Yen Bai Province
Encyclopedia
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
. The province covers an area of
6899.5 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 750,200 people.
Yen Bai's history is important under the French colony, particularly the subsequent "Yen Bai mutiny
", an uprising of Vietnam
ese soldiers in the French colonial army on 10 February 1930 in collaboration with civilian supporters who were members of the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang
(VNQDD, the Vietnamese Nationalist Party).
Forestry and farming are the main economic stay of the province. Thac Ba Lake is a natural asset of the country along with its Thac Ba Hydroelectric Plant. Dong Cuong Festival is an important festival of the province.
There are many ethnic groups in Yen Bai Province. Kin people who form the majority population of the country, settled here long time back and in unison with the local minority tribes established themselves in the region and developed cultivation practices. Kin people’s ancestry is traced to the Hai Duong Pham Ba Luc for nine generations till date and a monument erected in 1937 in Doc village in Hong Commune is highly revered as an ancestral home.
against Mongolian invaders at Thac Ba Lake.
Vietnam had gradually become a French colony between 1859 and 1883. Initially, military resistance to French rule came through the Can Vuong movement led by Ton That Thuyet
and Phan Dinh Phung
, which sought to install the boy Emperor Ham Nghi
at the head of an independent nation. However, with the death of Phung
in 1895, military opposition effectively ended. The only other notable incidents after this came in 1917 was the Thai Nguyen rebellion. The lack of militant activity changed in the late 1920s with the formation of the VNQDD, or Vietnamese Nationalist Party. The VNQDD attempted clandestine activities to undermine French rule, which resulted in French scrutiny of their activities. This led to their leadership group taking the risk of staging a large scale military attack in the Red River Delta
in Northern Vietnam
. It was only on 10 February 1931 that VNQD could, in collaboration with civilian supporters, launch the Yên Bái mutiny
, an uprising of Vietnamese soldiers in the French colonial army. Thus, Yen Bai was the first of the battles during the First Indochina War
. Yen Bai and Thai Yugyen were key military posts of the Viet Minh
, which were supplied with arms from China
to fight the French during this War.
On 9 February 1930 part of the 4th Regiment of Tonkinese Rifles
stationed at Yen Bai mutinied against their French officers
but were suppressed by loyal troops from the same unit. The attack was the largest disturbance against the colonisation of Vietnam
since the Can Vuong
monarchist movement of the late 19th century. The aim of the revolt was to inspire a wider uprising among the general populace in an attempt to overthrow the colonial regime and establish independence. The Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang
(VNQDD, the Vietnamese Nationalist Party) had previously attempted to engage in clandestine activities to undermine French rule, but increasing French scrutiny on their activities led to their leadership group taking the risk of staging a large scale military attack in the Red River Delta
in northern Vietnam. This incident led to wide spread disturbances against French rule across northeastern Vietnam during 1930–31.
In the "Yen bai Uprising of 1930" against the French colonial rule, many French army officers were killed. To putdown the uprising, the French resorted to aerial bombardment and even Napalm Bombs
were used. The rebellion was put down ruthlessly by the French within a day; many Vietnamese soldiers and 12 VNQDD leaders were executed. Following this repressive action by the French, there were frequent anti-colonialist strikes and riots throughout the country, which were all put down ruthlessly. This resulted in breaking the backbone of the VNQDD and the Communist Party in North Vietnam for a considerable period.
The French maintained control of their colonies until World War II, when the Japanese war in the Pacific triggered the invasion of French Indochina in 1941.
In 1961, a large bronze cylindrical jar was discovered with carved images of males and females in copulation. In 1964 an 80,000 year old skeleton was unearthed in Hum Cave in Luc Yen District. In 1996, another bronze jar was discovered along with the 2000 year old remains of a 6 year old girl on Choi Mountain in the commune of Hop minh, Tran Yen District.
Yên Bái covers an area of 6899.5 km² (2,663.9 sq mi), and the Red River passes through the province. Yên Bái is a mountain province, characterised by rugged mountainous scenery and green rice paddy fields in the valleys. The Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range runs through the province. The Red (or Thao) River and Chay River flow the province. Their origin is in the Yunnan, China. The valley created by these two river systems in the Yen bai Province is fertile, though an uneven territory; Muong Lo plain is the rice bowl of the province.
The topography is steep, rising from east to west and from south to north. The average elevation is about 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) above sea level and can be divided into two regions: low-lying regions on the left bank of the Red River basin and the high right bank of the Red River and in the plateau between the Red River and Da River there are many mountains. Besides the two main rivers, the Red and the Da, the province has about 200 canals, small streams and large lakes and swamps. Thac Ba Lake is situated in the province, an artificial lake
which has an area of 23400 hectares (90.3 sq mi) and 1,331 islands and hills. It has a capacity of 3 to 3.9 billion cubic meters of water and its original intention was to run the Thac Ba hydroelectric
plant, one of the first large hydropower projects in Vietnam. The water in the lake is blue and clear, and reflects the surrounding green forests. The thousands of hills and islands have many caves, including Hum, Cau Cuoi and Bach Xa. A Thac Ba Temple is located in the lake area. Thac Ba Lake has changed the climatic pattern in the western districts of the province, to a moderate condition from its hot and dry status.
The main ecozones of the province are rainforest, subtropical and temperate mountainous zones. It experiences a tropical monsoon
season. The 20293 hectares (78.4 sq mi) conservation area Mu Cang Chai Species / Habitat Conservation Area (MCC SHCA) was established in 2004 to protect the endangered mountain wildlife in Cang Chai district on the border of Lào Cai Province
.
The mean temperature in the province at elevations above 1500m is about 20 °C (68 °F) and drops to 0 °C (32 °F) with frost and snow in some parts. December–January are winter months when the climate is dry. Frequent drizzle
is experienced during late winter months; this type of rain has earned Yen Bai the epithet "drizzle centre of the country”. April to December are summer months and the rainy period. The mean temperature is stable for the district as a whole and is in the range of 18 °C (64.4 °F) to 28 °C (82.4 °F).
); one town (thị xã) (Nghĩa Lộ
); seven districts (huyện):Lục Yên
, Mù Cang Trải, Trạm Tấu
, Trấn Yên
, Văn Chấn
, Văn Yên and Yên Bình
; 11 rural districts; 10 precincts; and 159 communes.
