: about 10km from the village center, you can visit the triangle flower field planted by the locals, with white and beautiful flowers.
- Khe Dau Waterfall: This waterfall is very beautiful, located in a special forest area, with a clear blue water lake resembling a fairy tale cup.
- Visit caves: there is a rich cave system here, including the Xoong Pong cave located at the end of Dong Lam, with many stalactites, very beautiful and pristine.
- Visit Huu Lien cultural village and enjoy the cuisine here. Special dishes: roasted chicken, roasted pork, grilled nem, mountain snails, fried carp, ngai cake, red pumpkin cake, black square cake, wild vegetables, bitter vegetables, cow’s foot vegetables, five-color sticky rice….
Experiencing Huu Lien is extremely wonderful for those who love pristine and rustic natural landscapes.
What to keep in mind when shopping in Lang Son?
Lang Son is famous as a shopping paradise in Northeast Vietnam. Due to its proximity to the Chinese border, the goods here are diverse and prices are very cheap. However, you may fall victim to these cheap items! You should consider some shopping tips such as:
Remember to negotiate the price to half or two-thirds of the original price if you don’t want to be ripped off.
What to eat when traveling to Lang Son?
Lang Son has many delicious specialties, influenced in part by Chinese cuisine. Therefore, you should not miss out on tasting the specialties here such as: roasted suckling pig, egg roll cake, Lang Son roasted duck, khau nhuc, ngai cake, Cao Sang cake. Here are some restaurant addresses in Lang Son that you can refer to:
- Roasted duck
- Cao Sang cake
- Roasted pig
- Spicy bamboo shoots
- Bread
- Khau nhuc
- Duck pho
- Sour pho
- Egg roll cake
- Ap chao
- Black Bac Son square cake
- Purple sticky rice
- Ngai cake
- Water spinach
- Chinese food
- Grilled nem
- Fragrant frog
- Mau Son wine
- Beef and sau sau vegetable
- Na chi lang
- Mac mat
- Cinnamon tree
- Bac Son kumquat
My favorite dish in Lang Son
Loc Binh Duck Pho
Instead of using beef or chicken, Lang Son’s pho is made with roasted duck meat, with a shiny red layer of fat, tender and flavorful duck meat, spices marinated and mixed with pho noodles made from rice grown in the Loc Binh-Lang Son region, creating the distinctive flavor of Lang Son that cannot be found anywhere else…!
Black Banh Chung Bac Son
Black banh chung (also known as purple banh chung) in Lang Son is wrapped in a long cylindrical shape similar to the banh tet of the South or the banh gu of the Giay people. However, the distinctive black banh chung of the Tay people in Bac Son district (Lang Son) has a shiny black color that is very eye-catching, tightly wrapped around each grain of sticky rice and makes many people curious. Perhaps it is wrapped from the sticky rice grains here, so it smells delicious and unique.
Lang Son Roasted Pork
This dish is famous nationwide. Wherever you go, you will see signs for Lang Son roasted pork. Just thinking about it makes you crave it. Especially when it is stuffed with honeycomb into the belly, the meat becomes fragrant and flavorful. To make the pork skin crispy, honey must be applied, and it must be forest honey to make it delicious. According to those in the profession
Lang Son roasted pork is roasted whole. Giving color to the roasted pork is one of the most important steps to make the dish stand out. To make the pork skin crispy, the chef needs to use a long needle to pierce the skin while rotating it, at the same time applying honey and rotating evenly until the pork appears with a brown color.
Experience going to Bang Tuong, China
Once you are in Lang Son, you can easily go to China for a cost of only about 500-600k. So why not go now.
1. Notes when preparing to go to Bang Tuong, China:
- When taking a taxi in Lang Son, remember to ask the driver to turn on the meter to avoid being overcharged like me and my friends, it was really scary.
- If you still have a border pass, move directly to Huu Nghi Quan (Huu Nghi border gate)
- If you do not have a border pass or it has expired, go back to Lang Son City to the Lang Son Border Gate Management Office to get a border pass, they do not issue it at the border gate.
- After getting the pass, find a bus station or go to Dong Kinh market, where there are buses to Huu Nghi Quan.
2. How to make a border pass in Lang Son:
Go to the address: 12 Hoang Van Thu Street, Chi Lang Ward, Lang Son City, Lang Son Province.
- Working hours: Monday to Saturday (excluding holidays)
- Working hours: Morning 8am – 11:30am; Afternoon 1:30pm – 4:30pm, Saturday morning only.
