Lạng Sơn Province
Encyclopedia
Lạng Sơn is a province
in far northern Vietnam
, bordering Guangxi
province in China
. Its capital is also called Lang Son
, which is a strategically important town at the border with China and is 137 kilometres (85.1 mi) northeast of Hanoi connected by rail and road. Lang Son Province is bounded by China in the north, Cao Bang province
borders the northwest, Ha Bac province on the south, Quang Ninh province
starting on the south and extending to the eastern border and Thai Nguyen province
is to the west. The province covers an area of 8327.6 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 759,000 people.
Lang Son Province, Ha Giang
, Lao Cai
, Bắc Giang
, Bắc Kạn
, Cao Bang
, Phu Tho
, Quang Ninh
, Thai Nguyen
, Tuyen Quang
and Yen Bai
of the Đông Bắc (Northeastern Region) are part of the 59 administrative provinces and 5 municipalities in Vietnam.
Ancient history of the province is linked to the Bronze Age when the trade route that existed between China and India
that passed from the Red River Delta
through Nanning
to Guangzhou
. The province was one of the 13 original provinces in northern Vietnam created under the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng
in 1831.
Friendship Gate
, the historical land link between China and Vietnam, links Lạng Sơn and Guangxi, China. Being a border province, it is important for trade between the two countries. It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi
, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Road 1A.
Lang Son's economy is 80% based on agriculture and forestry. However, in recent years economic development has received full attention to exploit its rich mineral resources.
The most important tree grown in the province is the star anise
(illicium verum, Hooker), an important spice
; an evergreen tree which has aromatic lanceolate leaves.
Important historical places of interest in the province are the war ravaged Dong Don Border town, which has rich war history and attracts visitors, two large lime stone caves within a short distance from the Long Son town, and a 16th century citadel of the Ming Dynasty.
The Dinh kings (968-980) encouraged the growth of trade in the region and requested to the Sung
emperors of China that they establish trade relations at Yong Zhou. The Chinese Annals have revealed that the Vietnamese trades perfumes, elephant
ivories, rhinocerous horns, gold, silver and salt in return for Chinese fabrics. Later, under the ly Dynasty
an extensive market was established at Vinh Binh
on the Ky Cung River
.
During the reign of the Ming Dynasty, during the period 1527 and 1592, Lang Son was vastly fortified in view of its strategic importance at the border, which are seen even now; a citadel of this dynasty is located to the west of the Lang Son town on a lime stone rock outcrop.
Lạng Sơn was one of the 13 original provinces in northern Vietnam that were created under the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng
in 1831; since the establishment of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802 until then, northern Vietnam had been under the rule of a viceroy.
During the Second World War, even though the Japan
ese had signed an agreement with Vichy
Indo China, they soon reneged on the Agreement, without waiting for the ink to dry on the accord, and launched an offensive on Vietnam by withdrawing their troops from China. They crossed the Vietnam China border and entered 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) inside, very close to the Lang Son railway station. The Japanese attacked on 22 September 1940 and by the 25th they captured Lang Son. However, Vichy had lodged a protest with the Emperor Hirohito for the breach of the agreement signed between the two countries, which resulted in a ceasefire to the hostilities by the evening of 26 September, and soon Lang Son was reoccupied by the Vichy forces.
After Ho Chi Minh
's government was established in September 1945, Japan
ese had surrendered to the British
and Indian Army
, under the terms of the Potsdam Conference
, to the south of the 16th parallel, while the Chinese Nationalist Party (the Kuomintang
). As strategy, Ho Chi Minh entered into an agreement with the French so that he could face any threat from the Chinese and a Franco-Vietnamese agreement was signed. This provided for a free Vietnam within the French Union and the Indochinese federation. However, the French launched an offensive against the Viet Minh in October 1947 with Lang Son as a their base. However, the Viet Minh managed to thwart the French Offensive and forced the French to withdraw to Lang Son. However, the Viet Minh pursue the French Army, they had a very decisive victory on Highway 4 and they had to finally withdraw from Lang Son. This marked the beginning of First Indochina War
In 1950 the Vietminh took control of the province and the town. During February 1979, the Chinese invaded Vietnam through the border town of Don Dong (18 kilometres (11.2 mi) to the north of Long Son town). In this war, which lasted for five days, 600,000 soldiers had descended on Vietnam; Lang Son town was the major town that received the major thrust of 200,000 soldiers from China and occupied the capital city of the Northern Province. However, the Vietnamese had the last say as the Vietnamese army was successful in defeating the Chinese army, which bid a hasty retreat. This was has achieved the status of a folk lore in the province. The frontier village, which became famous during the war with China, has remnants of the war on display to the visitors. However the border has been rebuilt and brisk trade flourishes between Vietnam and China through this town.
During the Chinese invasion in 1959 the Lan Son town was also severely damaged, however it has been rebuilt since then. The old part of the town, near the Kyu Kung River has some interesting historical sites.