Yen Bai is home to 281 cooperative
s, which are considered an effective way of generating employment to thousands of workers. These cooperatives are engaged in fields such as agricultural services, industrial services, construction, commerce, transportation, People's Credit Funds and health care. Cooperatives services include the production of black tea (manufacturing and processing), farm and forestry, fertilizers, transportation, electric supply in rural areas, and so forth.
A survey of the economic situation in Yen Bai carried out in 2006 indicated that living standards had increased substantially. For the period 1990 to 2004, Gross domestic product (GDP) tripled with an average increase of 7.5% per year. Poverty index decreased from 58% in 1993 to 16% in 2006 (as per General Statistics Office, 2006). However, underemployment, unstable income, inadequate childcare, limited access to health, child labour, social issues related to old people and social evils, gender inequality needed to addressed.
, glutinous rice
, grapefruit, orange, taro
and fish. About 700 farms are reportedly engaged in growing trees for pulp production, tea, cinnamon trees, breeding poultry, cattle and pigs.
In the mountainous northern region, non-timber forest products in an area of 5000000 hectares (50,000 km²) are planned under a reforestation program, which includes about 40000 hectares (400 km²) under cinnamon; 15000 hectares (150 km²) have been developed.
Farming extension services
The Centre for Agricultural and Forestry Extension offices of the Yen Bai province takes care of agricultural and forestry extension work in more than 1,000 villages in 180 communes and precincts in the province. For this purpose a strong agricultural extension system from the provincial to grassroots levels has been established. The dissemination work carried out by the Extension Offices have involved: knowledge transfer of technological advances; shifting in the structure of plants, animals and crops; intensive farming of hybrid rice strains; changing one-crop rice fields to two-crop ones; cultivation on sloping soil; raising high-quality chickens and so forth.
25 key agricultural extension programmes have been developed to meet different growing periods in different terrains namely low lying and mountainous land. Further, more than 50 planting and husbandry models have been adopted envisaging new farming methods, centred on developing food, industrial plants and stock breeding for trading. Intensive farming of winter maize on two-rice-crop fields, intensive farming of hybrid rice strains in mountainous district of Mu Cang Chai, planting high-quality rice, sugar cane, coffee strains, raising chickens, planting forests have also been adopted by the farmers
. Among these ores and minerals are: apatite
, biotite
, calcite
, chlorite group
, chondrodite
, corundum
, danburite
, elbaite
, fluor-cannilloite, graphite
, humite
, lepidolite
, varieties of microcline
such as amazonite
, muscovite
, olivine
, orthoclase
, paragonite
, pargasite
, phlogopite
, pyrite
, quartz
and smoky quartz
, rossmanite, rutile
, schorl, spinel
, titanite
and tourmaline
; gemstones such as rubies, spinel
, and tourmaline
. Luc Yen is particularly famous for its rubies.
, rises from the Tay Con Linh mountain range (in Vietnam) at a height of 2419 metres (7,936.4 ft). After flowing towards the west, it flows further southeast in the middle and lower reaches, at which point it joins the Lo River
at Doan Hung
. The basin is delimited by high mountain ranges—in the north by ranges of 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft) to 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) in height, on the west by the Con Voi mountain range and on the east and south east by the Tay Con Linh range. The width of the river is wide in its upper reaches and "tapers to an elongated shape in the middle and lower reaches". The basin has an area of 6500 km (1620 km in China
) with 60% area below an elevation of 400 m (average elevation of the basin is 858 m). The annual rainfall in the basin varies from 1,500 mm to 3,000 mm with rains concentrated (75–85%) during May to October.
Water from the Chay River that flows through the Yen Bai district has been tapped for hydropower generation, irrigation water supply in the downstream area, aquaculture and river navigation.
project located within the province on the Chay River, built between 1964 and 1971 with assistance from the Soviet Union. Construction began on August 19, 1964. Despite frequent air strikes by the United States Air Force
during this period, the first unit of the power plant was commissioned on October 5, 1971; the second unit followed on August 1972, and the third unit on May 19, 1972. The power plant currently has a capacity of 120 MW, and has an energy generating potential of 400 million kWh/year. The project as built has a dam 48 m high and 657 m long, creating a gross storage capacity of 2.49 cubic kilometres) with a live storage of 2.16 cubic kilometres on the Chay River draining a catchment
of 6430 km at the dam site. The reservoir
is 60 km with a water spread of 235 km at the Full Reservoir Level of +58 m. The project has been designed for a maximum flood discharge of 3,650 m/s. The other ruling levels of the project are: dead storage level in the reservoir +46.0m and maximum flood level of +59.65 for a thousand-year flood.
Every year, the Yen Bai Provincial People’s Committee arrange the Thac Ba Discovery Festival, supported by Lao Cai, Phu Tho and Yen Bai provinces. It is held in the vicinity of the Thac Ba Hydroelectric Power Plant. Participants in the festival typically visit the lake and take part in a boat race that is held there. A village festival showcasing ethnic minorities, a trade fair, a costume show, sports and traditional art competitions are also held.
Thac Ba Lake
The water resource development of the province is thus centred on artificial Thac Ba Lake, which was created for hydropower development. The lake has an area of 23400 hectares (234 km²) and has 1,331 islands. The hill catchment has a varied ecology; an interesting feature in the catchment with its beautiful landscape is thousands of hills and islands which have caves like the Hum, Cau Cuoi and Bach Xa. There is also a temple on the banks of lake known as Thac Ba Temple. The site that the lake now lies in was the historic scene in 1285 AD during the Thu Vat Battle that took place under the command of Tran Nhat Duat
against Mongolia
n invaders. Thac Ba Lake is now an ecological tourist centre with entertainment, mountain climbing and hiking facilities. The Mong Son Grotto, which housed the Yen Bai Party Committee during the anti-American resistance is located at the centre of this lake.
.
Railways
Yen Bai lies on the railway that runs northwest from the capital and largest city in the north of the country, Hanoi
, to the border town of Lao Cai
and into Yunnan
in China
. The railway also passes through the towns of Mau A and Co Phuc. The railway has been a major freight corridor between China and Vietnam since its construction, and runs approximately along the Red River. The National Road 70 is the highway that goes from Lao Cai southeast into Yen Bai Province, through Yen Binh
just north of the town of Yen Bai, and joins up with National Road 2—which leads to Hanoi—at Doan Hung.
