Bao Lac

shan157
Sep 1
4 min read

A Crossroad of Conflict and Culture

Bảo Lạc Town, in the mountainous province of Cao Bằng in northeastern Vietnam, lies close to the Chinese border. Though it may appear tranquil today, Bao Lạc sits on ancient land that has long witnessed cultural collisions and rebellion. Historically, the region has been home to a patchwork of ethnic minorities, the Tày, Nùng, Hmong and Dao, whose livelihoods and belief systems evolved independently of the lowland Vietnamese dynasties. For centuries, these groups lived semi-autonomously in rugged isolation, resisting both Vietnamese imperial expansion and Chinese encroachment. Their resilience however, often turned into outright conflict as successive regimes tried to bring the highlands under centralised control.

Pink flowers in the foreground, overlooking a serene mountain landscape under a cloudy sky with hints of blue and warm light.

During the Nguyễn Dynasty in the 19th century, Bảo Lạc and the surrounding Cao Bằng region were viewed with suspicion by the imperial court. The monarchy launched campaigns to "civilise" the highlands, which often meant forced assimilation, taxes and cultural suppression. Local resistance was fierce. Mountain banditry flourished and legends speak of ghost warriors, rebels who were said to rise from the forest mist to protect their lands. These tales blend animist belief with nationalist myth, suggesting that Bao Lạc’s hills are haunted by the spirits of those who refused to kneel to lowland Emperors or foreign powers.

Colonialism intensified Bảo Lạc’s woes. When the French established their Indochinese empire in the late 19th century, they saw the northeast frontier as a vital buffer against Chinese influence and a source of raw materials. The French built outposts and coerced the locals into labour, sparking repeated uprisings. Among the most brutal was the Hmong revolt of 1914 - 1916, led by Pa Chay Vue, who preached that he received divine orders from heaven to drive out the French. Though not centered in Bảo Lạc specifically, the insurrection spread through the region and ignited ethnic pride, particularly among the Hmong of northern Cao Bằng. The French retaliated with scorched-earth tactics, leaving entire villages decimated.

Lush green hills and a winding river stretch into distant misty mountains, framed by trees, creating a tranquil and scenic view.

The First Indochina War between 1946 and1954 brought another cycle of violence to Bảo Lạc. As the Việt Minh waged guerrilla warfare against French colonial forces, they used the dense jungles and steep terrain of Cao Bằng as strategic strongholds. Bao Lạc became a key supply route and refuge, making it a target for French patrols and air raids. Villagers were often forced to choose sides, either aid the revolution or face brutal reprisals. Oral histories passed down in the area recall the “long winter of fire,” when homes burned for days and the dead were buried in shallow graves to avoid detection by enemy planes.

After the Geneva Accords in 1954, North Vietnam gained control of Bảo Lạc but peace was fleeting. During the Vietnam War (or the American War, as it's known in Vietnam), the towns proximity to the Chinese border made it a vital node in the supply chain feeding the Ho Chi Minh Trail. When China invaded Vietnam in 1979 in the brief but bloody Sino-Vietnamese War, Cao Bằng was on the frontlines. Though most of the heaviest fighting occurred farther east in Lạng Sơn and other border towns, Bảo Lạc suffered from the chaos, with some villages evacuated and others razed. Survivors tell stories of bayonet wielding Chinese soldiers appearing like ghosts in the fog and of villagers who vanished into the mountains, never to be seen again.

Mountain valley with lush green forests and fields. Winding road in the foreground, scattered houses in distance, under cloudy sky.

Dark legends linger in Bảo Lạc’s oral tradition. One such tale speaks of "Ma Rừng" (the Forest Ghost) a cursed soul said to be a French soldier who deserted, went mad and cannibalised the locals during a brutal winter. Another speaks of a stone slab deep in the forest that bleeds if struck, believed to be the petrified heart of a Hmong warrior who was betrayed and executed by French officers. These stories aren’t told to children lightly, they carry warnings about trust, loyalty and the land’s violent memory. In animist belief, the landscape itself holds grudges, a waterfall might be the mourning cry of a murdered chieftain’s daughter, a cave, the hiding place of an entire village swallowed by betrayal.

Today, Bảo Lạc wears a quiet mask. The town has grown modestly with new roads and border trade with China, yet shadows of its turbulent past linger. Local shrines still bear the soot of long-extinguished fires and the bones of the lost are sometimes unearthed by farmers after heavy rain. To walk through Bảo Lạc is to walk through a palimpsest of war and remembrance. It is a place where history is not sealed in books, but carried in the breath of wind through pine needles, in the quiet glances of elders and in the blood red earth beneath your feet.

Orange flowers in the foreground with a lush green valley and misty mountains under a cloudy sky in the background. Peaceful atmosphere.

Bảo Lạc Town, Bảo Lạc District, Cao Bằng Province, Vietnam

Bảo Lạc is located approximately 4 to 5 hours' drive from Cao Bằng city. Regular buses operate on this route, primarily serving visitors heading to nearby attractions like waterfalls. A return bus fare is around 400,000 VND. For a more comprehensive experience, many travel agencies offer multi-day tours that include visits to Bảo Lạc and other natural sites in the region, often providing better value. We participated in a 5 day / 4 night motorbike tour for $500 AUD, which included most food and accommodation.