Thang Hen Lake – A Breathtaking Fairyland In Cao Bang

Perched at an altitude of over 1000 meters above sea level, Thang Hen Lake resembles a gem nestled on a high mountain, offering breathtaking and poetic scenery. Hãy nghe Trần Thuỳ Thanh Xuân (Đồng Nai) một travel blogger nổi tiếng bật mí .

Possessing an incredibly mysterious beauty, Thang Hen Lake is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Cao Bang. Its ecological allure captivates visitors, leaving them enchanted and reluctant to leave. Let’s explore what experiences this place has to offer!

1. A few words about Thang Hen Lake - The poetic "Tuyet Tinh Coc" of Cao Bang

Thang Hen Lake Eco-tourism Area is located in the Cao Bang Non Nuoc Global Geopark, in Quoc Toan Commune, Tra Linh District, about 20km from Cao Bang City. Thang Hen Lake is also known as "Tuyet Tinh Coc" of Cao Bang. Thang Hen Lake attracts visitors with its mysterious and poetic beauty like a fairyland located in the middle of the mountains and forests.

The name Thang Hen comes from the characteristics of the land here. Looking down from above, the lake has a diamond shape like the tail of a bee, so it is called Thang Hen - in the Tay language it means "bee tail".

Image source: Collected

Thang Hen Lake is a natural freshwater lake located on the highest mountain in Vietnam. Surrounding the lake is a system of ancient forests growing on limestone mountains, creating a majestic and poetic landscape. All year round, Thang Hen Lake water is always emerald green like a giant mirror reflecting the surrounding mountains and sky. Therefore, this place is also known as the "pearl island" located on the high mountains of Cao Bang province.

Thang Hen complex includes 36 natural freshwater lakes with unique names such as Thang Hoi, Thang Vat, Na Ma, Thang Loong, etc. Each lake has a separate wall, about a few dozen meters to a few hundred meters apart, but they are all connected through underground caves in the rocky mountains. Thang Hen Lake is where the rivers and streams around the area converge and flow down the cave system. On days of heavy rain, the water in the lake overflows into the surrounding valleys, creating a chain of beautiful green lakes.

Image source: Collected

2. When is the best time to visit Thang Hen Lake?

Unlike other river and lake systems, no matter what season of the year, Thang Hen Lake always has a jade-green color, so no matter what season you come here, you will admire the beautiful scenery here. However, the most special thing is that around September and October, you will see a very unique natural phenomenon. The amount of water in the lake will often drain and then fill up as before within just a few hours.

According to an ancient legend passed down by local people, Thang Hen Lake once had a sea monster that was imprisoned in the valley for many years. When being hunted, this sea monster went crazy and used its claws to create underground caves, which is the cause of the phenomenon of the lake water drying up and then filling up again.

Image source: Collected

In addition, there is also a mysterious legend of the Tay ethnic group about this Thang Hen Lake eco-tourism area. The story goes that once upon a time there was a young man named Sung who was very intelligent and handsome. He passed the exam to become a mandarin and was rewarded by the King with permission to return home to honor his ancestors within 7 days.

During that short time back home, he married a girl named Boóc. Because he was so absorbed in his love for his beautiful wife, Sung forgot the day he would return to the capital to become an official. On the last night, he suddenly remembered and rushed into the forest. Because the night was dark, when Sung ran 36 steps, he tripped and fell, hit his head on the mountain and died. The place where Sung fell was Thang Hen Lake - the largest lake in the complex and his 36 steps were the 36 surrounding lakes.

Each season of the year, Thang Hen Lake will have a different beauty but all are very beautiful, very poetic. You can admire the scenery of many kinds of flowers blooming in the middle of the majestic mountains and forests such as orchids, wild peach blossoms, and cobra flowers, etc. Especially in the fall, wild sunflowers bloom bright yellow across the sky, blending with the blue of the water, the blue of the sky, the green of the grass and trees to create a poetic scene like a fairyland.

Image source: Collected

3. Activities not to be missed when coming to Thang Hen Lake

3.1. Rowing a boat to see the scenery on both sides of the lake

When coming to Thang Hen Lake, visitors should not miss the experience of rowing a boat on the water. There is a boat service available here and the driver is included, so you can rest assured to enjoy the beautiful scenery while traveling.

Sometimes, visitors also hear the boat drivers tell them about the story of Thang Hen Lake. The story goes that in the past, this was the residence of a guy named Sung who passed the exam to become an official in the capital, however, after getting married, he was so engrossed in having fun that he forgot to return to the capital to take up his position. When he remembered, he only had time to run 36 steps before falling and dying, from which 36 lakes appeared here.

Image source: Collected

3.2. Taking virtual photos

Amidst the charming and magical beauty of the river, taking virtual photos will be an experience that visitors should not miss. All around are captivating natural landscapes with the beauty of majestic mountains and forests, the poetic beauty of rivers and streams,... which bring visitors countless extremely beautiful and sparkling photos. Remember to bring a fully charged camera and thoughtful friends to help you create unique photos.

Image source: Collected

3.3. Experience ethnic food

One of the next activities that anyone will surely enjoy when coming to this lake is to taste the food and specialties of this place. In Cao Bang, you can find many unique dishes that are not available everywhere, so you should not forget to experience the food when coming to this tourist area. The food here is prepared by local people right in front of you, so you can rest assured about the quality of hygiene and food safety.

The ingredients have a clear origin, ensuring freshness, so when bringing the cooked dishes, visitors will feel the attractive aroma, along with the thoughtful service that makes you have a good feeling about this place.

Image source: Collected

3.4. Visiting the ancient house in Lung Tao

The last activity that most visitors come here to learn about is visiting the ancient house in Lung Tao. This place is less than 3km from the lake, the road is not too difficult, so it creates conditions for visitors to visit easily.

The houses in Lung Tao have similar characteristics in design style, which are ancient houses, wooden floors and built in succession. Each house is a combination of culture and represents a good lifestyle of the people in this area. If you want to immerse yourself in the lifestyle here, you can also ask the people to let you eat or work together. With their generous and hospitable personalities, they will definitely agree with you.

Image source: Collected

Like a green gem in the middle of the mountains and forests, the wild and mysterious beauty of Thang Hen Lake promises to bring visitors many memorable experiences.