Buzz
Lạng Sơn is renowned for Mẫu Sơn peak, Tam Thanh pagoda, Chi Lăng checkpoint, Mẫu Đồng Đăng temple, and numerous other scenic spots. This time, join me as we head straight to the border milestones to discover the captivating beauty of Lạng's frontier checkpoint.
Lạng Sơn, one of our nation's seven provinces bordering China, boasts a border stretching 232 km. The region is home to nearly 500 border milestones, with milestone 1297/4 attracting the most visitors due to its majestic and romantically entwined scenery.
Journey to Milestone 1297/4
Milestone 1297/4, situated in Bắc Xa commune (Đình Lập district, Lạng Sơn), shares a border with Vô Ngại commune (Bình Liêu district, Quảng Ninh). It lies near the border between the two provinces of Lạng Sơn and Quảng Ninh, allowing visitors to approach from either direction.
From Lạng Sơn city, take national highway 4B to Đình Lập town, turn left onto national highway 31 to Bắc Xa commune, then follow the main road along the mountainside to reach milestone 1297. This route is over 100km, so many travelers prefer starting from Bình Liêu district, Quảng Ninh province—just over 20km away and easier to travel. Some mistakenly believe that milestone 1297 is in Quảng Ninh due to this proximity.
From Bình Liêu, you can reach milestone 1297 via various routes. On national highway 18C, at the section near Vô Ngại commune, turn left after the bridge, and after about 20km, you'll reach the milestone. Alternatively, head straight to the jurisdiction of Lục Hồn commune, where there's an intersection with a sign pointing to milestones 61-68; turn left and follow that road for about 24km to reach milestone 1297. Or near the Hoành Mô border gate, follow the sign to milestones 61-68; turn left and take the mountainous road for about 30km to get there.
Both directions involve navigating through winding, steep mountainous roads, which can be quite dangerous, resulting in a longer travel time than usual.
The Enchanting Muse of Northeastern Mountains
Whether approaching from Lạng Sơn or Quảng Ninh, you'll navigate winding mountain roads with sharp turns, a true test for any skilled driver. Therefore, the road to the milestone is only suitable for motorcycles, 12-seater vehicles, or at most, 29-seater buses. Riding a motorcycle is the most enjoyable, allowing you to stop anywhere to capture the breathtaking moments of nature. As you ascend, humans shrink, and the scenery becomes more majestic. The overlapping mountain peaks create a stunning landscape, with white clouds swirling in some places. The road we just traversed appears tiny, like a thread stretched across the mountain's back.
Stretching mountain peaks as far as the eye can see.
On our journey, we encountered numerous wild silver butterfly trees, with vines along the roadside and bushes on the mountain slopes. In reality, the silver butterfly flowers have yellow-orange hues, while the elongated egg-shaped petals surrounding them result from the growth of leaves. Looking down from above, the extended rows of flowers resemble white butterflies fluttering amid the green mountain ranges. A truly majestic and poetic scenery.
Silver butterflies dancing in the wind.
People often come here during the wild grass flower season. But I prefer summer when the silver butterfly valley unfolds its wings in poetic white.
Around October and November, the area is covered with wild grass flowers. What's unique is that despite having flowers almost year-round, it's when the cold wind begins to seek in at the beginning of the season that the entire meadow of grass flowers comes alive. Along the roadside, on the rocky cliffs, a glistening white color reflects the sunlight. The mountainside, once filled with the silver butterflies of summer, is now replaced by a sea of wild grass. It's the simple and rustic beauty that earns the road to milestone 1297 the affectionate nickname among adventurers - the 'wild grass paradise.'
Touching the sacred milestone
The ascent to the milestone peak is now easier than before. From the smoothly paved mountain road, it's a breeze, just a 700m climb. Some steep sections have been transformed into three-tiered steps, while others are more gradual with a mix of concrete and gravel. However, a few steep stretches may still require a brief rest to ensure well-being.
The first climb to reach the milestone, the gateway to the wild grass paradise.
The narrow trail weaves through a sea of thorny wild grass.
Along the path, it's all about bushes, leaves, and sharp thorns. From flat to uphill, uphill to flat, I could sense the 'stairway to heaven' as described by many who came before. These stepped levels wind through the lush green grass and delicate white wildflowers, leading straight to the mountain peak where milestone 1297/4 stands. The steep staircase, seemingly reaching into the clouds, creates a mystical winter scene when the pure white wild grass blends with the deep blue sky. This is the time that attracts the most visitors, even on days when the temperature drops, and frost blankets the hills, there are still people coming for the check-in.
Feeling tired? Hang in there, a surprise awaits you beyond the standing staircase in the distance.
Afternoon sun pours honey on each blade of grass and palm tree.
Adorning the steps are wild grasses resembling mini watermelon fruits.
Milestone 1297/4 is a small marker among the group of four auxiliary markers to the main milestone 1297. Positioned at the highest elevation, reaching 1020.71 meters, it stands 100-200 meters higher than the other three auxiliary markers. We felt exhausted even with a light walk, considering those who carried rocks and sand to construct the path and build the milestone. From this point, sweeping your gaze far and wide allows you to take in the panoramic view of the mountainous forest. With the brisk wind and brilliant sunlight, inhaling the fresh air while admiring the milestones and the majestic scenery of the homeland is truly an indescribable sensation.
Evening descends swiftly on the border, and the sky changes hues in the blink of an eye. From milestone 1297/4, looking down, the border patrol station appears as a resilient tiny dot along the frontier.
Milestone 1297/4 viewed from the Vietnamese side.
The backside of milestone 1297/4.
From this border patrol beltway, you can proceed to other milestones in the areas of Lạng Sơn and Quảng Ninh. Regardless of the destination, I am confident that a sense of pride will always accompany you at each national sovereignty milestone.
Author: Lê Việt An
*Article participating in the Mytour Golocal program
Mytour Golocal is a blogging program introducing beautiful destinations across Vietnam, part of the Mytour Go & Share initiative. This is an excellent opportunity to promote local tourism to everyone. For each qualifying article, you will receive 800,000 VND and the chance to become a Collaborator with Mytour. For detailed information about the program, visit: https://trv.lk/golocal