Roads
Running parallel to and a few kilometres to the southwest of National Road 70 is National Road 32, which goes from Hanoi northwest to the town of Yen Bai through Son Tay
, Lam Thao
and Phu Tho Province
. National Road 37 connects the town of Yen Bai to Nong Truong Tran Phu to the south. The latter town is also serviced by National Road 32, which takes a northwesterly direction through Nghia Lo, Nong Truong Lien Son into the mountainous northwest of the province and into neighbouring Lao Cai Province. The province lies about 183 km away on the 340 km Lao Cai
to Ha Noi road.
Air
Yen Bai Airbase is located about 5 km north of downtown Yen Bai. It is currently used as a training facility for fighter pilots serving in the Vietnam People's Air Force
.
Dong Cuong temple festival
Dong Cuong Temple Festival is held in the Dong Cuong commune, Van Yen district, where the temple is located. The festival rites performed present an array of events starting with an invitation to the living and the dead, royal offerings, a procession of the palanquins of the Tutelary God and Holy Mother. The festival features traditional cultural and sport activities such as xoe dance, con throwing, en playing and traditional opera singing.
Muong Lo cultural week
The Muong Lo Cultural Week held in the month of October in Nghia Lo town marks the anniversary of the liberation of Nghia Lo. Festivities lasting one week include sports competitions, Tay Bac (North West) Fair and a food and drink competition.
Suoi Giang panpines festival
The Suoi Giang Panpines Festival held in June in Suoi Giang commune, Van Chan district, features dances, visit to Suoi Giang tea tree followed by a tea ceremony of the Mong ethnic minority people. Visits to traditional cultural villages and to Tap Plang Waterfall are also part of the programme.
Grapefruit flower festival
The Grapefruit flower festival is held in September at Kha Linh communal house, Dai Minh commune, Yen Binh
district, featuring the Kha Linh Communal House, grapefruit flower offerings, community tours to the Ngoi Tu cultural village and traditional sports.
Nam Cuong Temple Festival
The Nam Cuong Temple Festival is held sometime in March in Nam Cuong
commune, Yen Bai city, when pigeons are released by the villagers seeking peace; boat race in Nam Cuong lake and a tug-of-war competition are also part of the festival.
Mong ethnic cultural festival
Prosperity to the local the Mong
ethnic people centred on an ancient tea tree in Suot Giang in this province. The tree gradually helped them to raise their standard of living. To commemorate this tree, the Mong ethnic cultural festival is held to glorify the value of this tree. During the festival, a ritual is done at the ancient tree by the head of the village as a symbolic representation of the history and culture of the land. Khen dancing, Pao throwing and the tug of war and other cultural events are also held, as part of this festival.
Other places of interest to visit are the Mu Cang Chai species and bio-landscape reserve, the western region of white bauhilia flower and the Giang Spring.
Provinces of Vietnam
Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces and five centrally governed cities existing at the same level as provinces ....
located in Tay Bac, the northern part of northern-central
Dong Bac
The Northeast is the region at the north of the Red River Delta, Vietnam. Northeast called to distinguish them from the Northwest, but it's actually in the north and northeast of Hanoi, wider than Việt Bắc. The northeast is one of three sub-regions of northern Vietnam...
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 –...
. It shares borders with five provinces which are Lao Cai province
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....
, Lai Chau province, Son La province, Tuyen Quang province
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 Phu Tho province
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...
. The province covers an area of
6899.5 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 750,200 people.
Yen Bai's history is important under the French colony, particularly the subsequent "Yen Bai mutiny
Yen Bai mutiny
The Yên Bái mutiny was an uprising of Vietnamese soldiers in the French colonial army on 10 February 1930 in collaboration with civilian supporters who were members of the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang ....
", an uprising of 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 –...
ese soldiers in the French colonial army on 10 February 1930 in collaboration with civilian supporters who were members of the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang
Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang
The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng , also known as the Việt Quốc and the Vietnamese Kuomintang, is the Vietnamese Nationalist Party, a revolutionary socialist political party that sought independence from French colonial rule in Vietnam during the early 20th century...
(VNQDD, the Vietnamese Nationalist Party).
Forestry and farming are the main economic stay of the province. Thac Ba Lake is a natural asset of the country along with its Thac Ba Hydroelectric Plant. Dong Cuong Festival is an important festival of the province.
Etymology
The province's name derives from Sino-Vietnamese (Hán Tự: 安沛).Demographics
According to the General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam, the population of Yên Bái province as on 2008 was 750,200 with a density of 109 persons per sqkm over a total land area of 6899.5 square kilometre of the province. The male population during this period was 372,000 with females accounting for 378,200.There are many ethnic groups in Yen Bai Province. Kin people who form the majority population of the country, settled here long time back and in unison with the local minority tribes established themselves in the region and developed cultivation practices. Kin people’s ancestry is traced to the Hai Duong Pham Ba Luc for nine generations till date and a monument erected in 1937 in Doc village in Hong Commune is highly revered as an ancestral home.
History
The area was occupied in ancient times, given the favourable communications along the Hong and Chay Rivers. Several archaeological digs in the province have unearthed ancient temples and other sites. Stone tools have been excavated in Mù Cang Chải District. In 1285, the Battle of Thu Vat took place under the command of Tran Nhat DuatTrần Nhật Duật
Prince Chiêu Văn Trần Nhật Duật was the sixth prince of Trần Thái Tông, first emperor of Trần Dynasty. Being younger brother of the Emperor Trần Thánh Tông, Trần Nhật Duật was one of the most important figures of Trần family and royal court during the reigns of four successive emperors Thánh Tông,...
against Mongolian invaders at Thac Ba Lake.
Vietnam had gradually become a French colony between 1859 and 1883. Initially, military resistance to French rule came through the Can Vuong movement led by Ton That Thuyet
Ton That Thuyet
Tôn Thất Thuyết was the leading mandarin of Emperor Tự Đức of Vietnam's Nguyễn Dynasty. Thuyết later led the Can Vuong movement which aimed to restore Vietnamese independence under Emperor Hàm Nghi. He was born on May 12, 1839 in Huế....
and Phan Dinh Phung
Phan Dinh Phung
Phan Đình Phùng was a Vietnamese revolutionary who led rebel armies against French colonial forces in Vietnam. He was the most prominent of the Confucian court scholars involved in anti-French military campaigns in the 19th century and was cited after his death by 20th-century nationalists as a...
