Na Hang Lake

A boat glides over flat, quiet water, and out of that water rise dark green limestone peaks. This is not the sea, and it is not an ordinary lake. It is a whole world of mountains and water in the middle of the great forest of Tuyên Quang.

That is what Na Hang Lake feels like. It lies in the scenic area of Na Hang and Lâm Bình. That is in Tuyên Quang province, about 105 kilometers north of Tuyên Quang city.

The lake owes its origin to the Tuyên Quang Hydropower Plant on the Gâm River. Work began in December 2002, and the plant opened in 2007 with three generating units. When the water rose, it formed a lake of more than 8,000 hectares, stretching through Lâm Bình to the borders of the former Hà Giang and Bắc Kạn provinces. Mountains that once stood in a valley now show only their tops above the surface. People call the place Ha Long Bay in the great forest, a nickname rather than an official name. From a boat, the nickname does not seem too much.

But this land is more than beautiful. Thousands of living species make their home here.

The Na Hang Nature Reserve was founded in 1994 by decision of the People's Committee of Tuyên Quang province. It covers more than 22,000 hectares along the Gâm and Năng rivers. It holds nearly 1,200 species of higher plants. It is also the home of the voọc mũi hếch, a primate found only in Vietnam.

In 2018 the Prime Minister signed the decision that named Na Hang and Lâm Bình a special national scenic site. The protected area spreads over more than 40,000 hectares and 14 communes and towns.

On a boat across the lake, many sights slide past.

One of the first on the route from Na Hang town is Pắc Tạ Temple. In the local language, the name means the mouth of a river, the place where two rivers meet. The Gâm and the Năng join there. The temple is tied to a legend about a secondary wife of General Trần Nhật Duật. This layer of belief gives the scenery more depth.

Next, as the boat enters the Thượng Lâm area, limestone ranges close around the water. People there call it the region of the 99 Ái Au mountains. A legend in the old tales of Nà Hang says that a flock of phoenixes once landed on 99 of these mountains, and was woken before it could land on the 100th. Standing in a boat among cliffs that rise out of the lake, one can see why people long ago chose that name.

Then comes Cọc Vài, also called Vài Phạ. The Tày are one of the peoples of northern Vietnam. In their language, Vài Phạ means a post for tying a buffalo. It is a striking pillar of stone in the limestone hills, tied to a legend about a young man named Tài Ngào, who built a dam. The block of rock stands in the middle of the lake, and the old name fits it.

Khuổi Nhi Falls is the stop that many travelers look forward to most. The falls lie in Thượng Lâm commune. They run in five tiers for more than 3 kilometers through primeval forest. The sound of water falling from one tier to the next rings against the rock walls, and green moss clings to the natural stone steps. Some climb from tier to tier and sit under the cool water. Others only stand and watch, feeling a strange quiet in the wilderness.

The boat route from Na Hang town runs about 70 kilometers and takes about six hours. All along the way the view keeps changing. Steep cliffs are reflected in the water. Small villages sit along the shore. In places the lake opens so wide that no bank can be seen. The light of early morning or late afternoon gives the water different colors every hour.

There are places where, from the moment the boat leaves the landing, the everyday noise melts away. Na Hang Lake is one of them. Mountains and water together keep a rare stillness in the great forest of Việt Bắc.