Vietnam's Ban Gioc waterfall among world’s most scenic international borders

The Ban Gioc waterfall in Cao Bang province, northern Vietnam has been voted as one of the world’s most scenic international borders by South China Morning Post.

"The Ban Gioc waterfall, on the Quay Son River, is half in Vietnam and half in China, and forms a natural border between the two countries," the Hong Kong-based daily wrote.

"Visitors who get up close to the turquoise cascades in bamboo rafts can expect a good soaking from the clouds of spray," it added.

Ban Gioc waterfall is one of Vietnam’s most impressive natural sights. Located in the northeastern province of Cao Bang, the falls are 30 meters high and 300 meters across, making Ban Gioc the widest (but not the highest) waterfall in the country.

Surrounded by limestone karst mountains and rice fields, it is part of the UNESCO-recognized Non Nuoc Cao Bang geopark whose fossils, sediments, volcanic rocks, and karst landscapes are believed to be 500 million years old.

The other borders in the list are: Schengen Area (Iberia and Portugal), Nong Khai town (Laos and Thaland), Tatra Mountains (Chile and Argentina), Zdiar (Poland and Slovakia), Khunjerab Pass (Pakistan, China and India), Niagara Falls (United States and Canada), Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe), Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil), Baikal Lake (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia) and the Maasai Mara and Serengeti Plains game parks (Kenya and Tanzania).

In 2021, the New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure had included Ban Gioc in its list of 21 most beautiful waterfalls in the world.

"In a stunning show of power and grandeur, water flows endlessly through pools, down tiers, and over cliffs in a unique horseshoe shape," it said.