- Documents required: Original ID card
Border pass fee: 70k for 3 months (if you want to stay overnight, you need to get a temporary residence permit). Depending on your luck, the procedure may be fast or slow, it can be done quickly the next day or in 2 days.
Quick accompanying number service: 200k (you just need to step out of the car and someone will automatically ask you). If you can’t find house number 64 across from PQL XNC, the service is super fast, you just need to line up for a photo (20k), let the service take care of everything. It’s funny, I was planning to sit and wait for my turn, but before I could even sit down, I was called in. It takes about 2 – 3 hours for you to get your book right away, during that time you can wander around and enjoy famous dishes in Lang Son like sour pho, grilled meat, baked bread… Or you can also visit famous places in Lang Son such as: Phai Ve flagpole, Mau Son mountain, Nhi Thanh cave, Tam Thanh cave, Ky Cung temple, Dong Kinh market, Tam Thanh market…
Notes when making the accompanying book
- Remember to bring your original ID card for verification.
- When getting the accompanying book, make sure to check the information, date of birth, gender to avoid mistakes.
- This type of book is only for same-day use, not for overnight stays.
- You must return before 8 p.m. (Based on Chinese time).
- When you arrive at Bang Tuong, your phone will switch to Chinese time, so pay attention and don’t get too excited and forget the time to return, as the Chinese police will only ask for a bribe. Oh, Chinese time is 1 hour ahead of Vietnam time.
- Within 3 months, you can go at any time.
Note: If you want to stay overnight in China, you must obtain a temporary residence permit, please check online for the procedure.
3. Guide to making an exit permit at Huu Nghi border gate
Move to Huu Nghi border gate, the immigration route will be divided into 3 gates: Vietnam Exit – Vietnam China – China Entry
At the border gate, go to the accompanying check counter for inspection. At the entry point, there will be a departure information table, fill in your personal information and bring it to the exit counter. After that, go to the left and follow the path. (Remember to bring a pen to fill out the entry form as instructed)
Entry into China is a bit strict, so you need to be orderly and concise. For first-time entrants or those with long names, you may be asked to stand aside for 5 – 10 minutes for inspection, then you will be allowed to pass, so don’t worry too much. At the Chinese Customs building, they have installed fingerprint scanning machines, with instructions in Vietnamese, so it’s easy, they also check your fingerprints, 4 left – 4 right – 2 thumbs, with a voice like Google Translate, so it’s quite funny, you might have to laugh quietly. But don’t have dirty hands or unclear fingerprints, otherwise, you will be asked for further verification and waste a lot of time.
4. Currency Exchange (Vietnamese Dong to Chinese Yuan):
It’s okay, you can find a currency exchange place right across from the Nam Quan gate.Exchange rate: 1 CNY = ~3.5 VND. Feel free to exchange a bit if you’re addicted to shopping.
Selling rate is around 3.3 VND depending on the place.You can also exchange at gold shops in Lang Son City.
5. Crossing the Border Wall:
Once you pass the XNC border gate, you’ll be greeted by many taxi drivers offering their services, so you can freely check prices and they speak Vietnamese very well, so no need to worry. If they ask, just tell them to go to the square or GuangChang – PingXiang or Wo xiang qu GuangChang (PingXiang)
Prices range from 30-45 CNY for a 15-minute ride, the road is beautiful so the drivers usually drive at maximum speed.
6. Dining at the Border Wall:
Once the taxi stops in front of the square, you’ll see the market (across from where some old men play chess). Here you can find a variety of snacks such as: grilled skewers, kimpab, grilled chicken wings with sticky rice, grilled chicken legs, marinated fruits, bubble tea, pastries, dumplings….
My personal choices:
Grilled chicken wings with sticky rice, chicken legs: 10 – 12 CNY
The chicken meat is fragrant, slightly sweet with a hint of spiciness, but a bit heavy for my taste. The grilled chicken wings with sticky rice can be a bit overwhelming and filling.
Super popular grilled bubble tea: 6 – 12 CNY
Prices vary depending on the type you choose. 6 CNY is for the small traditional size. Add 1 CNY to upgrade to a large size like mine, why not, right? This tea has been very popular in Vietnam lately, I’ve been drinking it there for a while and many people complain about it when they return to Vietnam, so I don’t feel very happy. For a bubble tea enthusiast like me, this bubble tea is very fragrant, rich in tea flavor, the sweetness is pleasant and not too intense like powdered ones, the pearls are soft but chewy, the pudding is okay, not as fragrant and delicious as Toco in my area. 7 CNY for a love affair, too cheap.
