The westernmost point of Vietnam is landmark number 0, the border junction between Vietnam – China – Laos. The westernmost point is at A Pa Chai village in Sin Thau commune – Muong Nhe district – Dien Bien province. People still call this the place where a rooster crows all three countries together. You can go to A Pa Chai in two directions: One is from Dien Bien city through Muong Cha, to Muong Nhe and then to A Pa Chai; The second is from Lai Chau city, through Muong Te to Pac Ma, then to Muong Nhe, to A Pa Chai.
We chose the route to conquer the westernmost A Pa Chai starting from Lai Chau city because we wanted to see the beauty of the great mountains and forests, walking along the banks of the “violent and lyrical” Da River. This journey is very interesting when going through the roads covered with wildflowers, especially the golden wild sunflowers on a winter day.
The mountains and forests of Lai Chau are majestic, magnificent but extremely poetic and romantic. The roads, though arduous, bring a sense of excitement and passion when fortunate to meet the moment of a fiery sunset, shimmering in the wild mountains.
Walking along the banks of the Da River is an unforgettable experience, immersing yourself in a peaceful, pristine space. Nearly 100 km from Muong Te town to Pac Ma, you will see the deep blue river on the high and magnificent mountains. The scenery is as beautiful as a picture, almost as writer Nguyen Tuan once described in his essay “The riverbank is as wild as a prehistoric bank. The riverbank is as innocent as an old fairy tale.
A long journey will help you discover many new and interesting things on the long way to the far distant border. There are high points like Ta Tong village, a beautiful day appears a sea of white clouds. Then the clouds dissipated, seeing the Da River looming, hidden.
Closer to the upstream, especially to Nam Lan territory, the Da River has a place as smooth as a mirror, sometimes just a stream hidden in the deep green forest.
The journey to conquer landmark 0, the westernmost point of A Pa Chai must go through border post 317 – border post A Pa Chai. Because this is a border area, you have to go through very strict checks. You need to bring identification, report to the border station, then the leader of the station will send a soldier to lead your group to the zero mark.
From the A Pa Chai border post to the zero triangle, you have to cross a distance of nearly 10 km. Currently, the border patrol road has just been opened and is under construction, so it will be very difficult to go on a rainy day. The initial journey went through winding and winding roads, opening up a magnificent and spacious landscape and completely accessible by motorbike.
At the foot of Khoan La San mountain, you have to leave your motorbike at the meeting point and start the walking journey about 3 km. This route has some sections that have been poured with concrete, but most are still dirt roads, through the forest. Sunny days can also be quite easy to go even though it is a bit steep, but when we went on a rainy day, the road was extremely slippery, difficult to move, hard.
After a arduous walk, we reached the zero milestone in joy, despite the cold, wet rain, and dirty clothes. Milestone 0 is a triangular landmark marking the border junction of three countries Vietnam – Laos – China, each side is marked with a corresponding language. This landmark is located on the top of Khoan La San mountain, built of granite. Currently, the last road is built into a few hundred stone steps, so moving to 0 is quite easy. We went on a rainy day, so we couldn’t see the vast landscape behind the neighboring countries.
Conquering the western pole of A Pa Chai is an interesting journey, with a lot of experiences, even though it is a bit hard. A trip to conquer the extreme west combined with the high mountainous roads of the wild, remote, majestic Northwest, but very poetic, romantic and fanciful, will be a memorable experience. Whether you choose the route from Dien Bien or Lai Chau, you will still be able to see and feel the typical beauty of the border areas, the places at the end of the beloved country.
Source: Collected internet.