, which sought to install the boy Emperor Ham Nghi
Ham Nghi
Emperor Hàm Nghi ; , was the eighth Emperor of the Vietnamese Nguyễn Dynasty. He reigned for only one year ....
at the head of an independent nation. However, with the death of Phung
Phan Dinh Phung
Phan Đình Phùng was a Vietnamese revolutionary who led rebel armies against French colonial forces in Vietnam. He was the most prominent of the Confucian court scholars involved in anti-French military campaigns in the 19th century and was cited after his death by 20th-century nationalists as a...
in 1895, military opposition effectively ended. The only other notable incidents after this came in 1917 was the Thai Nguyen rebellion. The lack of militant activity changed in the late 1920s with the formation of the VNQDD, or Vietnamese Nationalist Party. The VNQDD attempted clandestine activities to undermine French rule, which resulted in French scrutiny of their activities. This led to their leadership group taking the risk of staging a large scale military attack in 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...
in Northern Vietnam
Northern Vietnam
For the former country, see North VietnamNorthern Vietnam is one of the three regions within Vietnam ....
. It was only on 10 February 1931 that VNQD could, in collaboration with civilian supporters, launch the Yên Bái mutiny
Yen Bai mutiny
The Yên Bái mutiny was an uprising of Vietnamese soldiers in the French colonial army on 10 February 1930 in collaboration with civilian supporters who were members of the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang ....
, an uprising of Vietnamese soldiers in the French colonial army. Thus, Yen Bai was the first of the battles 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...
. Yen Bai and Thai Yugyen were key military posts of the Viet Minh
Viet Minh
Việt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
, which were supplied with arms from 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...
to fight the French during this War.
On 9 February 1930 part of the 4th Regiment of Tonkinese Rifles
Tonkinese Rifles
The Tonkinese Rifles were a corps of Tonkinese light infantrymen raised in 1884 to support the operations of the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps...
stationed at Yen Bai mutinied against their French officers
Yen Bai mutiny
The Yên Bái mutiny was an uprising of Vietnamese soldiers in the French colonial army on 10 February 1930 in collaboration with civilian supporters who were members of the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang ....
but were suppressed by loyal troops from the same unit. The attack was the largest disturbance against the colonisation of Vietnam
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
since the Can Vuong
Can Vuong
The Cần Vương movement was a large-scale Vietnamese insurgency between 1885 and 1889 against French colonial rule. Its objective was to expel the French and install the boy emperor Hàm Nghi as the leader of an independent Vietnam...
monarchist movement of the late 19th century. The aim of the revolt was to inspire a wider uprising among the general populace in an attempt to overthrow the colonial regime and establish independence. The Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang
Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang
The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng , also known as the Việt Quốc and the Vietnamese Kuomintang, is the Vietnamese Nationalist Party, a revolutionary socialist political party that sought independence from French colonial rule in Vietnam during the early 20th century...
(VNQDD, the Vietnamese Nationalist Party) had previously attempted to engage in clandestine activities to undermine French rule, but increasing French scrutiny on their activities led to their leadership group taking the risk of staging a large scale military attack in 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...
in northern Vietnam. This incident led to wide spread disturbances against French rule across northeastern Vietnam during 1930–31.
In the "Yen bai Uprising of 1930" against the French colonial rule, many French army officers were killed. To putdown the uprising, the French resorted to aerial bombardment and even Napalm Bombs
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
were used. The rebellion was put down ruthlessly by the French within a day; many Vietnamese soldiers and 12 VNQDD leaders were executed. Following this repressive action by the French, there were frequent anti-colonialist strikes and riots throughout the country, which were all put down ruthlessly. This resulted in breaking the backbone of the VNQDD and the Communist Party in North Vietnam for a considerable period.
The French maintained control of their colonies until World War II, when the Japanese war in the Pacific triggered the invasion of French Indochina in 1941.
In 1961, a large bronze cylindrical jar was discovered with carved images of males and females in copulation. In 1964 an 80,000 year old skeleton was unearthed in Hum Cave in Luc Yen District. In 1996, another bronze jar was discovered along with the 2000 year old remains of a 6 year old girl on Choi Mountain in the commune of Hop minh, Tran Yen District.
Geography and climate
The topography is steep, rising from east to west and from south to north. The average elevation is about 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) above sea level and can be divided into two regions: low-lying regions on the left bank of the Red River basin and the high right bank of the Red River and in the plateau between the Red River and Da River there are many mountains. Besides the two main rivers, the Red and the Da, the province has about 200 canals, small streams and large lakes and swamps. Thac Ba Lake is situated in the province, an artificial lake
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
which has an area of 23400 hectares (90.3 sq mi) and 1,331 islands and hills. It has a capacity of 3 to 3.9 billion cubic meters of water and its original intention was to run the Thac Ba hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
plant, one of the first large hydropower projects in Vietnam. The water in the lake is blue and clear, and reflects the surrounding green forests. The thousands of hills and islands have many caves, including Hum, Cau Cuoi and Bach Xa. A Thac Ba Temple is located in the lake area. Thac Ba Lake has changed the climatic pattern in the western districts of the province, to a moderate condition from its hot and dry status.
The main ecozones of the province are rainforest, subtropical and temperate mountainous zones. It experiences a tropical monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season. The 20293 hectares (78.4 sq mi) conservation area Mu Cang Chai Species / Habitat Conservation Area (MCC SHCA) was established in 2004 to protect the endangered mountain wildlife in Cang Chai district on the border of Lào Cai Province
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....
.
The mean temperature in the province at elevations above 1500m is about 20 °C (68 °F) and drops to 0 °C (32 °F) with frost and snow in some parts. December–January are winter months when the climate is dry. Frequent drizzle
Drizzle
Drizzle is a light rain precipitation consisting of liquid water drops smaller than those of rain, and generally smaller than 0.5 mm in diameter. Drizzle is normally produced by low stratiform clouds and stratocumulus clouds. Precipitation rates due to drizzle are on the order of a millimetre...
is experienced during late winter months; this type of rain has earned Yen Bai the epithet "drizzle centre of the country”. April to December are summer months and the rainy period. The mean temperature is stable for the district as a whole and is in the range of 18 °C (64.4 °F) to 28 °C (82.4 °F).
