Green rice terraces, with Fansipan mountain in the background.

©Ratnakorn Piyasirisorost/Getty Images

Lao Cai Vietnam

Lao Cai is squeezed right next to the Vietnam–China border. Razed in the Chinese invasion of 1979, most of the buildings here are modern. The border crossing slammed shut during the 1979 war and only reopened in 1993. Now it’s a bustling spot fuelled by growing cross-border trade.


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