On June 7, 1949, the district of Lộc Bình was transferred from Hải Ninh
Province into Lạng Sơn. During the First Indochina War
, Lạng Sơn was a part of Liên khu Việt Bắc. In 1950 the province had 10 districts: Bằng Mạc, Bắc Sơn, Bình Gia, Cao Lộc, Điềm He, Lộc Bình, Ôn Châu, Thoát Lãng, Tràng Định and Văn Uyên. On July 1, 1956, the district of Hữu Lũng of Bắc Giang Province
was transferred into Lạng Sơn, which was placed in the Khu tự trị Việt Bắc (Region of Northern Vietnam), which was formed the same day. The RNV lasted until December 27, 1975. In 1963 agricultural cooperativization began between the nationalities of the province. On December 16, 1964, the district of Điềm He and six communes of Bằng Mạc were merged to form the new district of Văn Quan; at the same time, the district of Ôn Châu and eight communes of Bằng Mạc district came together to form the new district of Chi Lăng. From December 27, 1975 until December 29, 1978, Lang Son and Cao Bằng Provinces were merged to form Cao Lạng Province, before being re-partitioned. At the same time, the district of Đình Lập in Quảng Ninh Province was transferred to Lạng Sơn, and since then it has had its current 10 districts. In 1979, a Chinese attack on the border was defended.
district and the highest point is at Mẫu Sơn Mountain, which is 1541 metres (5,055.8 ft). Mẫu Sơn is to the east of the town of Lạng Sơn
by 30 kilometres (18.6 mi), and is surrounded by a series of small peaks, and snow falls on these peaks in winter. The Bac Son Mountains are located in the province and are calcerous in nature. Fertile valley are framed by high mountain ridges, creating a scenic landscape.
The north of the province adjoins Cao Bằng Province
. The 243 kilometres (151 mi) Kỳ or Kyu River flows through Lang Son town and alluvial plains are formed in the valley that is surround by high mountains of about 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft) height. The Kỳ has a basin area of 6660 square kilometres (4,138,342.4 mi), and has its source in the mountainous area of Bắc Xa at an altitude of 1166 metres (3,825.5 ft) in the district of Đình Lập. The river is part of the Tây Giang River basin in China. The Bản Thín River, a tributary of the Kỳ Cùng, which is 52 metres (170.6 ft) long with a catchment area of 320 square kilometre has its source in a mountainous region in Guangxi
in China, and empties into the Kỳ Cùng in the commune of Khuất Xá in Lộc Bình Province. Other tributaries of the Kỳ include the Bắc Giang River
, which is 114 km long with a catchment area of 2670 square kilometre and the Bắc Khê River
, which is 54 kilometres (33.6 mi) long with a catchment area of 801 square kilometre. Other rivers of note in the province include the Thương Là River, which is the second largest in the province, sourced from the Na Pa Phước range in the district of Chi Lăng and is 157 km long with a basin area of 6640 square kilometre, the Hoá Độ River, which is 47 kilometres (29.2 mi) in length with a catchment area of 385 square kilometre and the Trung River, which is 35 km in length with a catchment area of1270 square kilometre.
Lạng Sơn has two international border crossings. The most accessed is the Friendship Gate
called the Huu Nghi Quan crossing at Dang Dang connecting to the Pingxiang
town in China. This is the historical first land link in the north between China and Vietnam that connects Lạng Sơn and Guangxi, China. The border is open daily, from 07:00 to 17:00 and involves a walk of 500 m through the no man’s territory between Vietnam and China. There is an international train service, an express route, opened in 1996 from Hanoi to Beijing (China), which operates twice a week on Tuesday and Friday that passes through Long Son Town and Dong Dang through this gate which has three hour stop at the border town to complete formalities of entry from one country to the other. Passengers are not allowed to board the train at any intermediate station between Hanoi and Beijing.
Lang Son is 155 kilometres (96.3 mi) to the northwest of Hanoi and National Highways 1 and 1 A and passes the Chi Lang pass (a pass which has the historic record of Le Loi’s victory over 100,000 Ming invaders from China, in 1427) and Bac Giang on National Highway 1A. Lang son is 135 km from Cao Bnag on the National Highway no 4.
Lang Son Province has an average annual temperature of 17–22 °C and an average annual rainfall of 1200–1600 mm (47.2–63 in). The average temperature in the summer is 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) and 12–13 °C (53.6–55.4 F) in the winter, It has an average humidity of 80–85% and an average of 1600 hours of sunlight a year.
The ethnic groups which inhabit the province are the Viet (Kinh), Tay, Nung, Dao, Mong and San Chay, Ngai and Montagnards who retained their tribal life styles. Nungs comprised 42.97% of the population, followed by Tay people with 35.92%. Ethnic Vietnamese are 16.5%, and the remainder are mostly Dao, Hoa, Sán Chay and Hmong.
, phosphate
and coal
. It also has notable reserves of gold
, silver
and lead
. Main crops include rice, which accounted for 40,000 hectares out of a total of 55,000 hectares grown in 1986, and sweet potato
, maize
and manioc. It is also known for its commodities of tea and yellow tobacco
. These crops are generally grown in the valleys of the Bac Son Mountains, Binh Gia Mountains and the Van Quan Mountains and along the rivers plains of the Ky Cung River
and the Thuong River. Some of the districts such as Hữu Lũng District have sugar cane plantations and grow oranges and pineapples, others grow tea and plums. Animal husbandry is developed in Lang Son Province; in 1986, 140,000 buffalo and oxen were recorded in the province and 150,000 pigs. The province is also noted for its That Khe duck speciality.
