Nguyên Bình District: Mountains, Dao Culture and History

Mountain Landscapes and Nature Around Phja Oắc–Phja Đén

In Nguyên Bình District, experiences range from striking mountain landscapes to places where history and living traditions play a part. The Phja Đén–Phja Oắc area encompasses Thành Công, Phan Thanh, Quang Thành and the town of Tĩnh Túc. Its elevations range from 1,500 to 2,500 metres above sea level. When planning your trip, you can first consider whether you would most like to explore the district’s nature, culture or historic sites.

Phja Oắc–Phja Đén National Park features limestone mountains with underground rivers, as well as valleys, basins and depositional slopes between low and mid-altitude mountain ranges. Areas of primary forest remain in the region. The forest of Phja Oắc offers a special natural sight: visitors can see and explore a forest landscape particularly rich in moss. Phja Oắc Peak stands at 1,931 metres and is a good place to watch the clouds and enjoy views of the sunset. You can shape your nature-focused plans around whether you would rather explore the forest or take in the views from the summit.

Dao Traditions and Craftsmanship

In Hoài Khao, in Quang Thành, community-based tourism involves 34 households from the Dao Tiền community. The village preserves old wooden houses with traditional tiled roofs, as well as a range of craft traditions, including beeswax patterns, brocade embroidery and silverwork. The custom of harvesting beeswax also takes place there in autumn. For those interested in everyday culture and traditional crafts, Hoài Khao offers several distinct topics to explore independently.

Bản Phường also offers a glimpse of traditional skills: traditional bamboo weaving is preserved there, and visitors can try their hand at weaving. In addition, the bamboo garden in Bản Phường covers more than 30 hectares. The bamboo forest in Bản Phường, Thành Công, is a visitor attraction that people can explore and experience. If you are interested in crafts, the focus here is on trying the activity for yourself; the bamboo garden and forest add a landscape shaped by bamboo to the picture.

Historic Sites in the District

The Rừng-Trần-Hưng-Đạo heritage site in Tam Kim includes the memorial temple to General Võ Nguyên Giáp, one of the most significant national heritage sites. Phai Khắt Fort is also part of this heritage site. It was designated a national monument in 1993 and is associated with the first battle of the Việt Nam Tuyên truyền Giải phóng quân, fought on 25 December 1944 under the command of General Võ Nguyên Giáp. These two places give your trip a clear historical focus, distinct from its nature and craft themes.

The area’s history also includes former French holiday resorts that have been preserved. These include Tài Soỏng and the Red House (Tatsloom). The Dao communities in the Phja Đén–Phja Oắc area also preserve distinctive residential architecture and their own craft traditions. Together, these places and traditions offer different ways to explore the district’s history and culture, without limiting your trip to a single theme.

Getting There and Choosing the Focus of Your Trip

Visitors can reach Phja Oắc–Phja Đén National Park from Cao Bằng City via National Highway 34 or by taking a turnoff from the highway at Côlêa Pass. An asphalt road also connects Nguyên Bình town directly to the Rừng Trần Hưng Đạo heritage site. These details can help you distinguish between the places that interest you as you plan your journey.

When looking for a holiday rental in Nguyên Bình District, you can decide in advance what you want to focus on: should your trip centre on mountain landscapes and forests, Dao traditions and crafts, or historic sites? Base your search on the places and themes that appeal to you most. This keeps your accommodation choice aligned with your travel interests, without making any one type of excursion the sole deciding factor.

Discover More Destinations

You can also include Nguyên Bình and Hà Quảng in your search for other destinations.

For the broader travel overview: Cao Bằng.