When looking for a holiday rental, it helps to decide on your main focus first: the memorial sites, mountain nature and Dao Tiền culture are different reasons to choose Nguyên Bình. The history comes particularly vividly to life at several sites, while Phja Oắc–Phja Đén National Park offers a distinct perspective on the landscape.
History at Specific Sites
Rừng Trần Hưng Đạo in the communes of Tam Kim and Hoa Thám is a special national historical relic site. The Việt Nam Tuyên truyền Giải phóng quân was founded there on 22 December 1944. The complex includes 201.7 hectares of primeval forest and four documented memorial sites: the founding site, the row of shelters and kitchen, the water source, and Slam Cao Peak. An exhibition house displays and preserves photographs, documents and artefacts relating to the unit’s formation and development, as well as Võ Nguyên Giáp during his revolutionary activities in Cao Bằng.
Phai Khát Fort in Tam Kim Commune is also part of the unit’s history: on 25 December 1944, it was the site of its first victorious battle. The fort was restored as an additional exhibition house within the Rừng Trần Hưng Đạo memorial complex. Nà Ngần Fort in what is now Hoa Thám Commune commemorates the second victorious battle, which took place on 26 December 1944. A memorial stele marks the historic site; the original building has not survived, and part of the land is used for agriculture.
A specific road connection is also described for finding your way between Phai Khát and Nà Ngần: from the centre of Phai Khát, the approximately 20-kilometre Tam Kim–Hoa Thám intercommunal road leads to Nà Ngần Fort. If you plan to take this route, check the current road conditions before setting off.
Mountain Scenery and Karst
Phja Oắc–Phja Đén National Park in Nguyên Bình District covers a rugged mountainous area of nearly 10,500 hectares. Its average elevation is more than 1,000 metres above sea level. Figures published in 2023 list 352 plant species and 58 rare animal species in the protected area. Phja Oắc Peak in Thành Công Commune reaches 1,931 metres. It is considered a tourist attraction; in winter, a continuous layer of frost can form when temperatures drop sharply. This phenomenon depends on the season and the relevant temperature conditions.
The Tĩnh Túc open-pit tin mine offers a different perspective on the landscape. Visitors can see traces of French mining operations, as well as distinctive karst formations, sinkholes and karst depressions. The bamboo grove in Bản Phường Hamlet, Thành Công Commune, covers more than 30 hectares. Together with the mountain formations in the national park, it contributes to a landscape shaped by high elevations, karst and agriculturally used areas.
Dao Tiền Culture and Local Products
In the Nà Rẻo residential area, in Tam Hợp Hamlet, Thành Công Commune, closely spaced earthen houses belonging to the Dao Tiền are more than 60 years old. Thick earthen walls and yin-yang tiled roofs characterise the preserved building style. Visitors sometimes come here to tour and photograph the houses or capture the landscape by drone.
Hoài Khao in Quang Thành Commune is a community-based tourism destination in Phja Oắc–Phja Đén National Park and also a Dao Tiền settlement. The village is associated with traditional crafts. Its cultural focus therefore differs from Nà Rẻo, where the traditional houses and their building style are especially tangible.
In Phja Đén, Thành Công Commune, the Kolia ecotourism area grows tea and processes various types of tea. Flowers and vegetables are also grown there year-round. The traditional Phja Đén craft village for dong vermicelli is located in the same commune. These examples showcase local production and cultivation, complementing the historical and landscape themes with a perspective on the area’s crafts and products.
Cao Bằng in a Broader Context
Across the wider destination of Cao Bằng, Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark showcases a complete tropical karst development cycle. Caves with stalactite and stalagmite formations, as well as underground and surface rivers, are among its defining features. This geological context broadens the view of Nguyên Bình with an explicitly regional perspective.
Discover more destinations: Hà Quảng, Nguyên Bình District.
View the overall travel guide: Cao Bằng.