As against the national figure of 273 agriculture, forestry and fishery cooperatives, 15 are agricultural cooperatives and four are fisheries cooperatives. The number of cooperatives is 32 as against 7592 cooperatives in the country. There are only 26 farms as against the national number of 120699.
The output value of agriculture produce at constant 1994 prices in the province was 1,076.5 billion đồngs against the national value of 156,681.9 billion dongs.
The two caves with Buddhist altars, well illuminated are the Tam Thanh Cave and the Nhi Thanh Cave. The Tam Thanh Cave is very large with three chambers, has water pond, and has a window opening, which provides scenic views of vast rice fields outside. The outer chamber of the cave on the right has the Tam Giao Pagoda (built in 1777) with six shrines. The second chamber of the cave on the left also shrines, the Ngoc Tuyen River flows through this cave into the mountain, an unusual feature which is described as “a dramatic sight.” The Nhi Thanh Cave, about 700 m away from the Tam Thanh Cave, was discovered in the 18th century by Ngo Thin Sy, military commander of the Lang Son garrison, whose poems have been inscribed at the entrance to the cave. A plaque erected in the cave depicts a French resident of Long Son in full European dress. The Ngoc Tuyen River flows through the cave.
The Mac Dynasty Citadel, a 16th century monument located in a desolate area on a rock outcrop, is bounded by the east-west facing walls and is approached from the Tam Tinh road from Lang Son city. Series of steps from the road lead to the ruins of the citadel.
The Lang Son city also has ancient walls built in the 18th century. A monastery existed here.
limestone formations (also known as carbonate karst), which occupy 5% of the natural forest area of Vietnam Long Son and Cai Bang have an important place in the floral and faunal wealth of the forests. Northeast Viet Nam has 36% of the country’s 1.15 million hectares of rocky mountains out of which Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces account for a substantial part of limestone formations. According to forest statistics of Vietnam these limestone formations have 69 mammal species; five of them are endemic and 26 are rare species. Village people value these formations as they are sources of water for agriculture. They also are sources of fuel wood, medicinal plants and housing materials for the villagers. In Lang Son province they are rich source of water for irrigation of paddy crops. The limestone
formations also permit growth of annona trees
which provide substantial revenue to the villagers in Lang Son; the avearge annual net yield from annona is reported to be about VND 12 million (US $775).
Star anise
The most important tree grown in Vietnam (and also in China) is the star anise
(illicium verum, Hooker), an important spice
; an evergreen tree which has aromatic lanceolate leaves. The Lang Son Province is the leading province with this tree species growth reported to cover 9000 ha, mostly in its Van Quan district. Other provinces also have this species of trees but the coverage is very limited. Initially the tree belonged to the state farm enterprises under collective farming
. However, since the 1990s, it has decontrolled and given the trees to village families to manage. There are plans to enhance the plantation area under this species of tree to 20000 hectares (49,421 acre). The commercial production of star anise spice, which was 9,896 tonnes in 1997, has recorded a fall to 5,000 tonnes in 1999.
Provinces of Vietnam
Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces and five centrally governed cities existing at the same level as provinces ....
in far northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, bordering Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
province in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Its capital is also called Lang Son
Lang Son
Lạng Sơn , sometimes Langson, is a city in far northern Vietnam, is the capital of Lang Son province. It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Road 1A.-History:...
, which is a strategically important town at the border with China and is 137 kilometres (85.1 mi) northeast of Hanoi connected by rail and road. Lang Son Province is bounded by China in the north, Cao Bang province
Cao Bang Province
Cao Bằng is a province of northeastern Vietnam. The province has borders with Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, and Lạng Sơn provinces within Vietnam. It also has common international border with Guangxi province of the People's Republic of China...
borders the northwest, Ha Bac province on the south, Quang Ninh province
Quang Ninh Province
Quảng Ninh is a large province located along the northeastern coast of Vietnam. The province is home to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Site. The provincial capital is Ha Long. Nearly 80 per cent of the province is mountainous with abundant land, forest water and mineral resources. Nearly 90 per...
starting on the south and extending to the eastern border and Thai Nguyen province
Thai Nguyen Province
Thái Nguyên is a province in northeastern Vietnam. It is a mountainous, midland province with natural area of 3534.45 square kilometres and a population of 1,149,100 people as of 2008...
is to the west. The province covers an area of 8327.6 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 759,000 people.
Lang Son Province, Ha Giang
Hà Giang Province
Hà Giang is a province in northeastern Vietnam. It is located in the far north of the country, and contains Vietnam’s northernmost point. It shares a 270 km long border with Yunnan province of southern China. Hence it is known as the final frontier of Vietnam...
, Lao Cai
Lao Cai Province
Lào Cai , is a province of northeastern in the mountainous region of Vietnam, bordering the province of Yunnan in the China. The province covers an area of 6383.9 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 602,300 people....
, Bắc Giang
Bắc Giang Province
Bắc Giang is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the northeastern part of the country, being situated to the east of Hanoi. The province covers an area of 3827.45 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 1,628,400 people....
, Bắc Kạn
Bắc Kạn Province
Bắc Kạn , also spelt as Bắc Cạn, is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the northeastern part of the country, due north of the capital Hanoi. Bắc Kạn is the only town of the province which is the capital of the province and is a municipality...
