Lang Son city is the capital of Lang Son Province. It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Route 1A. If you look for Lang Son treks, Lang Son hikes, hiking Lang Son Vietnam, Lang Son trekking tours, Lang Son hiking tours, Lang Son trekking homestay you should travel to That Khe, or move further north to Cao Bang. There we can arrange for you a private, guided trekking holidays at affordable price.
Lang Son city map
History
Due to its geography as Vietnam’s gateway to China, Lạng 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 Lạng 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 Lạng Sơn 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 there
The best way to get Lang Son from Hanoi is to rent a car with driver. You will be picked up at your place in Hanoi and brought to Lang Son. Those who are on budget can take a public bus. Hanoi Lang Son bus journey takes about 4-5 hours on road.
Booking a Lang Son guided tour (with a tour guide) is highly recommended, especially when you travel to an off the beaten path destination like Lang Son Vietnam.
Lang Son weather
Lạng Son has an average annual temperature of 17–22 °C and an average annual rainfall of 1,200–1,600 millimetres (47–63 in). The average temperature in the summer is 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) and 12–13 °C (54–55 °F) in the winter, It has an average humidity of 80–85% and an average of 1600 hours of sunlight a year.
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Lang Son tours
Our collection of best Lang Son tours including not only Lang Son hiking tours, but also car trips, road trips, caving tours, bike ride, motorcycle tours we at Hiking Vietnam run in this region. Traveling these tours you will discover Lang Son province as well as other non-touristy places in north east Vietnam.
Lang Son Travel Places
Lang Son city – Bac Son – Binh Gia – Cao Loc – Chi Lang – Dinh Lap – Huu Lung – Loc Binh – Trang Dinh – Van Lang – Van Quan