Cao Bang (VNA)൩ – The northern border province of Cao Bang boasts a majestic beauty with gigantic mountains and picturesque waterfalls, rivers, streams and caves. Especially, its poetic blue lakes, located in the middle of forests with colour changing in each season, have become attractive destinations for tourists.

Cao Bang has a total of 47 lakes of different sizes, including both natural and man-made ones. Natural lakes are mainly Karst lakes, typically Thang Hen and Dong Mu. Meanwhile, the artificial lakes are Khuoi Lai, Na Tau, Khuoi Ang and Khuoi Khoan in Hoa An district, Ban Nua in Ha Quang district, and Ban Viet in Trung Khanh district. Each lake has its own charm that makes visitors fall in love.

Thang Hen Lake

Belonging to the eastern limestone plateau, which is located at an altitude of 500-600m above sea level, nearly 4km from Ma Phuc Pass in Quoc Toan commune of Quang Hoa district and adjacent to Cao Chuong commune of Trung Khanh district and Nguyen Hue and Ngu Lao communes of Hoa An district, Thang Hen Lake was formed by eroded limestone mountains. The name of the lake in the Tay (an ethnic minority group of Vietnam) language is "bee's tail" because seen from above, the lake looks like a bee's tail. The lake has a width of about 100-300m and a length of 500-1,000m depending on the water level. Amidst the majestic high mountains, Thang Hen Lake looks like a large jade mirror. Visitors can take a boat ride on the lake, admiring the beautiful scenery of the surrounding mountains and forests, together with the typical traditional stilt houses of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in the province.

Nam Cha Lake

Nam Cha Lake in Cao Chuong commune of Trung Khanh district is located in the Thang Hen lake system. A special feature of the lake is Mat Than (God’s eye) Mountain located in its middle like an independent giant green tower in the heart of the valley. This place has attracted a large number of photographers and tourists to visit and explore. In the middle of the mountain is a cave that cuts through it. The cave’s widest diameter is up to 50m. Tourists and locals can camp, picnic, trek and ride bicycles to enjoy the scenery of the lake. Each season, Nam Cha Lake and Mat Than Mountain have a unique, poetic and peaceful beauty. In the dry season, which lasts from October to the end of March, locals and residents can camp, picnic, trek and ride bicycles to enjoy the scenery of the lake.

Ban Viet Lake

Ban Viet is a freshwater lake located in Ban Viet village, Phong Chau commune, Trung Khanh district, about 3km from Ban Gioc waterfall and 70km from the downtown of Cao Bang city. The lake, renovated by humans in 1967, has an area of up to 5 hectares, is 50m in depth and more than 6km in length. It regulates water for irrigation of agricultural land of the southern villages of Phong Chau commune and those in its neighboring areas such as Po Tau, Lung Noi, Ban Hang and Chi Vien. The lake is divided into 4 branches and surrounded by mountains and diverse vegetation. The ecosystem around the lake is diverse and rich, creating a colourful and poetic natural picture. Coming to Ban Viet, visitors can sit on rafts to contemplate the beautiful scenery surrounding the lake, or walk in the forest nearby.

Khuoi Lai Lake

Khuoi Lai Lake is more than 10km southwest of Cao Bang city in the direction of National Highway 3. The man-made lake, built in 1987, is over 20ha wide, and has blue and calm water all year round. As the lake has not been affected by man-made works, it is an ideal place for ecotourism, picnics, camping and fishing. Visitors can take a boat around the lake and enjoy the wonderful nature./.