, Cao Bang
Cao Bang Province
Cao Bằng is a province of northeastern Vietnam. The province has borders with Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, and Lạng Sơn provinces within Vietnam. It also has common international border with Guangxi province of the People's Republic of China...
, Phu Tho
Phu Tho Province
Phú Thọ is a province in northeastern Vietnam. The province's name derives from Sino-Vietnamese and its capital is Viet Tri City, which is away from Hanoi and from the Noi Bai International Airport...
, Quang Ninh
Quang Ninh Province
Quảng Ninh is a large province located along the northeastern coast of Vietnam. The province is home to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Site. The provincial capital is Ha Long. Nearly 80 per cent of the province is mountainous with abundant land, forest water and mineral resources. Nearly 90 per...
, Thai Nguyen
Thai Nguyen Province
Thái Nguyên is a province in northeastern Vietnam. It is a mountainous, midland province with natural area of 3534.45 square kilometres and a population of 1,149,100 people as of 2008...
, Tuyen Quang
Tuyên Quang Province
Tuyên Quang is a province of Vietnam, located in the northeastern part of the country to the northwest of Hanoi, at the centre of Lo River valley, a tributary of the Red River. The delta formation in the province is called the Tonkin Delta. Its capital is Tuyên Quang Township...
and Yen Bai
Yen Bai Province
Yên Bái is an agricultural-based province located in Tay Bac, the northern part of northern-central Vietnam. It shares borders with five provinces which are Lao Cai province, Lai Chau province, Son La province, Tuyen Quang province, and Phu Tho province...
of the Đông Bắc (Northeastern Region) are part of the 59 administrative provinces and 5 municipalities in Vietnam.
Ancient history of the province is linked to the Bronze Age when the trade route that existed between China and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
that passed from the Red River Delta
Red River Delta
The Red River Delta is the flat plain formed by the Red River and its distributaries joining in the Thai Binh River in northern Vietnam. The delta measuring some 15,000 square km is well protected by a network of dikes. It is an agriculturally rich area and densely populated...
through Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
to Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. The province was one of the 13 original provinces in northern Vietnam created under the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng
Minh Mang
Minh Mạng was the second emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam, reigning from 14 February 1820 until 20 January 1841. He was a younger son of Emperor Gia Long, whose eldest son, Crown Prince Canh, had died in 1801...
in 1831.
Friendship Gate
Friendship Gate
Friendship Pass Friendship Pass Friendship Pass (Chinese:友谊关,formerly 镇南关, Vietnamese: Hữu Nghị Quan, formerly Ải Nam Quan (both the present Vietnamese and Chinese names mean Friendship Pass) is a pass in the border between the China’s Guangxi and Vietnam’s Lang Son Province...
, the historical land link between China and Vietnam, links Lạng Sơn and Guangxi, China. Being a border province, it is important for trade between the two countries. It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Road 1A.
Lang Son's economy is 80% based on agriculture and forestry. However, in recent years economic development has received full attention to exploit its rich mineral resources.
The most important tree grown in the province is the star anise
Star anise
Illicium verum, commonly called Star anise, star aniseed, or Chinese star anise, is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of northeast Vietnam and southwest China...
(illicium verum, Hooker), an important spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
; an evergreen tree which has aromatic lanceolate leaves.
Important historical places of interest in the province are the war ravaged Dong Don Border town, which has rich war history and attracts visitors, two large lime stone caves within a short distance from the Long Son town, and a 16th century citadel of the Ming Dynasty.
Etymology
The province's name derives from Sino-Vietnamese (Hán Tự: 諒山).History
History of the province is the history of Lang Son town. Ancient history is traced to the Bronze Age. This period is marked by the trade route that existed between China and India that passed from the Red River Delta through Nanning to Guangzhou. 7000–9000 years ago the limestone caves of the province were inhabited by early settlers of the Bac Son culture.The Dinh kings (968-980) encouraged the growth of trade in the region and requested to the Sung
Sung
Sung may refer to several things:*The Song Dynasty, a dynasty of Ancient China.*An alternate transliteration of the Korean family name Song.*An alternate transliteration of the Korean family name Seong.*The Korean family name Sung....
emperors of China that they establish trade relations at Yong Zhou. The Chinese Annals have revealed that the Vietnamese trades perfumes, elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
ivories, rhinocerous horns, gold, silver and salt in return for Chinese fabrics. Later, under the ly Dynasty
Lý Dynasty
The Lý Dynasty , sometimes known as the Later Lý Dynasty , was a Vietnamese dynasty that began in 1009 when Lý Thái Tổ overthrew the Prior Lê Dynasty and ended in 1225 when the queen Lý Chiêu Hoàng was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her husband, Trần Cảnh. They ruled Vietnam for a...
an extensive market was established at Vinh Binh
Vĩnh Bình
Vĩnh Bình is a commune and village in Hòa Binh District, Bạc Liêu Province, in south-western Vietnam.-References:...
on the Ky Cung River
Kỳ Cùng River
The Kỳ Cùng is a major river of northeastern Vietnam. It flows through Lang Son Province . Tributaries include the Bắc Giang River and the Bắc Khê River. The source of the river is at an altitude of 1166 metres in northern Đình Lập District...
.