Going to the Supermarket:
We visited 2 supermarkets, one big and one small. If you want to shop freely, go to the big one. I have to say this is my love paradise. Bubble tea, candy, cakes, chicken feet…. a thousand things I don’t know the name of that I want to bring home. The total cost was 310 CNY, can you believe it?
Some of the most common Chinese words:
We don’t know Chinese, so when we want to buy something, we use gestures. Remembering a few Chinese phrases is easier (when we go there, we just learned these phrases)
- I want to go to Bằng Tường: 我想去凭祥街市，Wǒ xiǎng qù píng xiáng jiēshì – Pronounced: gỏu xẻng truy pếng xeng chia sì.
- I want to go to Friendship Pass: 我想去友谊关, Wǒ xiǎng qù yǒuyì guān – Pronounced: gỏu xẻng truy yểu y quan.
- How much money? 多少钱？Duōshǎo qián – Pronounced: tua sảo chén
- How much for one? 一个多少钱，Yīgè duōshǎo qián – Pronounced: y cưa tua sảo chén
- Zhe ge duoshao qian? (How much is this?)
- Wo keyi changchang ma? (Can I try this?)
- Pian yi yidian hao ma? (Can I get a little discount?). It’s better to negotiate the price when buying in bulk.
- Yigong duoshao qian? (How much is it in total?)
- Gei ni qian. (Here is your money).
- Xiexie!! Pronounced: xia xìa (thank you)
- Goodbye: Chai chiên
If you can’t speak Chinese, save images, and show them to the locals when you need something, they will be very helpful. If you want to go somewhere or return, show them a picture, and they will understand.
7. What to do, what to buy in Bằng Tường?
Aside from food and various photo spots, I also want to share how to spend a day in Bằng Tường without wasting it.
- Shopping center: It’s similar to shopping in Vietnam, but it’s worth exploring. Window shopping for clothes is a good idea. However, the prices are similar to Vietnam, so I didn’t buy anything.Lining, Anta are on sale, so it’s cheaper than in Vietnam, for those who like to shop for Chinese branded items.
- Archery, hit the lipstick right away!!! 10 yuan/shot. This game can be costly, so I advise against getting too involved. Payment is online or look for a staff member around to pay in cash. Lipsticks available: Nars, Mac, Chanel, Dior,…
- In the market, there’s a stall selling huge kimbap, bigger than your wrist, only 10¥ each. The owner speaks Vietnamese, so you can choose your toppings freely (When you get off the taxi and see a wide area with many elderly people playing chess, look to the left to find the stall).
- Then I asked for directions to the supermarket, oh! I just wanted to buy the whole store. I’ve uploaded a photo below, see if you want to eat the whole world. The prices are good, I bought a lot of snacks, seasonings, cakes, sausages… so many unique items, I just wanted to try them all. I spent a total of 84¥ ~ 300k.
- Walk around the streets and you’ll find a bakery with all kinds of cakes, once again, I just wanted to bring the whole cake cabinet home. The cakes are cheap at 510¥, if you can’t eat them all, this trip won’t be complete.
Notes when visiting the Great Wall:
- Here you can’t access Facebook, so download Wechat to contact your family for gifts
- China time is 1 hour ahead of Vietnam. iPhones adjust the time zone automatically, but for other phone brands, pay attention.
- As mentioned earlier, be aware before 8 pm.The border will close, so hurry back before that time, it will be troublesome if you don’t have a temporary residence permit.
- Before going, it may seem scary and difficult. But once you go, traveling to China will be like going to the market. We went with two girls, so everyone was daring, just afraid of being kidnapped, even the customs officer laughed off our worries. But because we all love traveling, we just grabbed our bags and went.
- There’s quite a bit of walking, so wear comfortable shoes or sneakers.
- For those who love taking photos like me, bring an extra outfit or dress because there are plenty of beautiful spots for photos. Remember to ask someone to take good pictures.
- Not knowing the language is not a problem, there are many Vietnamese people there, just grab someone and ask. The shops even have signs in Vietnamese. However, speaking English might not help either.
- In my opinion, a day trip to the Great Wall is enough to visit all the places (no need to stay overnight).
That’s all about my experience at the Great Wall. I hope this article can provide useful information for you all!!!
