The delegates at the official operation ceremony of Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) Waterfall Scenic Area 

On the Vietnamese side, there was the attendance of Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Vice Chairman of the National Border Committee - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chairwoman of the Vietnam sub-committee under the Vietnam - China Land Border Joint Committee; Mr. Hoang Xuan Anh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Cao Bang Provincial Coordination Committee to implement the Agreement on cooperation in protecting and exploiting tourism resources of Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) Waterfalls; Mr. Be Thanh Tinh, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department; Mr. Trinh Truong Huy, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of the National Tourism Administration, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Border Guard Command; Leadership representatives of relevant departments and sectors in the province and the People's Committees of Trung Khanh and Ha Lang districts.

On the Chinese side, there was the attendace of Vice Chairman of the People's Government of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Hu Fan; Leadership representatives of the Border and Ocean Affairs Department - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China.

After a year of pilot operation, positive results have been achieved. Security and order are ensured. The number of tourists from both sides is maintained regularly. According to the Ban Gioc Waterfall Tourist Area Management Board, during the pilot period, from September 15, 2023 until October 11, 2024, a total of 16,092 tourists visited landscape site (5,190 Vietnamese tourists to the Chinese side and 10,902 Chinese tourists to the Vietnamese side). Customs procedures at the border area are carried out flexibly and civilly by the two sides’ immigration, customs and quarantine forces in accordance with regulations, easing the visiting and experiencing of the tourists from the two countries. The transportation of tourists is organized professionally by travel agencies, and complied with the laws of both countries. The infrastructure in the scenic area of both sides have been invested in and built.

Vice Chairman of Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee Trinh Truong Huy speaks at the ceremony

At the ceremony, Vice Chairman of Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee Trinh Truong Huy emphasized that the cooperation model for protecting and exploiting tourism resources of Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) waterfalls was a new, unprecedented model and the putting the waterfall landscape area into official operation would contribute to promoting tourism cooperation, enhancing friendly exchanges between local people on both sides of the border and the people of Vietnam and China, which makes an important contribution to deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China. In the spirit of jointly protecting, exploiting tourism resources and developing the landscape site into a distinctive tourist area in line with the agreement on cooperation to protect and exploit the tourism resources of Ban Gioc – Detian Waterfalls, Vice Chairman of the Cao Bang provincial People's Committee Trinh Truong Huy suggested that the two sides should further strengthen exchanges and coordination in protecting the Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) waterfalls tourism resources and preserving natural resources and cultural values in the landscape area. He also emphasized the need to work together to ensure secutiry and safety for tourists, and actively study and cooperate in building unique border projects that demonstrate the friendship between the two Parties, two States and the people of Vietnam and China to attract more visitors. He also stressed the need to enhance coordination in border management and protection, facilitate each other in the construction of border projects based on the signed agreements on border management, regularly share information regarding the operation of the site, and work together to address any arising situations.

Vice Chairman of the People's Government of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Hu Fan speaks at the ceremony

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the People's Government of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Hu Fan emphasized that China and Vietnam are "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners" and the long-standing and sustainable friendship will bring happiness to the people of the two countries. He highlighted the need for both sides to continue building a model for tourism cooperation. Guangxi is willing to collaborate with Cao Bang to further improve infrastructure, enrich tourism products, join hands to create a cross-border tourism model, promote the development of high-quality tourism in the two countries, and join hands to promote the opening of a bridge of cultural and tourism exchanges, said Hu Fan.

Leaders of the two sides perform the button-pressing ceremony officially inaugurating the Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) Waterfall Scenic Area 

Under the witness of leaders and delegates from both sides, representatives of Cao Bang province (Vietnam) and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) pressed the button to officially operate the Ban Gioc Waterfall Scenic Area (Vietnam) - Detian (China). This significant event in 2024 of Cao Bang and Guangxi in particular, and Vietnam and China in general, is held during the visit to Vietnam of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang from October 12 to 14, 2024 and towards the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950 - January 18, 2025).

Right after the inauguration ceremony, two Vietnamese tourist groups visited the scenic area on the Chinese side, and four Chinese tourist groups visited the scenic area on the Vietnamese side. The opening time for tourists to visit is 8 am (Hanoi time) or 9 am (Beijing time). The time to stop customs clearance procedures for groups of tourists is at 2 pm (Hanoi time) or 3 pm (Beijing time). The groups must return to their country's landscape area at 5 pm (Hanoi time) or 6 pm (Beijing time). Border crossing tourists are not allowed to stay illegally. The visiting time of each border crossing tourist group does not exceed 6 hours. Currently, citizens of third countries are not allowed to visit the scenic area through the crossing to both sides.