During the reign of the Ming Dynasty, during the period 1527 and 1592, Lang Son was vastly fortified in view of its strategic importance at the border, which are seen even now; a citadel of this dynasty is located to the west of the Lang Son town on a lime stone rock outcrop.
Lạng Sơn was one of the 13 original provinces in northern Vietnam that were created under the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng
Minh Mang
Minh Mạng was the second emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam, reigning from 14 February 1820 until 20 January 1841. He was a younger son of Emperor Gia Long, whose eldest son, Crown Prince Canh, had died in 1801...
in 1831; since the establishment of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802 until then, northern Vietnam had been under the rule of a viceroy.
French colonisation
The town was occupied by the French in 1885 when it was a very prosperous town. The French converted it into a military base considered as important to their other base in Cao Bang. In 1906, archaeologist Henri Mansuy discovered the Tham Kanh cave near Pho Binh Gia which he named the Ho Binh Gia. He unearthed unique stone implements and human remains. In 1922-25 M. Coloni extensively explored Lang Son Province and identified 43 sites related to the ancient Bac Son culture in the mountains.During the Second World War, even though the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese had signed an agreement with Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
Indo China, they soon reneged on the Agreement, without waiting for the ink to dry on the accord, and launched an offensive on Vietnam by withdrawing their troops from China. They crossed the Vietnam China border and entered 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) inside, very close to the Lang Son railway station. The Japanese attacked on 22 September 1940 and by the 25th they captured Lang Son. However, Vichy had lodged a protest with the Emperor Hirohito for the breach of the agreement signed between the two countries, which resulted in a ceasefire to the hostilities by the evening of 26 September, and soon Lang Son was reoccupied by the Vichy forces.
After Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh
Hồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam...
's government was established in September 1945, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese had surrendered to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, under the terms of the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
, to the south of the 16th parallel, while the Chinese Nationalist Party (the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
). As strategy, Ho Chi Minh entered into an agreement with the French so that he could face any threat from the Chinese and a Franco-Vietnamese agreement was signed. This provided for a free Vietnam within the French Union and the Indochinese federation. However, the French launched an offensive against the Viet Minh in October 1947 with Lang Son as a their base. However, the Viet Minh managed to thwart the French Offensive and forced the French to withdraw to Lang Son. However, the Viet Minh pursue the French Army, they had a very decisive victory on Highway 4 and they had to finally withdraw from Lang Son. This marked the beginning of First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
In 1950 the Vietminh took control of the province and the town. During February 1979, the Chinese invaded Vietnam through the border town of Don Dong (18 kilometres (11.2 mi) to the north of Long Son town). In this war, which lasted for five days, 600,000 soldiers had descended on Vietnam; Lang Son town was the major town that received the major thrust of 200,000 soldiers from China and occupied the capital city of the Northern Province. However, the Vietnamese had the last say as the Vietnamese army was successful in defeating the Chinese army, which bid a hasty retreat. This was has achieved the status of a folk lore in the province. The frontier village, which became famous during the war with China, has remnants of the war on display to the visitors. However the border has been rebuilt and brisk trade flourishes between Vietnam and China through this town.
During the Chinese invasion in 1959 the Lan Son town was also severely damaged, however it has been rebuilt since then. The old part of the town, near the Kyu Kung River has some interesting historical sites.
On June 7, 1949, the district of Lộc Bình was transferred from Hải Ninh
Hải Ninh
Hải Ninh is a commune and village in Quang Ninh District, Quang Binh Province, in Vietnam....
Province into Lạng Sơn. During the First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
, Lạng Sơn was a part of Liên khu Việt Bắc. In 1950 the province had 10 districts: Bằng Mạc, Bắc Sơn, Bình Gia, Cao Lộc, Điềm He, Lộc Bình, Ôn Châu, Thoát Lãng, Tràng Định and Văn Uyên. On July 1, 1956, the district of Hữu Lũng of Bắc Giang Province
Bắc Giang Province
Bắc Giang is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the northeastern part of the country, being situated to the east of Hanoi. The province covers an area of 3827.45 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 1,628,400 people....
was transferred into Lạng Sơn, which was placed in the Khu tự trị Việt Bắc (Region of Northern Vietnam), which was formed the same day. The RNV lasted until December 27, 1975. In 1963 agricultural cooperativization began between the nationalities of the province. On December 16, 1964, the district of Điềm He and six communes of Bằng Mạc were merged to form the new district of Văn Quan; at the same time, the district of Ôn Châu and eight communes of Bằng Mạc district came together to form the new district of Chi Lăng. From December 27, 1975 until December 29, 1978, Lang Son and Cao Bằng Provinces were merged to form Cao Lạng Province, before being re-partitioned. At the same time, the district of Đình Lập in Quảng Ninh Province was transferred to Lạng Sơn, and since then it has had its current 10 districts. In 1979, a Chinese attack on the border was defended.