Archaeological findings
Many archaeological findings have been unearthed in the provinces in places, which date human settlement between hoary 8000 years to the recent 2000 years; these have been preserved in the Archaeological Museum in Yen Bai City. The archaeological antiquaries found are; a large cylindrical jar in Dao Thinh Commune depicting scene of human cohabitation, a skeleton of an ancient Viet and another bronze jar containing the remnants of a six year old girl in Hum Cave in Luc Yen.Districts
Yên Bái is divided into: one city (thành phố) (Yên BáiYen Bai
Yên Bái is a city and urban district in Vietnam. It is the capital of the Yen Bai province, in northeastern Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 78,016. The district covers an area of 58 km²....
); one town (thị xã) (Nghĩa Lộ
Nghia Lo
Nghia Lo is a town district of Yen Bai Province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam.In 1951, the Viet Minh 312 Division fought French forces in the area as part of the First Indochina War....
); seven districts (huyện):Lục Yên
Luc Yen
Lục Yên is a rural district of Yen Bai province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 100,785. The district covers an area of 811 km². The district capital lies at Yen The. Numerous quarries in the district produce gemstones such as rubies,...
, Mù Cang Trải, Trạm Tấu
Tram Tau
Tram Tau is a district of Yen Bai Province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 21,887. The district covers an area of 742 km². The district capital lies at Tram Tau.-References:...
, Trấn Yên
Tran Yen
Tran Yen is a district of Yen Bai Province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 96,949. The district covers an area of 691 km². The district capital lies at Co Phuc.-References:...
, Văn Chấn
Van Chan
Van Chan is a district of Yen Bai Province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 138,684. The district covers an area of 1,205 km². The district capital lies at Tran Phu.-References:...
, Văn Yên and Yên Bình
Yen Binh
Yen Binh is a district of Yen Bai Province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam....
; 11 rural districts; 10 precincts; and 159 communes.
| Name | Division type | Population (2003) | Area (km²) | Towns (huyện lỵ or thị trấn) (bold) and communes (xã) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yên Bái Yen Bai Yên Bái is a city and urban district in Vietnam. It is the capital of the Yen Bai province, in northeastern Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 78,016. The district covers an area of 58 km².... |
City (thành phố) | 78,016 | 58 | Wards (phường): Yên Thịnh, Đồng Tâm, Minh Tân, Nguyễn Phúc, Nguyễn Thái Học, Hồng Hà, Yên Ninh. Communes: Minh Bảo, Tân Thịnh, Nam Cường, Tuy Lộc, Văn Phú, Văn Tiến, Hợp Minh, Giới Phiên, Phúc Lộc and Âu Lâu. |
| Nghĩa Lộ Nghia Lo Nghia Lo is a town district of Yen Bai Province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam.In 1951, the Viet Minh 312 Division fought French forces in the area as part of the First Indochina War.... |
Township (thị xã) | 25,256 | 29 | Wards (phường): Trung Tâm, Tân An, Cầu Thia and Pú Trạng. |
| Lục Yên District | District (huyện) | 100,785 | 811 | Yên Thế, Tân Phượng, Lâm Thượng, Khánh Thiện, Minh Chuẩn, Khai Trung, Mai Sơn, An Lạc, Tô Mậu, Khánh Hòa, Động Quan, Trúc Lâu, Phúc Lợi, Trung Tâm, An Phú, Phan Thanh, Minh Tiến. Tân Lập, Liễu Đô, Vĩnh Lạc, Mường Lai, Xuân Minh, Yên Thắng, Tân Lĩnh |
| Mù Cang Chải District | District (huyện) | 42,574 | 1199 | Mù Cang Chải, Kim Nọi, Hồ Bốn, Chế Tạo, Khao Mang, Dế Su Phình, Chế Cu Nha, Cao Phạ, Púng Luông, Nậm Khắt, Mồ Dề, Nậm Có, La Pán Tẩn and Lao Chải. |
| Trạm Tấu District | District (huyện) | 21,887 | 742 | Trạm Tấu, Bản Mù, Bản Công, Xà Hồ, Hát Lừu, Trạm Tấu, Pá Hu, Làng Nhì, Tà Si Láng, Phình Hồ, Pá Lau and Túc Đán |
| Trấn Yên District | District (huyện) | 96,949 | 691 | Cổ Phúc, Vân Hội, Tân Đồng, Hưng Khánh, Đào Thịnh, Xã Hồng Ca, Việt Cường, Lương Thịnh, Hòa Cuông, Báo Đáp, Cường Thịnh, Minh Quán, Nga Quán, Quy Mông, Kiên Thành, Y Can, Minh Tiến, Việt Thành, Bảo Hưng, Việt Hồng, Minh Quân, Hưng Thịnh and Thị trấn |
| Văn Chấn District | District (huyện) | 138,684 | 1205 | Sơn Thịnh , Nông Trường Liên Sơn, Nông Trường Nghĩa Lộ, Nông Trường Trần Phú, Suối Bu, Suối Giàng, Suối Quyền, Đồng Khê, Tân Thịnh, Chấn Thịnh, Thượng Bằng La, Minh An, Nghĩa Tâm, Bình Thuận, Đại Lịch, Phù Nham,Thanh Lương, Thạch Lương, Hạnh Sơn, Phúc Sơn, Nghĩa Sơn, Sơn Lương, Nậm Lành, An Lương, Nậm Mười, Sùng Đô, Gia Hội, Nậm Búng, Tú Lệ, Cát Thịnh and Sơn A |
| Văn Yên District | District (huyện) | 111,715 | 1389 | Mậu A, Lang Thíp, Châu Quế Thượng, Châu Quế Hạ, Lâm Giang, An Bình, Quang Minh, Đông An, Phong Dụ Hạ, Phong Dụ Thượng, Xuân Tầm, Tân Hợp, Đông Cuông, Mậu Đông, Ngòi A, Yên Thái, Yên Hưng, Yên Hợp, Xuân Ái, Hoàng Thắng, Viễn Sơn, Mỏ Vàng, Nà Hẩu, Đại Sơn, Đại Phác, Yên Phú. |
| Yên Bình District | District (huyện) | 107,882 (2008) |
773.196 | Yên Bình, Thác Bà, Phú Thịnh, Văn Lãng, Tích Cốc, Cảm Ân, Phúc Ninh, Bảo Ái, Mỹ Gia, Tân Nguyên, Yên Thành, Xuân Long, Phúc An, Cẩm Nhân, Vũ Linh, Ngọc Chấn, Yên Bình, Xuân Lai, Vĩnh Kiên, Bạch Hà, Hán Đà, Mông Sơn, Thịnh Hưng, Tân Hương, Đại Đồng and Đại Minh |
Economy
The total area of the province is 689900 hectares (6,899 km²), out of which the agricultural area is 78600 hectares (786 km²), forest land forms major part of 453600 hectares (4,536 km²), homestead land accounts for 4000 hectares (40 km²) and land used for special purposes is 30200 hectares (302 km²). The per capita production of cereals in 2008 was 289 kg.Yen Bai is home to 281 cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
s, which are considered an effective way of generating employment to thousands of workers. These cooperatives are engaged in fields such as agricultural services, industrial services, construction, commerce, transportation, People's Credit Funds and health care. Cooperatives services include the production of black tea (manufacturing and processing), farm and forestry, fertilizers, transportation, electric supply in rural areas, and so forth.
