Discover A Pa Chai

A Pa Chai border junction in Sin Thau commune, Muong Nhe district, Dien Bien province, is where there is a landmark dividing the border between the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - China.

In the Ha Nhi language, A Pa Chai means “flat, vast land”, so it is very suitable for placing landmarks. Landmark No. 0 at the A Pa Chai border junction was placed on June 27, 2005. The entire landmark is made of granite, placed on a hexagonal base.

The 2 meter high milestone has 3 sides facing 3 directions, on each side is the country name in the national language and the national emblem of each country.

Because the A Pa Chai landmark is located in an important border area for local military, defense and national security, tourists who want to explore the landmark need a permit from the Dien Bien Provincial Border Guard Command.

The road from A Pa Chai Border Post to the landmark is about 11km long, of which about 7km has been concreted, the remaining 4km is dirt road. Therefore, the journey for tourists is much shorter than before, taking only about 1 hour to travel by motorbike and climb nearly 600 stairs.

But first, to get to the westernmost point of A Pa Chai, you can go in 2 directions. The first direction is to take a plane from Hanoi to Dien Bien, then take a car or motorbike from Dien Bien Phu city along National Highway 12 and Provincial Road 131 through Nam Po, Muong Cha districts, then Muong Nhe district about 200km. Next, from the center of Muong Nhe district, go another 50km to reach Sin Thau commune.

The second direction is from Hanoi, following the Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway to Sa Pa. Then from Sa Pa, conquer the O Quy Ho pass, which is more than 30km long. After crossing the pass, you will reach Tam Duong district (Lai Chau), then Lai Chau city, through Phong Tho and Sin Ho districts. Continue along National Highway 4D, along the Nam Na river to the Lai Chau hydroelectric reservoir, to Muong Lay district (Dien Bien), then to Muong Nhe.

The journey to the milestone at the A Pa Chai border junction not only has the meaning of conquering nature, but also demonstrates determination and pride in national border sovereignty.

Standing on the top of A Pa Chai, looking around, you can see the vast, vast sky and land, the mountains, bringing an indescribable feeling of elation.

In autumn, on the mountainside, the terraced fields of the ethnic minorities curve like colorful borders to decorate the mountains. At the foot of the mountain, there are also patches of yellow mustard flowers blooming.

In spring, plum blossoms, apricot blossoms, peach blossoms, and bauhinia flowers compete to bloom, creating beautiful patches of color for the A Pa Chai border picture, making it more vivid in the eyes of tourists from all over.