Nguyên Bình District: Mountains, Dao Culture and History

Nguyên Bình District combines mountain landscapes with traditional crafts and sites of historical significance. The Phja Đén–Phja Oắc area encompasses Thành Công, Phan Thanh, and Quang Thành, as well as the town of Tĩnh Túc. For trip planning, the mountain ranges, Dao culture, and memorial sites offer different reasons to explore the region.

Mountain scenery around Phja Đén–Phja Oắc

The area lies between 1,500 and 2,500 meters above sea level. In Phja Oắc–Phja Đén National Park, limestone mountains and underground rivers shape the landscape, alongside valleys, basins, and depositional slopes between low and medium mountain ranges. Areas of primary forest remain. Nature enthusiasts will find both striking geological formations and forested areas here.

Phja Oắc Peak reaches 1,931 meters. It is a good place to watch the clouds and take in the sunset. The forest of Phja Oắc offers a different perspective, where visitors can explore a woodland landscape rich in moss. These nature experiences offer distinct highlights: the peak and its expansive views on the one hand, and the moss-rich woodland on the other.

Dao traditions and bamboo crafts

Hoài Khao in Quang Thành is a community tourism destination with 34 Dao Tiền households. Old wooden houses with traditional tiled roofs give the place its character. Preserved craft traditions include beeswax patterns, brocade embroidery, and silverwork. In autumn, the custom of harvesting beeswax also takes place there. Together, these details show how architecture, craftsmanship, and seasonal traditions shape the character of Hoài Khao.

Bản Phường is also known for a distinctive craft: traditional bamboo weaving is preserved there, and visitors can try their hand at weaving. The bamboo garden in Bản Phường covers more than 30 hectares. The bamboo forest in Bản Phường, Thành Công, is a tourist destination that visitors can explore and experience. For travelers interested in local craft traditions as well as mountain nature, Hoài Khao and Bản Phường offer different areas of focus.

Historic sites in the monument area

In Tam Kim is the memorial temple to General Võ Nguyên Giáp, part of the Rừng-Trần-Hưng-Đạo Special National Monument Area. Phai Khắt Fort is also part of this monument area. It was classified as a national monument in 1993 and is associated with the first battle of the Việt Nam Tuyên truyền Giải phóng quân on December 25, 1944, under the command of General Võ Nguyên Giáp.

Another historical point concerns the broader destination of Cao Bằng: Rừng Trần Hưng Đạo is where the Đội Việt Nam Tuyên truyền Giải phóng quân was founded on December 22, 1944. The founding and the battle associated with Phai Khắt Fort therefore took place on different days in December 1944. Visitors to these historic sites can understand these two events as separate milestones in history.

Routes and trip planning

From Cao Bằng city, visitors can reach Phja Oắc–Phja Đén National Park via National Highway 34 or by taking a turnoff from the national highway at Côlêa Pass. A paved road directly connects Nguyên Bình town with the Rừng Trần Hưng Đạo monument area. As road conditions can change, it is advisable to check them before setting out.

When looking for a hotel in Nguyên Bình District, it helps to first decide on the focus of your trip: peaks and forest, Dao traditions and crafts, or historic sites. This lets you tailor your choices to the experiences that interest you most, without treating these distinct experiences as interchangeable.

Explore more destinations: Nguyên Bình, Hà Quảng.

Return to the overview of the broader destination: Cao Bằng.