The Ultimate Waterfall Wonder: Vietnam and China’s Scenic Paradise Unveiled.

After a period of pilot implementation from September 15, 2023, until now, the Cao Bang Provincial People’s Committee, the local government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China), and the Trùng Khánh District People’s Committee jointly organized the official operation of the Ban Gioc Waterfall (Vietnam) – De Tian (China) Scenic Area.

The official operation followed the talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on October 13, 2023, during the Chinese Premier’s visit to Vietnam.

According to the authorities, after a year of implementation, the pilot operation of the Ban Gioc Waterfall (Vietnam) – De Tian (China) Scenic Area has been maintained, and the customs procedures have been handled flexibly, scientifically, and civilized by the immigration control forces, in accordance with the regulations, creating favorable conditions for tourists from both sides to cross the scenic area.

In addition, the management board of Cao Bang Geopark shared that during the pilot period, the scenic area maintained a stable number of visitors with 950 groups and approximately 12,000 entries of cross-border tourists between the two countries.

With the official operation, the scenic area will receive a maximum of 1,000 entries per day, with 20 people per group. The cross-border travel itinerary includes major attractions on both the Vietnamese and Chinese sides.

On the Vietnamese side, tourists will visit from the foot of Ban Gioc Waterfall, passing by Saigon Hotel and Truc Lam Pagoda.

On the Chinese side, tourists will visit De Tian Waterfall, the shopping street, the waterfall viewing point from above, and the viewing decks. This cross-border cooperation area covers 400 hectares, with 200 hectares on each side.

The inspection and control of entry and exit procedures at the Ban Gioc (Vietnam) – De Tian (China) border gate are carried out in accordance with regulations by the Border Guard, Customs, and Quarantine forces, creating favorable conditions for tourists from both sides to cross the border. The coordination between the two travel companies in organizing tours and complying with the laws of both sides is also quite smooth. Infrastructure in the scenic areas on both sides has received attention and investment.

Speaking at the official opening ceremony of the Ban Gioc Waterfall (Vietnam) – De Tian (China) Scenic Area on October 15, Vice Chairman of the Cao Bang Provincial People’s Committee, Trinh Truong Huy, emphasized: “The cooperation model for the protection and tourism development of Ban Gioc Waterfall (Vietnam) – De Tian (China) is a new model with no precedent.”

The official operation of the scenic area will contribute to promoting tourism cooperation, enhancing friendly exchanges between the local people of the two border provinces, and significantly promoting the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China.

Immediately after the official operation, two groups of Vietnamese tourists and four groups of Chinese tourists (20 people per group) visited the scenic area on both sides.

According to the plan, the border gate will be open to tourists from 8:00 am Hanoi time (9:00 am Beijing time). After 2:00 pm Hanoi time, the organization of cross-border tours will be stopped for the day. The closing time of the border gate is 5:00 pm Hanoi time (6:00 pm Beijing time). Tourists crossing the border are not allowed to stay illegally. The visiting time for each cross-border tourist group should not exceed 6 hours. For now, citizens of third countries are not allowed to cross the border into the scenic areas of either side.