‘ Cao Bang mountain geopark ‘, a land on the border of the country, is as beautiful as a picture with the ‘unique’ Thach mountain that makes people fall in love, the Quay Son stream and the Na Pheo waterfall keep people. …
Ma Phuc pass between rice fields, green mountains, and forests Water painting (recognized by UNESCO on April 12, 2018) is a collection of thousands of small scenes with its own charming and impressive beauty. I have wandered through many lands in Tra Linh, Quang Uyen, Chongqing … to enjoy the mountain, watch the river, forever not bored.
The mountain is “unique”
I go to Cao Bang city on a cool spring afternoon. Overnight in the lodge overlooking the peaceful Bang river. Crossing the Bang Giang bridge, temporarily speaking the beautiful city, I aim to the direction of National Highway 3 to head north.After a distance of nearly 20km, I arrived at the foot of the pass carrying Ma Phuc. Ma Phuc pass on Highway 3 is nearly 4km long at an altitude of about 1,000m above sea level. From foot to top, my car had to crawl through seven sleeve bends.
 Ban Danh village – where there is Mount Thach |
Ma Phuc Pass is like a proverbial school for the only path to the mountainous districts: Tra Linh, Quang Uyen, Trung Khanh, Ha Lang. On the top of the pass, there is a market in the morning on 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28 of the lunar month. In the fair markets, people from the Dao, Tay, Nung … ethnic groups will bring agricultural products, fabrics, necessities … to trade and exchange.
According to a few interesting accounts of the shopkeeper on the top of Ma Phuc pass, I decided to turn to Provincial Highway 205 to visit Thach Mountain (in Tày language is Phja Piót) with Ho Nam Tra. Located in Ban Danh hamlet, Quoc Toan Commune, Tra Linh, Nui Thom (local people call it Mat Than Nui) is a masterpiece created during the geological tectonic process that took place tens of millions of years ago. Standing on the green Nam Tram lake, I was surprised and amazed when I first saw such a special mountain.
 Thom Mountain is located by Nam Tra lake |
Thach mountain is about 100m above the lake surface, like a giant green tower block located independently in the middle of the valley. In the middle is a huge hole through the mountain bed, with the widest diameter up to about 35m. This can be seen as a unique, extremely rare feature in the limestone mountain system in Vietnam in particular and in the world in general.At the foot of the mountain is a large valley, equally special.
The dry season is from September to March next year (lunar calendar), the entire valley is a green grass, where the herds of buffaloes and horses graze, and people can camp, picnic by bike … In the rainy season from April to August, this place turns into a clear blue lake up to 15ha wide.
Currently, in the rainy season, the blue Nam Tra lake appears before the eyes of the traveler, reflecting the mountains and clouds. A few bamboo boats of fishermen are quietly floating on the lake, releasing fishing nets.
Fall in love with Na Pheo waterfall and Quay Son river
From Quang Uyen town on provincial road 207, I followed the directions of people on the road to Doc Lap commune to reach Na Pheo waterfall. Na Pheo waterfall is formed from a stream on a rocky ravine in the middle of a mountain, forming many layers of water. Each layer of waterfalls, the waterfall forms a clear pool of water, visible at the bottom.
Moss bushes, green grass on mounds, mountain mounds mixed with white waterfalls create a beautiful water-painting picture. The deep puddles are only up to the belly, so it is extremely ideal for people to take a relaxing dip, like wonderful natural spa tubs . Among the water floors, there are also cave arches that make curious people come in to enjoy the cool feeling and see the ceaselessly pouring water.
 Fishermen go by boat to drop fishing nets on the lake |
 Blue puddles are created from the falls |
Arriving at Dam Thuy (Trung Khanh district), I went upstream of Quay Son river in Ngoc Con commune. Wandering along the 49km length of the Quay Son river flowing on Vietnamese soil, I experienced and discovered many endless beauty.In Phong Nam commune, the second branch of the Quay Son river flows gently through a flat area with lush green fields and mountains in the distance. In addition to creating beauty for the landscape picture, the river also provides water to irrigate the fertile rice fields on both banks.
 Na Pheo waterfall is smooth and flowing |
A very unique beauty of Quay Son is that the banks have many bamboo clusters. Downstream from the commune of Ngoc Con, Phong Nam, Ngoc Khe, Dinh Phong, Chi Vien (H.Trong Khanh), everywhere we see clusters of bamboo, green palms. Bamboos and clums that have grown naturally on the Quay Son coast have become stable rows against erosion for many generations.The pictures of rivers, cascades and mountains here deserve to be our model of picturesque decorative paintings.
 The beautiful scene is mesmerizing on the Quay Son river |
 The beauty of Quay Son river upstream in Ngoc Con commune, Trung Khanh district |
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