Lạng Sơn province
Lạng Sơn Province
Tỉnh Lạng Sơn 省諒山 | |
---|---|
UTC+7 (ICT) | |
Area codes | 205 |
ISO 3166 code | VN-09 |
Website | www |
Lạng Sơn (諒山, [laːŋ˧˨ʔ ʂəːn˧˧] ⓘ) is a province in northern Vietnam. Its capital is also called Lạng Sơn, which is a strategically important town at the border with China and is 137 kilometres (85 mi) northeast of Hanoi connected by rail and road.[5][6] Lạng Sơn province is bordered by Cao Bằng province, Bắc Giang province, Bắc Kạn province, Quảng Ninh province, Thái Nguyên province, and China's Guangxi province. The province covers an area of 8310.09 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 781,655.[2]
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.[7] It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Route 1. Lạng Sơn'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 (
Important historical places of interest in the province are the war-ravaged Đồng Đăng border town, which has rich war history and attracts visitors, two large limestone caves within a short distance from the Lạng Sơn town, and a 16th-century citadel of the Ming dynasty.
History
Until the Nguyen dynasty
The history of the province is the history of Lạng Sơn 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.[6] 7,000–9,000 years ago the limestone caves of the province were inhabited by early settlers of the Bac Son culture.[8]
The Dinh kings (968-980) encouraged the growth of trade in the region and requested the Sung emperors of China that they establish trade relations at Yong Zhou.[7] The Chinese Annals have revealed that the Vietnamese traded perfumes, elephant ivories, rhinoceros horns, gold, silver and salt in return for Chinese fabrics.[7] Later, under the Lý dynasty an extensive market was established at Vĩnh Bình on the Kỳ Cùng River.[7]
On 4 April 1406, as a Chinese
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 Nguyễn dynasty in 1802 until then, northern Vietnam had been under the rule of a viceroy.
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 Bằng.[6] In 1906, archaeologist Henri Mansuy[10] discovered the Tham Kanh cave near Pho Binh Gia which he named the Ho Binh Gia. He unearthed unique stone implements and human remains.[8] In 1922–25 M. Coloni extensively explored Lạng Sơn province and identified 43 sites related to the ancient Bac Son culture in the mountains.[8]
During World War II, even though the Japanese had signed an agreement with
Democratic Republic of Vietnam and beyond
After
In 1950 the Viet Minh 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 mi) to the north of Long Son town). In this war, which lasted for five days, 600,000 soldiers had descended on Vietnam; Lạng Sơn 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 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.[5][13][14] 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.[6]
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.[15] 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, Lạng Sơn 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.[15]
Geography
The province is set in karstic limestone mountains and valleys.
The north of the province adjoins Cao Bằng province. The 243 kilometres (151 mi) Kỳ or Kyu River flows through Lạng Sơn town and alluvial plains are formed in the valley that is surrounded by high mountains of about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) height.[6] The Kỳ has a basin area of 6,660 square kilometres (2,570 sq mi), and has its source in the mountainous area of Bắc Xa at an altitude of 1,166 metres (3,825 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 (171 ft) long with a catchment area of 320 square kilometres (120 sq mi), 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 2,670 square kilometres (1,030 sq mi) and the Bắc Khê River, which is 54 kilometres (34 mi) long with a catchment area of 801 square kilometres (309 sq mi). 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 6,640 square kilometres (2,560 sq mi), the Hoá Độ River, which is 47 kilometres (29 mi) in length with a catchment area of 385 square kilometres (149 sq mi) and the Trung River, which is 35 km in length with a catchment area of1,270 square kilometres (490 sq mi).
Lạng Sơn has two international border crossings.
Lạng Sơn is 155 kilometres (96 mi) to the northwest of Hanoi and National Highways 1 and 1 A and passes the Chi Lăng pass (the site of
Lạng Sơn province has an average annual temperature of 17–22 °C and an average annual rainfall of 1,200–1,600 millimetres (47–63 in). The average temperature in the summer is 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) and 12–13 °C (54–55 °F) in the winter,[19] It has an average humidity of 80–85% and an average of 1600 hours of sunlight a year.