Geography
The province is set in karstic limestone mountains and valleys. Mountains and forests comprise 80% of the province’s area. The province measures approximately 123 kilometres from north to south and 126 kilometres from west to east. The average altitude of the province is 252 metres (826.8 ft) above sea level. The lowest point in the province is 20 metres (65.6 ft) towards the south of Hữu LũngHuu Lung
Huu Lung is a district of Lang Son Province in the Northeastern region of Vietnam.-Administration subdivisions:*Capital: Hữu Lũng Township*Communes:25 Communes, 1 township#Commune of Hòa Thắng#Commune of Minh Hòa#Commune of Minh Sơn...
district and the highest point is at Mẫu Sơn Mountain, which is 1541 metres (5,055.8 ft). Mẫu Sơn is to the east of the town of Lạng Sơn
Lang Son
Lạng Sơn , sometimes Langson, is a city in far northern Vietnam, is the capital of Lang Son province. It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Road 1A.-History:...
by 30 kilometres (18.6 mi), and is surrounded by a series of small peaks, and snow falls on these peaks in winter. The Bac Son Mountains are located in the province and are calcerous in nature. Fertile valley are framed by high mountain ridges, creating a scenic landscape.
The north of the province adjoins Cao Bằng Province
Cao Bang Province
Cao Bằng is a province of northeastern Vietnam. The province has borders with Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, and Lạng Sơn provinces within Vietnam. It also has common international border with Guangxi province of the People's Republic of China...
. The 243 kilometres (151 mi) Kỳ or Kyu River flows through Lang Son town and alluvial plains are formed in the valley that is surround by high mountains of about 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft) height. The Kỳ has a basin area of 6660 square kilometres (4,138,342.4 mi), and has its source in the mountainous area of Bắc Xa at an altitude of 1166 metres (3,825.5 ft) in the district of Đình Lập. The river is part of the Tây Giang River basin in China. The Bản Thín River, a tributary of the Kỳ Cùng, which is 52 metres (170.6 ft) long with a catchment area of 320 square kilometre has its source in a mountainous region in Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
in China, and empties into the Kỳ Cùng in the commune of Khuất Xá in Lộc Bình Province. Other tributaries of the Kỳ include the Bắc Giang River
Bắc Giang River
The Bắc Giang is a left tributary of the Kỳ Cùng River. It is 114 km long with a catchment area of 2670 km² and flows through Lang Son Province and Bắc Kạn Province in northeastern Vietnam. The river originates in Bắc Sơn District in Lang Son Province and flows in a northwesterly...
, which is 114 km long with a catchment area of 2670 square kilometre and the Bắc Khê River
Bắc Khê River
The Bắc Khê is a left tributary of the Kỳ Cùng River. It is 54 km long with a catchment area of 801 km² and flows through Tràng Định District in Lang Son Province in northeastern Vietnam. The river flows in a northeasterly-north direction and ends near the border with Cao Bang Province.-External...
, which is 54 kilometres (33.6 mi) long with a catchment area of 801 square kilometre. Other rivers of note in the province include the Thương Là River, which is the second largest in the province, sourced from the Na Pa Phước range in the district of Chi Lăng and is 157 km long with a basin area of 6640 square kilometre, the Hoá Độ River, which is 47 kilometres (29.2 mi) in length with a catchment area of 385 square kilometre and the Trung River, which is 35 km in length with a catchment area of1270 square kilometre.
Lạng Sơn has two international border crossings. The most accessed is the Friendship Gate
Friendship Gate
Friendship Pass Friendship Pass Friendship Pass (Chinese:友谊关,formerly 镇南关, Vietnamese: Hữu Nghị Quan, formerly Ải Nam Quan (both the present Vietnamese and Chinese names mean Friendship Pass) is a pass in the border between the China’s Guangxi and Vietnam’s Lang Son Province...
called the Huu Nghi Quan crossing at Dang Dang connecting to the Pingxiang
Pingxiang, Guangxi
Pingxiang is a county-level city in the municipal region of Chongzuo in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Situation:The city covers an area of 650 km²...
town in China. This is the historical first land link in the north between China and Vietnam that connects Lạng Sơn and Guangxi, China. The border is open daily, from 07:00 to 17:00 and involves a walk of 500 m through the no man’s territory between Vietnam and China. There is an international train service, an express route, opened in 1996 from Hanoi to Beijing (China), which operates twice a week on Tuesday and Friday that passes through Long Son Town and Dong Dang through this gate which has three hour stop at the border town to complete formalities of entry from one country to the other. Passengers are not allowed to board the train at any intermediate station between Hanoi and Beijing.
Lang Son is 155 kilometres (96.3 mi) to the northwest of Hanoi and National Highways 1 and 1 A and passes the Chi Lang pass (a pass which has the historic record of Le Loi’s victory over 100,000 Ming invaders from China, in 1427) and Bac Giang on National Highway 1A. Lang son is 135 km from Cao Bnag on the National Highway no 4.
Lang Son Province has an average annual temperature of 17–22 °C and an average annual rainfall of 1200–1600 mm (47.2–63 in). The average temperature in the summer is 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) and 12–13 °C (53.6–55.4 F) in the winter, It has an average humidity of 80–85% and an average of 1600 hours of sunlight a year.