A survey of the economic situation in Yen Bai carried out in 2006 indicated that living standards had increased substantially. For the period 1990 to 2004, Gross domestic product (GDP) tripled with an average increase of 7.5% per year. Poverty index decreased from 58% in 1993 to 16% in 2006 (as per General Statistics Office, 2006). However, underemployment, unstable income, inadequate childcare, limited access to health, child labour, social issues related to old people and social evils, gender inequality needed to addressed.
Farming
Farming, in particular, has been adopted as an important means for the acceleration of socio-economic development in rural areas. A reorganization of farming economy is planned through the establishment of centralized commodities production zones to enhance rural income, value of the land and levels of farming household income through agricultural extension services. In terms of agricultural products, main crops in the province include tea, cinnamonCinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, glutinous rice
Glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
, grapefruit, orange, taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
and fish. About 700 farms are reportedly engaged in growing trees for pulp production, tea, cinnamon trees, breeding poultry, cattle and pigs.
In the mountainous northern region, non-timber forest products in an area of 5000000 hectares (50,000 km²) are planned under a reforestation program, which includes about 40000 hectares (400 km²) under cinnamon; 15000 hectares (150 km²) have been developed.
Farming extension services
The Centre for Agricultural and Forestry Extension offices of the Yen Bai province takes care of agricultural and forestry extension work in more than 1,000 villages in 180 communes and precincts in the province. For this purpose a strong agricultural extension system from the provincial to grassroots levels has been established. The dissemination work carried out by the Extension Offices have involved: knowledge transfer of technological advances; shifting in the structure of plants, animals and crops; intensive farming of hybrid rice strains; changing one-crop rice fields to two-crop ones; cultivation on sloping soil; raising high-quality chickens and so forth.
25 key agricultural extension programmes have been developed to meet different growing periods in different terrains namely low lying and mountainous land. Further, more than 50 planting and husbandry models have been adopted envisaging new farming methods, centred on developing food, industrial plants and stock breeding for trading. Intensive farming of winter maize on two-rice-crop fields, intensive farming of hybrid rice strains in mountainous district of Mu Cang Chai, planting high-quality rice, sugar cane, coffee strains, raising chickens, planting forests have also been adopted by the farmers
Mining
In all, 33 ores and minerals are currently mined in the numerous quarries in Lục Yên District, out of which 23 are valid minerals, including gemstonesGemstones
Gemstones is the third solo album by Adam Green, released in 2005. The album is characterised by the heavy presence of Wurlitzer piano, whereas its predecessor relied on a string section in its instrumentation.-Track listing:#Gemstones – 2:24...
. Among these ores and minerals are: apatite
Apatite
Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually referring to hydroxylapatite, fluorapatite, chlorapatite and bromapatite, named for high concentrations of OH−, F−, Cl− or Br− ions, respectively, in the crystal...
, biotite
Biotite
Biotite is a common phyllosilicate mineral within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . More generally, it refers to the dark mica series, primarily a solid-solution series between the iron-endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more aluminous endmembers...
, calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
, chlorite group
Chlorite group
The chlorites are a group of phyllosilicate minerals. Chlorites can be described by the following four endmembers based on their chemistry via substitution of the following four elements in the silicate lattice; Mg, Fe, Ni, and Mn....
, chondrodite
Chondrodite
Chondrodite is a nesosilicate mineral with formula 522. Although it is a fairly rare mineral, it is the most frequently encountered member of the humite group of minerals. It is formed in hydrothermal deposits from locally metamorphosed dolomite. It is also found associated with skarn and...
, corundum
Corundum
Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide with traces of iron, titanium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is one of the naturally clear transparent materials, but can have different colors when impurities are present. Transparent specimens are used as gems, called ruby if red...
, danburite
Danburite
Danburite is a crystalline mineral similar to topaz.Its chemical formula is CaB22. It has a Mohs hardness of 7 to 7.5 and a specific gravity of 3.0. The mineral has an orthorhombic crystal form. It is usually colourless, like quartz, but can be also either pale yellow, yellowish-brown, or pink...
, elbaite
Elbaite
Elbaite, a sodium, lithium, aluminium boro-silicate, is a mineral species belonging to the tourmaline group. Elbaite forms three series, with dravite, with liddicoatite, and with schorl...
, fluor-cannilloite, graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
, humite
Humite
Humite is a mineral found in the volcanically ejected masses of Vesuvius. It was first described in 1813 and named for Abraham Hume .-See also:* Jerrygibbsite* Chondrodite* Clinohumite* Alleghanyite...
, lepidolite
Lepidolite
Lepidolite Lepidolite Lepidolite (KLi2Al(Al,Si)3O10(F,OH)2 is a lilac-gray or rose-colored phyllosilicate mineral of the mica group that is a secondary source of lithium. It is associated with other lithium-bearing minerals like spodumene in pegmatite bodies. It is one of the major sources of the...
