Ba Be Lake & Ban Gioc Waterfalls

Ba Be Lake lies in the middle of the vast limestone mountain range of Ba Be National Park, surrounded by cliffs with very original and attractive forms and shapes. Be Lake itself is actually three small lakes joined together – Pe Lam, Pe Lu and Pe Leng. The area was established as a national preserved forest and tourist center in 1978 and recently UNESCO recognized Ba Be Lake as the third Ramsar site in Vietnam – an important wetland of the world. Ba Be Lake has a lot to offer, including waterfalls, rivers, valleys, lakes, and caves all set amidst picturesque landscapes.

Ban Gioc is a collective name of two waterfalls on the Quây Sơn River that straddle the international border between China and Vietnam. It is the largest waterfall in the country, though not the highest. Its vertical drop is only around 30m, but it has an impressive 300m span; one side of the falls is in China, the other is in Vietnam. Water volume varies considerably between the dry and rainy seasons, and the sight is most impressive from May to September. At the Chinese side the river. The waterfall is located in Cao Bằng Province, some 272 km (169 mi) north of Hanoi.