Introducing Lao Cai
Lao Cai, the end of the line so to speak, is right on the Vietnam–China border. The town was razed in the Chinese invasion of 1979, so most of the buildings are new. The border crossing here slammed shut during the 1979 war and only reopened in 1993.
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Today Lao Cai is a major destination for travellers journeying between Hanoi or Sapa and Kunming in China, but Lao Cai is no place to linger with Sapa just an hour or so away.
The border town on the Chinese side is called Hekou – you would have to be an enthusiast of Chinese border towns to want to hang out there.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: UPDATE - Lao Cai (Vietnam)/ Hekou Border to Kunming
by TRRK 12 September 2011
We had a LP China stolen at this border around 1 year ago. We were never asked about our books but the guy found it when X-raying our…
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RE: Buses Lao Cai to Yuanyang ?
by TRRK 12 September 2011
About a year ago we got on a bus to Yuan Yang at around 9:30am. It seemed to drive all over the place before getting there and took most…
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Re: Hanoi to Sapa overnight train tickets reservations
by TheSheik 12 September 2011
We got the hotel we were staying at in Hanoi to organise everything which they did - return train & hotel. If possible, I'd recommend…
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