Lang Son City, North East Vietnam Cycling, Biking, Travel Destination

Lang Son city is the capital of Lang Son Province in the northeast Vietnam. The city is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Route 1A. We don’t run any trekking, hiking, cycling tour within the town of Lang Son. Therefore its surrounding districts offers a range of off the beaten path cycling holidays in north east Vietnam. Options include Lang Son bike adventures, Lang Son cycling holidays, northeast Vietnam road cycling tours, biking northern Vietnam, and Lang Son mountain biking trip.

Lang Son City Map

The two caves with Buddhist altars, well illuminated are the Tam Thanh Cave and the Nhi Thanh Cave. These are two important tourist attractions in Lang Son town. The Tam Thanh Cave is very large with three chambers, has water pond, and has a window opening, which provides scenic views of vast rice fields outside. The outer chamber of the cave on the right has the Tam Giao Pagoda (built in 1777) with six shrines. The second chamber of the cave on the left also shrines, the Ngoc Tuyen River flows through this cave into the mountain, an unusual feature which is described as “a dramatic sight”. The Nhi Thanh Cave, about 700 m away from the Tam Thanh Cave, was discovered in the 18th century by Ngo Thin Sy, military commander of the Lang Son garrison, whose poems have been inscribed at the entrance to the cave. A plaque erected in the cave depicts a French resident of Long Son in full European dress.

The Mac Dynasty Citadel, a 16th-century monument located in a desolate area on a rock outcrop, is bounded by the east-west facing walls and is approached from the Tam Tinh road from Lang Son city. Series of steps from the road lead to the ruins of the citadel.

Lang Son History

Due to its geography as Vietnam’s gateway to China, Lang Son and its ancient citadel have been in the path of many invasions, and were the site of three French defeats during the colonial era.

Occupied by Qing forces during the military buildup that preceded the Sino-French War, the city was occupied by France after the two-week Lang Son Campaign in February 1885. However, the brigade there conducted a hasty retreat after a failed attack at the Battle of Bang Bo into China; the “retreat from Lang Son” became the most controversial aspect of the war and led to the fall of Jules Ferry’s ministry. Outnumbered French colonial forces clashed with the Japanese 5th Division in the Battle of Lang Son during the Japanese Vietnam Expedition on 22 September 1940. The French were again compelled to retreat hastily. In 1945 it was again the scene of heavy fighting during the Japanese coup d’état in French Indochina.

After the end of the Pacific War, the French colonial army established a permanent garrison there, which served as the logistics hub for the French border fortresses. It was captured in 1950 during Vo Nguyen Giap’s offensive against the French border forts, considered a turning point in the Indochina War. The city was the center of fighting during the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979, and sustained extensive damage.

Getting to Lang Son City

The best way to get Lang Son town from Hanoi is to rent a car with driver. You will be picked up at your place in Hanoi and brought to Lang Son city. Those who are on budget can take local public bus at lower cost. Hanoi Lang Son bus journey takes about 4 hours on road.

Lang Son Weather

Climatically, Lang Son province has two seasons, dry and monsoon, dependent on the altitude of the region. The two northern Indochinese climatic zones on the border influence the climate in that part of the province. The lower areas in the province comprise low hills, the Lo River Valley and the town of Lang Son. In Cao Bo district, dry season lasts from mid-September until the end of May, and the balance period of the year is the rainy season. However, in Du Gia district the wet season sets in one month earlier.

The average annual temperature in Lang Son city is 22.78 °C (73.00 °F); the monthly averages range from a low of 15.48 °C (59.86 °F) in January to a high of 27.88 °C (82.18 °F) in July. The annual rainfall in Lang Son city is 2,430.1 millimetres (95.67 in); the monthly average varies from a low of 31.5 millimetres (1.24 in) in December to a high of 515.6 millimetres (20.30 in) in July. The average annual humidity level is 84%. More about Vietnam weather.

Cycling around Lang Son Vietnam

Cycling is a great way to discover Lang Son, one of best Vietnam’s hidden places in Lang Son province. Lang Son district has sealed, paved cycle routes, single dirt tracks, mountain bike trails, back roads cycling offering fantastic bike rides for enthusiastic road cyclists and mountain bikers. We have a range of road cycling holidays and mountain bike tours around Lang Son and the north east Vietnam region, providing options for both those who want some mountain challenges and those who prefer long flat rides.

Lang Son Holiday Packages

Check out our best Lang Son holiday packages including not only Lang Son Vietnam cycling tours, Lang Son bicycling trip, Vietnam Lang Son cycling vacation, Lang Son mountain biking tour, but also other road trips, scooter, motorbike, motorcycle tours, community, educational, student travel are arranged in Lang Son province, northern Vietnam. Customize your own itinerary or book these all-inclusive Lang Son tour packages to discover a non-touristy district of Lang Son province as well as other less traveled places in the north east Vietnam.