Cao Bang is well-known for its historic spots: Pắc Pó cave, Lê Nin stream or Karmax mountain, but best to name is lake Thăng Hen, 25km from the provincial town.
The lake is fresh water among 36 ones, high in the mountain of Trà Lĩnh district. It’s 3.000m long and nearly 1.000m large walled by forests and rocky mounts.
The head source of the lake is a large cave where from outflow the unending water that makes the scenery more splendid. The lake has high tide and low tide every day and the lake water is all-year-round clear, in dry season or in flooding season as well.The legendary lake is a good discovery. It’s rumored that, there is long long ago, a young boy, very smart and handsome who excellently passed his exam and promoted to be a mandarin. He was awarded with 7 days off to pay his tribute to the ancestors in the home village. Before leaving, he got married to a beautiful girl named Bi Óoc. So deep in love and happiness with his newly-wed wife that he forgot the day to return to royal capital. On the 7th night, he remembered his duty and in a hurry to say goodbye to his parents and wife and ran as fast as he could to the capital. Too hungry and too tired to continue his trip, he became exhausted after passing 36 rocky valleys now become 36 lakes with different names and the place he died now is the lake Thăng Hen. A trip to the lake can be followed by a visit to Bản Giốc waterfall on Sino – Việt Nam border, in Đàm Thủy commune, Trùng Khánh district. The fall Bản Giốc is 53m high and 300m wide, in 3 levels pour down on rocks that make a white curtain of water. Even on hot days, it is cool and fresh here and entices more and more adventurers.
