Lao Cai border to China

"In the evening I take the night train from the big city of Hanoi to Lao Cai. On the night train, I had a berth in a compartment of four. Traveling is quite comfortable. When I wake up I am almost in Lao Cai. My private driver is already waiting for me, but first there is time for a nice breakfast. It is about four hours drive to the village of Can Cau."

Lao Cai (de Vietnamese kant)

From Lao Cai to Hekou-city in China - China is known as a beautiful country with an ancient heritage, dating back thousands of years. If you visit China, you will likely return to the era thousands of years ago and enjoy the ancient environment of an East Asian country. From Lao Cai you can easily cross the border and set foot in the country of China. Not only will you experience the amazing mountains and hill tribes of Northern Vietnam that live there, but you will also continue your adventure through a border crossing to another country.

Lao Cai border is one of the main border crossing points between Vietnam and China in tourism and economic activities. It is located in the center of the city of Lao Cai, which borders on the other side of the Red River from the Chinese city of Hekou. It is located in the south of Yunnan province. The bridge that connects both countries is called Ho Kieu. Travelers usually cross this border in Lao Cai than in Muong Khuong, for example, because just after crossing the bridge you are in the beautiful town of Hekou.
If you only want to visit Hekou Town, don't worry about the weather as it is very similar to Lao Cai. To avoid rain, cold weather or very hot weather, it is best to visit this border city in spring or summer.

From China to Vietnam: import

If you want to go to China via the Lao Cai border and visit Hekou, you should notice that the weather gets colder and colder as you move further north. China is a large country, so the weather changes from south to north and from west to east.
Although Lao Cai Province and Yunnan Province share the same longitude coordinates, there is still an hour difference. You must also have a Chinese visa prior to your trip! It can also be easier. You can apply for a visa for Vietnam online in your country.
The Lao Cai Border Post is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., which means that in Hekou, the hours become 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
If you have arrived in China (Hekou), don't worry if you have forgotten to change money, as there are several ATMs (ATMs) in Hekou. However, not all ATMs accept foreign credit cards. Therefore, look for the Bank of China ATM to get money out of the wall. The ATMs are equipped with the English language, so it is easy to withdraw money. However, not all ATMs support the English language, so be careful!

Goods to China: export

After passing Lao Cai border, you can visit the market. Due to its location on the border, you do not have to pay taxes for articles on this market. You can buy articles very cheap here. This market has three floors and a thousand square meters filled with products.
The market sells everything. Some examples: fruit, jewelry, shoes, even knives and swords. Hekou belongs to an autonomous province, so this kind of goods can be sold publicly. The specialty of this market are brocade products. You will love these embroidered items and maybe even bring a few as a souvenir for the family or friends.

The border crossing (checkpoint) is the Friendship Bridge.