Ba Be Lake is on a limestone mountain, at a height of 150m above sea level. As it looks similar to Halong Bay, the lake is also called "Halong Bay on the mountain." It has a water surface area of 500ha. It is more than 8km long, nearly 2km at its widest, and 20-35m deep. The lake is made up of three river branches - Pe Lam, Pe Lu and Pe Leng.

Around the lake are primeval forests and mountain

peaks with the height of more than 1,000m. Seen from above, the lake shrinks in the middle and looks like a corridor between cliffs. In the center of the lake, there are islets with many species of orchids and birds. The lake has an abundant source of freshwater aquatic animals, with precious kinds of fish such as giant carp.

Two outstanding features of Ba Be Lake are its original scenery and geological conditions. It is one of the few lakes in the world on a limestone mountain. Studies show that the region of karst has been in existence for 450 million years. After millions of years, the limestone has been transformed into unique scenery for the lake.

Travelers to Ba Be Lake can boat on the lake or visit nearby tourist places in the national park such as Tien Pond, Po Gia Mai Island, Puong Cave and Dau Dang Waterfall. If they visit at the time of Long Tong Festival on the 10th and 11th days of the first lunar month, they can see traditional games, performances of martial arts, and the horn dance of Tay, Dao, Mong, Nung and Kinh tribal groups.

In 1995, at the world freshwater lake conference in the United States, Ba Be Lake was recognized as one of 20 special freshwater lakes in the world that should be protected. In September, 2005, the Vietnamese Government had its officials apply for world natural heritage site recognition for the lake.
(Source: Saigon Times)
For more scientific information, click to:http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/957/

The offical website of Bac Kan: http://www.backan.gov.vn

Cao Bang province
Cao Bang is a northern mountainous province consisting of 13 districts and 1 town. It shares a 311-km-long borderline with China and has an area of 6,690.72 square kilometres. The lowest temperature ever recorded is 10C and the highest, 390C. The annual average rainfall is 1,300-1,500 mm. It has a population of 494.700. Its GDP amounts to VND 1,066 billion of which industry accounts for 15%, agriculture and forestry 54% and services 31%. The annual average budget collection is VND 70 billion.
For more information about the province, please click to:
http://www.caobang.gov.vn/

Lang Son Province
LangSon is a frontier mountainous province of Vietnam to the North-East.
- This province covers an area of 830521 hectares (or 8305.21 square kilometers) and sharing with China a border line at 253 kilometers in length.
- Location: The province is located between 20027’ to 22019’ northern latitude and 106006’ to 107021’ eastern longitude
- This province is bounded on the North by CaoBang province: 55km.
- It is bounded on the North-East by China: 253km.
- It is bounded on the South by BacGiang province: 148km.
- It is bounded on the South-East by QuangNinh province: 48km.
- It is bounded on the West by BacKan province: 73km.
- It is bounded on the South-West by ThaiNguyen province: 60km.
LangSon has got two international border gates including DongDang railway border gate and HuuNghi road border gate, two national border gates such as ChiMa (in LocBinh district) and BinhNghi (in TrangDinh district)..., and it shares seven border markets with China. So LangSon has an important strategic position in the North-East of Vietnam.
Langson province has ten districts such as HuuLung, ChiLang, CaoLoc, LocBinh, DinhLap, VanLang, TrangDinh, VanQuan, BinhGia, BacSon; one city: LangSon city; and 226 communes and towns. LangSon city is the social economic political center of the province.
For more information about the province, please click to:
http://www.langson.gov.vn/