Ban Gioc-Detian Falls

Todd Sain Sr.

9 years ago

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Ban Gioc-Detian Falls Facts

Perhaps in keeping with its complexity, the term Ban Gioc-Detian Falls serves as the accepted name of a truly spectacular sight. That’s because the highly distinctive term names a magnificent set of twin waterfalls situated on the Quay Son River.
It further holds a rather unique status among such features, shared by other falls such as Niagara Falls, located in North America. That’s because this marvel of Nature formed in a location almost perfectly straddling the Sino-Vietnamese border, in Asia.
One half of the falls sits in the karst hills of Daxin County, in the province of Guangxi, in China. Meanwhile, the other half sits in Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang Province (Vietnam). The truly wondrous site also sits roughly 169 mi (272 km) north of Hanoi.
This wonder holds an impressive position in the minds of geologists. That,s due to the fact that these falls currently rank as the 4th largest waterfall along a national border. Only the astounding Victoria Falls, Iguazu Falls, and Niagara Falls exceed it in this.
The local populace considers the two falls of what many call Ban Gioc-Detian Falls to be two parts of one waterfall. They’re known by the sole name Bản Gioc. The two parts bear the names thác chính, the main waterfall, and thác phụ, the subordinate waterfall.

Rhine Falls AngelFalls Shoshone Falls

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Ban Gioc-Detian Falls Physical Description

Creating confusion for some people, Chinese texts sometimes name Ban Gioc-Detian Falls simply the Détiān falls. By either name, though, this cascade remains a site of stunning natural splendor. It easily ranks high in splednor among the thousands of such sites.

During the summer rains, furthermore, the two waterfalls sometimes join together. The waterfall drops a total of about 98 ft (30 m) and is separated into three falls by numerous rocks and trees. This magnificent site also earns respect for a somewhat unexpected wonder.

That actually holds true due to its incredible volume. In fact, on most days, the effect of the water hitting the cliffs remains audible from a great distance. The Ban Gioc-Detian Falls was also one of the crossing points for the Chinese army during the brief Sino-Vietnamese War.

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Ban Gioc-Detian Falls Ecology

To the amazement of many, near Ban Gioc-Detian Falls lies yet another wonder of the works of Nature. That’s the site known to man as the gorgeous Tongling Gorge. Remarkably, this location remains accessible only through a cavern from an adjoining gorge.

Rediscovered only recently, it has many species of endemic plants that exist only in the gorge. In the past, this cavern itself actually served as a hideout for local bandits. In fact, numerous treasures are occasionally still found in the cliff-side caves of the gorgeous sit.

A road running along the top of the falls also leads to a stone marker that demarcates the border between China and Vietnam in both Chinese and French. However, to no great surprise, modern disputes arose pertaining to the accuracy of this marking.

That’s due to the fact that certain discrepancies concerning Ban Gioc-Detian Falls remain. These pertain to the correlating legal documents on border demarcation and the placement of markers between the French and Qing administrations in the 19th century.