Administrative divisions
Lang Son has one town municipality, 10 rural districts, five precincts, 14 towns and 207 communes. The 10 districts (huyện): Bắc Sơn District, Bình Gia District, Cao Lộc District, Chi Lăng District, Đình Lập District, Hữu Lũng District, Lộc Bình District, Tràng Định District, Văn Lãng District and Văn Quan District and 207 communes.| Name | Division type | Population (2003) | Area (km²) | Towns (huyện lỵ or thị trấn) (bold) and communes (xã) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lạng Sơn Lang Son Lạng Sơn , sometimes Langson, is a city in far northern Vietnam, is the capital of Lang Son province. It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Road 1A.-History:... |
City (thành phố) | 148,000 (2007) | 79 | |
| Bắc Sơn District | District (huyện) | 65,073 | 698 | Bắc Sơn, Long Đống, Quỳnh Sơn, Bắc Sơn, Hữu Vĩnh, Chiêu Vũ, Hưng Vũ, Trấn Yên, Nhất Tiến, Nhất Hòa, Vũ Lăng, Vũ Sơn, Vũ Lễ, Tân Thành, Tân Hương, Tân Lập, Tân Tri, Chiến Thắng, Đồng Ý, Vạn Thủy. |
| Bình Gia District | District (huyện) | 54,349 | 1091 | Bình Gia, Tô Hiệu, Hoàng Văn Thụ, Tân Văn, Hồng Thái, Mông Ân, Hồng Phong, Thiện Hòa, Thiện Long, Thiện Thuật, Yên Lỗ, Hưng Đạo, Hoa Thám, Bình La, Minh Khai, Quang Trung, Quý Hòa, Tân Hòa, Hòa Bình, Vĩnh Yên. |
| Cao Lộc District | District (huyện) | 75,980 | 644 | Cao Lộc, Đồng Đăng, Tân Thành, Xuân Long, Yên Trạch, Tân Liên, Gia Cát, Cống Sơn, Mẫu Sơn, Xuất Lễ, Cao Lâu, Hải Yến, Lộc Yên, Thanh Lòa, Hòa Cư, Hợp Thành, Thạch Đạn, Bảo Lâm, Thụy Hùng, Song Giáp, Phú Xá, Bình Trung, Hồng Phong. |
| Chi Lăng District | District (huyện) | 77,910 | 703 | |
| Đình Lập District | District (huyện) | 28,125 | 1183 | Đình Lập, Nông Trường Thái Bình, Lâm Ca, Đồng Thắng, Bắc Lãng, Châu Sơn, Cường Lợi, Thái Bình, Đình Lập, Bính Xá, Kiên Mộc, Bắc Xa. |
| Hữu Lũng District | District (huyện) | 114,638 | 805 | Hữu Lũng, Hòa Thắng, Minh Hòa, Minh Sơn, Sơn Hà, Hồ Sơn, Tân Thành, Hòa Sơn, Hòa Lạc, Yên Sơn, Cai Kinh, Đồng Tân, Nhật Tiến, Minh Tiến, Đô Lương, Vân Nham, Đồng Tiến, Thanh Sơn, Thiện Ky, Tân Lập, Quyết Thắng, Yên Bình, Hòa Bình, Yên Vượng, Yên Thịnh, Hữu Liên. |
| Lộc Bình District | District (huyện) | 80,517 | 998 | Lộc Bình, Na Dương, Ái Quốc, Xuân Dương, Hữu Lân, Nam Quan, Minh Phát, Đông Quan, Hiệp Hạ, Xuân Tình, Như Khuê, Nhượng Bạn, Quan Bản, Lục Thôn, Vân Mộng, Bằng Khánh, Xuân Lễ, Xuân Mãn, Đồng Bục, Hữu Khánh, Mẫu Sơn, Yên Khoái, Tú Mịch, Tú Đoạn, Khuất Xá, Tam Gia, Tĩnh Bắc, Sàn Viên, Lợi Bác. |
| Tràng Định District | District (huyện) | 62,869 | 995 | Thất Khê, Khánh Long, Đoàn Kết, Cao Minh Cao Minh Commune Cao Minh is a commune in Tràng Định District, Lang Son Province, Vietnam.Cao Minh borders Bắc Kạn Province to the west, and the communes Doan Ket and Tan Tien to the northeast and south. It's administrative center is at Vang Can.... , Tân Yên, Vĩnh Tiến, Tân Tiến, Bắc Ái, Kim Đồng, Chí Minh, Chi Lăng, Đề Thám, Hùng Sơn Hùng Việt, Kháng Chiến, Đại Đồng, Tri Phương, Quốc Khánh, Đội Cấn, Tân Minh, Trung Thành, Quốc Việt, Đào Viên. |
| Văn Lãng District | District (huyện) | 50,210 | 561 | |
| Văn Quan District | District (huyện) | 57,050 | 549 | Văn Quan, Hữu Lễ, Tri Lễ, Yên Phúc, Bình Phúc, Lương Năng, Tú Xuyên, Tràng Sơn, Xuân Mai, Tràng Phái, Tân Đoàn, Tràng Các, Đồng Giáp, Chu Túc, Đại An, Văn An, Vĩnh Lai, Hòa Bình, Vân Mộng, Việt Yên, Phú Mỹ, Trấn Ninh, Song Giang, Khánh Khê. |
Demographics
According to the General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam, the population of Lang Son province as on 2008 was 759,000 with a density of 91 persons per sqkm over a total land area of 8327.6 square kilometre of the province. It is one of the least populated provinces in the Northern midlands and mountain areas of Vietnam. The male population during this period was 370100 with females accounting for 386900. The rural population was 605,600 against an urban population of 153,400 (about 2.5% of the rural population).The ethnic groups which inhabit the province are the Viet (Kinh), Tay, Nung, Dao, Mong and San Chay, Ngai and Montagnards who retained their tribal life styles. Nungs comprised 42.97% of the population, followed by Tay people with 35.92%. Ethnic Vietnamese are 16.5%, and the remainder are mostly Dao, Hoa, Sán Chay and Hmong.