, varieties of microcline
Microcline
Microcline is an important igneous rock-forming tectosilicate mineral. It is a potassium-rich alkali feldspar. Microcline typically contains minor amounts of sodium. It is common in granite and pegmatites. Microcline forms during slow cooling of orthoclase; it is more stable at lower temperatures...
such as amazonite
Amazonite
Amazonite is a green variety of microcline feldspar.The name is taken from that of the Amazon River, from which certain green stones were formerly obtained, but it is doubtful whether green feldspar occurs in the Amazon area.Amazonite is a mineral of limited occurrence...
, muscovite
Muscovite
Muscovite is a phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula KAl22, or 236. It has a highly-perfect basal cleavage yielding remarkably-thin laminæ which are often highly elastic...
, olivine
Olivine
The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....
, orthoclase
Orthoclase
Orthoclase is an important tectosilicate mineral which forms igneous rock. The name is from the Greek for "straight fracture," because its two cleavage planes are at right angles to each other. Alternate names are alkali feldspar and potassium feldspar...
, paragonite
Paragonite
Paragonite, also known as Natron-Glimmer, is a mineral, related to muscovite. Its empirical formula is NaAl2[2|AlSi3O10]. A wide solvus separates muscovite from paragonite, such that there is little solid solution along the vector Na+K+ and apparent micas of intermediate composition is most...
, pargasite
Pargasite
Pargasite is a complex inosilicate mineral of the amphibole group with formula NaCa24AlO222.It was first described for an occurrence in Pargas, Finland in 1814 and named for the locality....
, phlogopite
Phlogopite
Phlogopite is a yellow, greenish, or reddish-brown member of the mica family of phyllosilicates. It is also known as magnesium mica.Phlogopite is the magnesium endmember of the biotite solid solution series, with the chemical formula KMg3AlSi3O102. Iron substitutes for magnesium in variable amounts...
, pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
, quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
and smoky quartz
Smoky quartz
Smoky or smokey quartz is a brown to black variety of quartz. Like other quartz gems, it is a silicon dioxide crystal. The smoky colour results from free silicon, formed from the silicon dioxide by natural irradiation.-Morion:...
, rossmanite, rutile
Rutile
Rutile is a mineral composed primarily of titanium dioxide, TiO2.Rutile is the most common natural form of TiO2. Two rarer polymorphs of TiO2 are known:...
, schorl, spinel
Spinel
Spinel is the magnesium aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals. It has the formula MgAl2O4. Balas ruby is an old name for a rose-tinted variety.-Spinel group:...
, titanite
Titanite
Titanite, or sphene , is a calcium titanium nesosilicate mineral, CaTiSiO5. Trace impurities of iron and aluminium are typically present...
and tourmaline
Tourmaline
Tourmaline is a crystal boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is classified as a semi-precious stone and the gem comes in a wide variety of colors...
; gemstones such as rubies, spinel
Spinel
Spinel is the magnesium aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals. It has the formula MgAl2O4. Balas ruby is an old name for a rose-tinted variety.-Spinel group:...
, and tourmaline
Tourmaline
Tourmaline is a crystal boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is classified as a semi-precious stone and the gem comes in a wide variety of colors...
. Luc Yen is particularly famous for its rubies.
Water resources
The Chay River, the second largest tributary of the Lo River, which in turn joins the Mekong RiverMekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
, rises from the Tay Con Linh mountain range (in Vietnam) at a height of 2419 metres (7,936.4 ft). After flowing towards the west, it flows further southeast in the middle and lower reaches, at which point it joins the Lo River
Lô River
The Lô River is a major river of Vietnam. It flows through Hà Giang Province, Tuyen Quang Province and Phu Tho Province for 470 kilometres and has a basin area of 39,000 km² and originates in Yunnan, China as the Panlong River....
at Doan Hung
Doan Hung
Doan Hung is a district of Phu Tho Province in the Northeastern region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 105,242. The district covers an area of 302 km²...
. The basin is delimited by high mountain ranges—in the north by ranges of 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft) to 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) in height, on the west by the Con Voi mountain range and on the east and south east by the Tay Con Linh range. The width of the river is wide in its upper reaches and "tapers to an elongated shape in the middle and lower reaches". The basin has an area of 6500 km (1620 km 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...
) with 60% area below an elevation of 400 m (average elevation of the basin is 858 m). The annual rainfall in the basin varies from 1,500 mm to 3,000 mm with rains concentrated (75–85%) during May to October.
Water from the Chay River that flows through the Yen Bai district has been tapped for hydropower generation, irrigation water supply in the downstream area, aquaculture and river navigation.
Thac Ba Hydropower Plant
The Thac Ba Hydropower Plant is a major hydropowerHydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
project located within the province on the Chay River, built between 1964 and 1971 with assistance from the Soviet Union. Construction began on August 19, 1964. Despite frequent air strikes by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
during this period, the first unit of the power plant was commissioned on October 5, 1971; the second unit followed on August 1972, and the third unit on May 19, 1972. The power plant currently has a capacity of 120 MW, and has an energy generating potential of 400 million kWh/year. The project as built has a dam 48 m high and 657 m long, creating a gross storage capacity of 2.49 cubic kilometres) with a live storage of 2.16 cubic kilometres on the Chay River draining a catchment
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 6430 km at the dam site. The reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
is 60 km with a water spread of 235 km at the Full Reservoir Level of +58 m. The project has been designed for a maximum flood discharge of 3,650 m/s. The other ruling levels of the project are: dead storage level in the reservoir +46.0m and maximum flood level of +59.65 for a thousand-year flood.
Every year, the Yen Bai Provincial People’s Committee arrange the Thac Ba Discovery Festival, supported by Lao Cai, Phu Tho and Yen Bai provinces. It is held in the vicinity of the Thac Ba Hydroelectric Power Plant. Participants in the festival typically visit the lake and take part in a boat race that is held there. A village festival showcasing ethnic minorities, a trade fair, a costume show, sports and traditional art competitions are also held.
