Lao Cai station

After leaving Bac Ha, I have to wait at Lao Cai for about four hours before the sleeper train leaves for Hanoi.

Lao Cai is 9km from the Chinese border. Quite a few people are hanging out waiting for the train. The sleeper arrives in Hanoi at about 6am.

Bac Ha Markets

Bac Ha markets is a bustling event. Every Saturday locals and ethnics from surrounding villages come to town to trade livestock, textiles and handicrafts.

The dominant ethnic group are the flower H'mong.


They sell embroidery as they wander through the crowds. You can see an example of their work in the bottom right hand corner of this picture.