Hang Tien - Tu San alley of Lao Cai

White sand, clear blue water, the scenery around Hang Tien in Lao Cai is likened to Tu San alley of Ha Giang , an ideal resting place in the middle of the mountains and forests on summer days.

The path leading to Hang Tien in Coc Ly commune, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai, is a miniature stream of the Chay River, originating from the streams in the northwest of Ha Giang province. The Chay River flows through Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces and then joins the Lo River in Phu Tho.

According to the Lao Cai Province Tourism Information and Promotion Center, Hang Tien is a natural cave that has not yet been exploited for tourism. Previously, the cave was mainly known to foreign tourists through the Bao Nhai - Coc Ly market tourist route, which has been in operation for more than 10 years. By early 2023, Hang Tien has gradually gained attention and attracted more domestic visitors.

Hang Tien has a landscape like a miniature version of Tu San alley in Ha Giang, with a camping site and stream for visitors to experience underwater activities.

The scenery at Hang Tien is like a miniature version of Nho Que River and Tu San Canyon in Ha Giang.

Mr. Dung Nguyen, a local tour guide who regularly leads visitors to experience Hang Tien, said that to get to this location, visitors travel to Bao Nhai commune and then take a boat upstream on the Chay River for nearly an hour. On the journey to the cave, visitors pass by Trung Do Temple, which is over 300 years old, a national historical site. The temple is a place to worship General Gia Quoc Cong Vu Van Mat and his subordinates, who contributed to protecting the border and developing the Trung Do land.

The campsite is a flat, empty area next to a stream, about 100 meters from the entrance to Hang Tien. The stream lies between two steep cliffs, the water is shallow, clear and emerald green. "The scenery reminds me of Tu San Gorge in Ha Giang," said Dung. This area is completely isolated from the outside world, no more car horns, only the sounds of the mountains and forests: birds chirping, insects chirping and the sound of the stream flowing.

After setting up a tent on the sandbank, visitors can experience activities on the stream such as SUP, swimming, and bathing in the stream. The calm and cool stream water helps dispel the heat of summer. The stream has many fish, visitors can fish to add to the barbecue party.

After experiencing the activities at the stream, you can paddle to the entrance of Hang Tien and walk inside to explore. The cave is about 20 m deep but on the ceiling there are many stalactites with different shapes and sizes, formed hundreds of years ago.

In the evening at the campsite, visitors can organize a barbecue, light a campfire and watch the starry sky in the middle of the forest. Wading in streams, fishing, and catching shrimp at night are interesting experiences that cannot be found in the city.

Mr. Dung said that summer, from April to July, is the ideal time to visit Hang Tien. At this time, the stream water is clear, calm, shallow enough, the weather is dry, sunny, favorable for camping. From July onwards, when the dry season ends, there is a lot of rain so the stream becomes more turbid, the water is no longer clear.

Since there are no tourist facilities near the cave, visitors need to prepare food, drinks, clothes for trekking and bathing in the stream in advance. Always wear a life jacket when the boat is moving to prevent drowning. Mr. Dung emphasized that visitors need to be aware of preserving the landscape, cleaning up after camping and not throwing trash into the river.

If you want to camp overnight, visitors should go on a tour with a local tour guide to ensure safety, because the area is completely isolated from the outside, with no phone signal or wifi.

Tourists who prefer to travel independently can go to Hang Tien to camp during the day and stay overnight at homestays and motels in Trung Do and Bao Nhai communes. Room rates range from 200,000 to 300,000 VND/room/night. Boat rental costs 500,000 VND for a round trip. Each boat can carry up to 6 passengers.