Thac Ba Lake
The water resource development of the province is thus centred on artificial Thac Ba Lake, which was created for hydropower development. The lake has an area of 23400 hectares (234 km²) and has 1,331 islands. The hill catchment has a varied ecology; an interesting feature in the catchment with its beautiful landscape is thousands of hills and islands which have caves like the Hum, Cau Cuoi and Bach Xa. There is also a temple on the banks of lake known as Thac Ba Temple. The site that the lake now lies in was the historic scene in 1285 AD during the Thu Vat Battle that took place under the command of Tran Nhat Duat
Trần Nhật Duật
Prince Chiêu Văn Trần Nhật Duật was the sixth prince of Trần Thái Tông, first emperor of Trần Dynasty. Being younger brother of the Emperor Trần Thánh Tông, Trần Nhật Duật was one of the most important figures of Trần family and royal court during the reigns of four successive emperors Thánh Tông,...
against Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
n invaders. Thac Ba Lake is now an ecological tourist centre with entertainment, mountain climbing and hiking facilities. The Mong Son Grotto, which housed the Yen Bai Party Committee during the anti-American resistance is located at the centre of this lake.
Transport
The Yen Bai city is an important transport hub of Northern VietnamNorthern Vietnam
For the former country, see North VietnamNorthern Vietnam is one of the three regions within Vietnam ....
.
Railways
Yen Bai lies on the railway that runs northwest from the capital and largest city in the north of the country, 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...
, to the border town of Lao Cai
Lao Cai
Lào Cai is a city in northeastern Vietnam. It is the capital of Lao Cai province. The city borders the city of Hekou, in the Yunnan province of Southwest China. It lies at the junction of the Red River and the Nam Ti River approximately 160 miles northwest of Hanoi...
and into Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
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...
. The railway also passes through the towns of Mau A and Co Phuc. The railway has been a major freight corridor between China and Vietnam since its construction, and runs approximately along the Red River. The National Road 70 is the highway that goes from Lao Cai southeast into Yen Bai Province, through Yen Binh
Yen Binh
Yen Binh is a district of Yen Bai Province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam....
just north of the town of Yen Bai, and joins up with National Road 2—which leads to Hanoi—at Doan Hung.
Roads
Running parallel to and a few kilometres to the southwest of National Road 70 is National Road 32, which goes from Hanoi northwest to the town of Yen Bai through Son Tay
Son Tay
Sơn Tây is an urban district and city in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It was the capital of Son Tay province before merging with Ha Dong province in 1965...
, Lam Thao
Lam Thao
Lam Thao is a district of Phu Tho Province in the Northeastern region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 106,610. The district covers an area of 115 km²...
and Phu Tho Province
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...
. National Road 37 connects the town of Yen Bai to Nong Truong Tran Phu to the south. The latter town is also serviced by National Road 32, which takes a northwesterly direction through Nghia Lo, Nong Truong Lien Son into the mountainous northwest of the province and into neighbouring Lao Cai Province. The province lies about 183 km away on the 340 km Lao Cai
Lao Cai
Lào Cai is a city in northeastern Vietnam. It is the capital of Lao Cai province. The city borders the city of Hekou, in the Yunnan province of Southwest China. It lies at the junction of the Red River and the Nam Ti River approximately 160 miles northwest of Hanoi...
to Ha Noi road.
Air
Yen Bai Airbase is located about 5 km north of downtown Yen Bai. It is currently used as a training facility for fighter pilots serving in the Vietnam People's Air Force
Vietnam People's Air Force
The Vietnam People's Air Force is the air force of Vietnam. It is the successor of the former North Vietnamese Air Force and the absorbed Republic of Vietnam Air Force following the re-unification of Vietnam in 1975.-Beginning-1964 :The first Vietnamese aircraft were two trainers, a de Havilland...
.
Culture and festivals
Dong Cuong and Dai Cai are two temples in the province. Dai Cai Temple has been built amidst a large lush green is approached from riverside roads. Excavations by Archaeologist have found relics of Son Vi culture in the Dong Cuong Temple area.Festivals
Many festivals are celebrated in the province, as decided by an Organising Board. Some of the important festivals are:Dong Cuong temple festival
Dong Cuong Temple Festival is held in the Dong Cuong commune, Van Yen district, where the temple is located. The festival rites performed present an array of events starting with an invitation to the living and the dead, royal offerings, a procession of the palanquins of the Tutelary God and Holy Mother. The festival features traditional cultural and sport activities such as xoe dance, con throwing, en playing and traditional opera singing.
Muong Lo cultural week
The Muong Lo Cultural Week held in the month of October in Nghia Lo town marks the anniversary of the liberation of Nghia Lo. Festivities lasting one week include sports competitions, Tay Bac (North West) Fair and a food and drink competition.
Suoi Giang panpines festival
The Suoi Giang Panpines Festival held in June in Suoi Giang commune, Van Chan district, features dances, visit to Suoi Giang tea tree followed by a tea ceremony of the Mong ethnic minority people. Visits to traditional cultural villages and to Tap Plang Waterfall are also part of the programme.
Grapefruit flower festival
The Grapefruit flower festival is held in September at Kha Linh communal house, Dai Minh commune, Yen Binh
Yen Binh
Yen Binh is a district of Yen Bai Province, in the northeastern region of Vietnam....
district, featuring the Kha Linh Communal House, grapefruit flower offerings, community tours to the Ngoi Tu cultural village and traditional sports.
Nam Cuong Temple Festival
The Nam Cuong Temple Festival is held sometime in March in Nam Cuong
Nam Cường
Nam Cường is a commune and village in Chợ Đồn District, Bắc Kạn Province, in Vietnam....
commune, Yen Bai city, when pigeons are released by the villagers seeking peace; boat race in Nam Cuong lake and a tug-of-war competition are also part of the festival.
Mong ethnic cultural festival
Prosperity to the local the Mong
Mong
-People:*a proposed alternate name for the Hmong people, based on a large subgroup, the Mong Leng**Mong or Hmong language*William Mong , chairman of the Shun Hing Group, a product distributor in Hong Kong*William V...
ethnic people centred on an ancient tea tree in Suot Giang in this province. The tree gradually helped them to raise their standard of living. To commemorate this tree, the Mong ethnic cultural festival is held to glorify the value of this tree. During the festival, a ritual is done at the ancient tree by the head of the village as a symbolic representation of the history and culture of the land. Khen dancing, Pao throwing and the tug of war and other cultural events are also held, as part of this festival.
Other places of interest to visit are the Mu Cang Chai species and bio-landscape reserve, the western region of white bauhilia flower and the Giang Spring.