Delegates of both countries attend the pilot operation ceremony of sightseeing tours for visitors to Ban Gioc - Detian waterfall scenic area.

Attending the event, on the Vietnamese side, there were Deputy Commander of the Border Guard Le Van Phuc; Vice Chairwoman of the National Border Committee of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Thi Huong; Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Xuan Anh; representatives of ministries and branches: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Public Security, General Department of Customs, Border Guard Command; Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam; representatives of a number of related departments and sectors.

On the Chinese side, there were Vice Chairman of the People's Government of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Miao Qingwang and representatives of a number of related departments and sectors.

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the People's Government of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Miao Qingwang affirmed that the pilot of the tours is part of the efforts to concretize the common perceptions reached by leaders of the two countries. This is the first joint scenic area on the Vietnam-China border put into operation, thus building an eco-friendly cross-border tourism model and promoting trade and economic development, cultural exchange to meet the needs of both countries' people.

In his speech, Vice Chairman of Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee Trinh Truong Huy, stated that this model is new and unprecedented. The signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Protection and Exploitation of Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) Waterfall Tourism Resources has great significance in Vietnam - China relations, demonstrating the goodwill and determination of both countries to build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

Leaders of the two sides talk at the event

The pilot operation of the scenic area affirms political trust and promotes interests between the two countries, which strengthens friendly exchanges between the people of the two provinces/regions in particular and the two countries, Vietnam and China, in general. It is also a premise to put this cross-border scenic area into official operation in the future to promote tourism cooperation and enhance friendly exchanges between the people of both localities, making an important contribution to promoting the development and depth of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. This is an opportunity for the two sides to develop tourism and cooperate in the economic and social fields between the two localities. The two sides will continue to improve the operating mechanism as well as continue to invest in the scenic area to make it an attractive destination for visitors.

Delegates perform a ceremony to start the pilot operation of tours to Ban Gioc-Detian Waterfall scenic area

The pilot operation aims to implement the contents of the Agreement on cooperation in protecting and exploiting tourism resources of Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) waterfall and concretize the Minutes of talks at the Central and local levels of the two countries on agreeing to organize a pilot operation for both countries’ visitors to the scenic area.

The pilot tours will be operated within one year, from September 15, 2023, to September 14, 2024. The opening time for tourists to visit is 9 am (Hanoi time) or 10 am (Beijing time). The groups must return to their country's landscape area at 4 pm (Hanoi time) or 5 pm (Beijing time). Visitors of both countries conduct entry and exit procedures using their passports (no visa required) or entry and exit permits or laisses passers at border checkpoint at the landmark 834/1. During the pilot operation period, tourists from the two countries will register in advance, in the form of group departure and group entry, with the number of each group not exceeding 20 people. During the first three months of the pilot operation period, the number of each group from each side will not exceed 10 groups per day and each group has up to 20 people. From the fourth month onwards until the end of the pilot period, the number of tourists crossing the border on each side will not exceed 500 people per day. The Vietnamese side must purchase insurance for tourists before entering the Chinese scenic area. Meanwhile, tourists from China entering the Vietnamese side are required to purchase tickets for 70,000 VND (2.9 USD) per person per visit, inclusive of insurance and exclusive of other service fees. The duration of each group's stop at the opposite side should not exceed five hours. Visitors are prohibited from staying illegally. During the pilot operation, tourists from the third country are not allowed to travel to the scenic area. After the pilot operation period ends, the two sides will conduct an evaluation to proceed to official operation.