Economy
Lang Son's economy is 80% based on agriculture and forestry. The province has significant mining reserves of bauxiteBauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
, phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. It also has notable reserves of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
. Main crops include rice, which accounted for 40,000 hectares out of a total of 55,000 hectares grown in 1986, and sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and manioc. It is also known for its commodities of tea and yellow tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. These crops are generally grown in the valleys of the Bac Son Mountains, Binh Gia Mountains and the Van Quan Mountains and along the rivers plains of the Ky Cung River
Kỳ Cùng River
The Kỳ Cùng is a major river of northeastern Vietnam. It flows through Lang Son Province . Tributaries include the Bắc Giang River and the Bắc Khê River. The source of the river is at an altitude of 1166 metres in northern Đình Lập District...
and the Thuong River. Some of the districts such as Hữu Lũng District have sugar cane plantations and grow oranges and pineapples, others grow tea and plums. Animal husbandry is developed in Lang Son Province; in 1986, 140,000 buffalo and oxen were recorded in the province and 150,000 pigs. The province is also noted for its That Khe duck speciality.
As against the national figure of 273 agriculture, forestry and fishery cooperatives, 15 are agricultural cooperatives and four are fisheries cooperatives. The number of cooperatives is 32 as against 7592 cooperatives in the country. There are only 26 farms as against the national number of 120699.
The output value of agriculture produce at constant 1994 prices in the province was 1,076.5 billion đồngs against the national value of 156,681.9 billion dongs.
Historical sites
Apart from the war ravaged Dong Don Border town, which has rich war history and attracts visitors, the other historical places of interest in the province are two large limestone caves within a short distance from the Long Son town, and a 16th century citadel of the Ming Dynasty.The two caves with Buddhist altars, well illuminated are the Tam Thanh Cave and the Nhi Thanh Cave. The Tam Thanh Cave is very large with three chambers, has water pond, and has a window opening, which provides scenic views of vast rice fields outside. The outer chamber of the cave on the right has the Tam Giao Pagoda (built in 1777) with six shrines. The second chamber of the cave on the left also shrines, the Ngoc Tuyen River flows through this cave into the mountain, an unusual feature which is described as “a dramatic sight.” The Nhi Thanh Cave, about 700 m away from the Tam Thanh Cave, was discovered in the 18th century by Ngo Thin Sy, military commander of the Lang Son garrison, whose poems have been inscribed at the entrance to the cave. A plaque erected in the cave depicts a French resident of Long Son in full European dress. The Ngoc Tuyen River flows through the cave.
The Mac Dynasty Citadel, a 16th century monument located in a desolate area on a rock outcrop, is bounded by the east-west facing walls and is approached from the Tam Tinh road from Lang Son city. Series of steps from the road lead to the ruins of the citadel.
The Lang Son city also has ancient walls built in the 18th century. A monastery existed here.
Forests
The northern mountainous province is rich in biodiversity of flora and fauna in its rich forest. In the karsticKarst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
limestone formations (also known as carbonate karst), which occupy 5% of the natural forest area of Vietnam Long Son and Cai Bang have an important place in the floral and faunal wealth of the forests. Northeast Viet Nam has 36% of the country’s 1.15 million hectares of rocky mountains out of which Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces account for a substantial part of limestone formations. According to forest statistics of Vietnam these limestone formations have 69 mammal species; five of them are endemic and 26 are rare species. Village people value these formations as they are sources of water for agriculture. They also are sources of fuel wood, medicinal plants and housing materials for the villagers. In Lang Son province they are rich source of water for irrigation of paddy crops. The limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
formations also permit growth of annona trees
Annonaceae
Annonaceae, also called the custard apple familyis a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs or rarely lianas.With about 2300 to 2500 species and more than 130 genera,...
which provide substantial revenue to the villagers in Lang Son; the avearge annual net yield from annona is reported to be about VND 12 million (US $775).
Star anise
The most important tree grown in Vietnam (and also in China) is the star anise
Star anise
Illicium verum, commonly called Star anise, star aniseed, or Chinese star anise, is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of northeast Vietnam and southwest China...
(illicium verum, Hooker), an important spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
; an evergreen tree which has aromatic lanceolate leaves. The Lang Son Province is the leading province with this tree species growth reported to cover 9000 ha, mostly in its Van Quan district. Other provinces also have this species of trees but the coverage is very limited. Initially the tree belonged to the state farm enterprises under collective farming
Collective farming
Collective farming and communal farming are types of agricultural production in which the holdings of several farmers are run as a joint enterprise...
. However, since the 1990s, it has decontrolled and given the trees to village families to manage. There are plans to enhance the plantation area under this species of tree to 20000 hectares (49,421 acre). The commercial production of star anise spice, which was 9,896 tonnes in 1997, has recorded a fall to 5,000 tonnes in 1999.