Binh Lieu: Come and fall in love…

Unlike the bustling Sa Pa, or the towering mountains and endless terraced rice fields of Ha Giang , Binh Lieu possesses its own unique beauty, captivating everyone and making them want to return...

The dinosaur spine in Binh Lieu. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Three years ago, my friends and I had the opportunity to visit Binh Lieu, a place that still retains its pristine, rustic beauty. The trip gave us unforgettable memories, allowed us to make lovely new friends, admire the beauty of our homeland, and accomplish something that pushed our personal limits.

"The home" of landmarks

Located nearly 300 km from Hanoi , Binh Lieu is a mountainous district in Quang Ninh province. As a border region, Binh Lieu shares a 43.168 km border with China. The district is home to five ethnic groups: Tay, Dao, San Chi, Hoa, and Kinh, who are considered "ethnic minorities" as they make up less than 4% of the local population.

Besides its majestic scenery, Binh Lieu is like a "home" of border markers with more than 60 markers, many scattered along the border patrol road. Notable are marker 1305 with its "dinosaur spine" and the most beautiful border patrol road in Vietnam, marker 1307 where you can admire the endless mountain ranges, marker 1317 (2) right next to the bustling Hoanh Mo border gate, marker 1327 known as the "heavenly marker" because of the road with steps leading up to the misty mountain peak, marker 1300 is the winding "happiness hill", not far away is marker 1297 in Lang Son , which is called the "heavenly reed grass paradise".

Located in the northeastern mountainous region, Binh Lieu is blessed with a mild climate year-round, diverse topography, and beautiful natural scenery. Each season, the area dons a different look, attracting travel enthusiasts.

In spring, the air here is cool and crisp, with the pink of peach blossoms everywhere, interspersed with the white of plum blossoms. Spring is also the season of traditional festivals with unique cultural characteristics in Binh Lieu, preserved for generations by the ethnic communities living in the area. Visiting Binh Lieu in March, you can enjoy the specialty dish of ant eggs wrapped in sau sau leaves (a type of fragrant maple tree), along with many other distinctive traditional dishes.

In summer, you can immerse yourself in the lush green scenery of terraced rice fields and soak in the clear, cool water flowing from natural waterfalls amidst the mountains and forests, or in picturesque streams. This is also the season when the Trầu flowers are at their most vibrant. For the people of Bình Liêu, Trầu flowers not only beautify the mountains and forests but are also deeply intertwined with their lives.

Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year in Binh Lieu, with its cool weather. During this time, Binh Lieu is filled with the white blossoms of reeds, stretching along both sides of the border patrol road, or the fairytale beauty of pink reeds on the Cao Ba Lanh mountain range. In addition, the terraced rice fields are ablaze with the golden hues of ripe rice, a bountiful harvest. At this time, the border region takes on a wild beauty with the golden color of burnt grass; in the distance, amidst the lush green forests, are patches of red from the fragrant maple trees.

Winter is the coldest season of the year in Binh Lieu, a time for "hunting" for ice and snow, the harvest season for the local Sophora japonica flowers, and a favorite time for many to take photos. In early December, Sophora japonica flowers bloom white across the hills and along the roads leading to the villages. The Sophora japonica Flower Festival is also one of the unique festivals of the Quang Ninh border highlands, recreating the diverse cultural features of the local people. During this time, the ethnic people of Binh Lieu eagerly attend the festival, showcasing their vibrant and colorful traditional costumes.

Memorable experiences

After spending a lot of time searching for information on forums and having a conversation with Hung, the administrator of a group about tourism in Binh Lieu, and receiving thorough advice, we decided to go there in early December, when the weather was cool and pleasant.

For the first leg of the journey, we were guided by Uncle Tuat, a retired veteran, to the summit of Milestone 1305, the highest marker not only in Binh Lieu but also in Quang Ninh province. The path to the marker was long and winding, with many steep sections that made us feel weary and want to turn back. However, after repeatedly encouraging each other with the thought, "It's just a short distance left," we conquered Milestone 1305. Despite the hardship, the entire journey allowed us to take in the majestic scenery of the border region of our country, with its endless mountain ranges and hills, admire the "dinosaur's spine" covered in golden-brown grass, and share joyful laughter and a feeling of pure satisfaction upon reaching the finish line.

After finishing our climb to milestone 1305, we arrived at the summit of Co Don in the Cao Ly mountain range to set up camp for the night. There, we met some lovely new friends. Recounting how she started her camping service, Ms. Minh Lo shared that she simply loves camping because she enjoys immersing herself in the fresh air and admiring the mountains, forests, and streams... or sitting by the campfire chatting and sipping tea and wine with friends. Finally, after a camping trip with a group of friends near milestone 1297 (in Lang Son), she was encouraged by her friends to start a camping service in Binh Lieu.

Dao Thanh Y women in traditional attire. (Photo: Hung Truong)

She recounted her trip to A Lưới district in Hue just to see how a small family-run homestay was managed, and her trip to Pù Luông to see how they served guests at a resort... From 2011 to 2018, she traveled extensively throughout the North, Central, and South of Vietnam to learn more about service-oriented businesses. Initially, the work was very hard, sometimes exhausting due to a lack of customers, but in the autumn of 2019, after welcoming a group of tourists who experienced the all-inclusive camping service, word spread, and many new groups learned about Bình Liêu. This gave her group more motivation to operate their campsite, while also helping local households earn a small income through the Dao ethnic group's herbal bath service…

In the evening, sitting around a crackling bonfire, enjoying the local specialties of Binh Lieu, we chatted and shared stories about our lives and experiences. My Hanh and Phuong, two girls studying medicine—one in Hanoi and the other in Hue—met in Binh Lieu because of their shared passion for medicine and love of travel, and held their first meeting there before continuing their journey to the Northwest. Or four male students from the University of Construction and the University of Technology, passionate about backpacking, have traveled together across the country, with Binh Lieu being an unmissable destination on their "backpacking map." The couple Minh Huong and Dung, recently graduated from university, are in a long-distance relationship, one in Hanoi and the other in Hai Duong. Because of their lives, they promised each other to strive for a better future and make time to experience new places together…

We chatted lively until midnight, then returned to our tents to sleep. The entire campsite was quiet, blending into the vast mountain landscape. Nearby, the glowing embers of the campfire still flickered, creating a sense of peace. Early in the morning, we woke up to watch the sunrise, breathe in the fresh air, and admire the terraced rice fields interspersed with peaceful villages in the valley below. This camp, with just over a dozen tents nestled amidst the pristine mountains, offered unforgettable experiences...

Afterward, Uncle Tuat drove us to explore milestones 1300 and 1297, admiring the reed-covered hills and the undulating hills, perfectly aligned like truffle chocolates. During the trip, we chatted with Uncle Tuat and participated in his live stream. He told us that after retiring, he worked as a driver to earn extra income, and started live streaming simply to interact with friends. Gradually, this activity attracted more viewers, making more people aware of Binh Lieu, which further motivated him in this work.

At the end of our journey, we returned to Hanoi and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As time passed, the rustic, vibrant, and captivating charm of Binh Lieu, like a mountain maiden from the border region, left us with unforgettable memories. Two days and one night seemed insufficient for us to fully appreciate the allure of Binh Lieu.

See you in Binh Lieu someday soon, when the reeds are overflowing with their romantic white blossoms and the golden hues of the terraced rice fields during the bountiful harvest season.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/binh-lieu-den-la-yeu-228581.html