Climate data for Lạng Sơn | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 31.6 (88.9) |
36.4 (97.5) |
36.7 (98.1) |
38.2 (100.8) |
39.8 (103.6) |
38.8 (101.8) |
37.6 (99.7) |
37.7 (99.9) |
36.2 (97.2) |
34.3 (93.7) |
32.7 (90.9) |
30.2 (86.4) |
39.8 (103.6) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) |
18.8 (65.8) |
21.9 (71.4) |
26.5 (79.7) |
30.2 (86.4) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.3 (88.3) |
30.2 (86.4) |
27.5 (81.5) |
23.7 (74.7) |
19.8 (67.6) |
25.9 (78.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.1 (55.6) |
14.7 (58.5) |
18.0 (64.4) |
22.3 (72.1) |
25.5 (77.9) |
26.9 (80.4) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.6 (79.9) |
25.2 (77.4) |
22.3 (72.1) |
18.4 (65.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
21.3 (70.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) |
12.0 (53.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
19.3 (66.7) |
22.1 (71.8) |
23.8 (74.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.2 (72.0) |
18.8 (65.8) |
14.8 (58.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
Record low °C (°F) | −2.1 (28.2) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
0.9 (33.6) |
9.3 (48.7) |
13.7 (56.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
18.6 (65.5) |
19.5 (67.1) |
13.2 (55.8) |
5.5 (41.9) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 35.4 (1.39) |
33.3 (1.31) |
50.3 (1.98) |
91.1 (3.59) |
159.4 (6.28) |
191.3 (7.53) |
236.0 (9.29) |
227.6 (8.96) |
141.8 (5.58) |
78.9 (3.11) |
41.4 (1.63) |
24.2 (0.95) |
1,318.2 (51.90) |
Average rainy days | 9.3 | 10.0 | 13.2 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 15.6 | 16.6 | 17.2 | 12.4 | 8.6 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 141.3 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
80.4 | 82.5 | 83.6 | 82.7 | 81.6 | 83.6 | 84.2 | 85.9 | 84.7 | 82.0 | 80.0 | 78.0 | 82.5 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 74.5 | 59.2 | 59.2 | 98.1 | 171.2 | 161.4 | 180.2 | 171.3 | 174.4 | 157.5 | 136.3 | 115.5 | 1,561.4 |
Source 1: Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology[20] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: The Yearbook of Indochina [21] |
Administrative divisions
Lạng Sơn is subdivided into 11 district-level sub-divisions and 200 commune-level sub-divisions:
Administrative divisions of Lạng Sơn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: 2019 Viet Nam Population and Housing Census[2] |
Demographics
According to the General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam, the population of Lạng Sơn Province, as of 2019, was 781,655[2] with a density of 94 persons per km2 over a total land area of 8,310.09 square kilometres (3,208.54 sq mi). The male population during this period was 399,410[2] while the female population was 382,245.[2] The rural population was 621,841 against an urban population of 159,814 (about 26% of the rural population).[2]
There are about 40 ethnic groups in Lạng Sơn recognized by the Vietnamese government. Each ethnicity has their own language, traditions, and subculture. Nùng comprised 42.90% of the population, followed by Tày at 36.08% and Vietnamese[22] at 16.09%. The remainder are mostly Dao, Hoa, Sán Chay and Hmong.[13][23]
Economy
Lạng Sơn's economy is 80% based on agriculture and forestry.
As against the national figure of 273 agriculture, forestry and fishery cooperatives, 15 are agricultural cooperatives and four are fisheries cooperatives.[28] The number of cooperatives is 32 as against 7,592 cooperatives in the country.[29] There are only 26 farms as against the national number of 120699.[30]
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 đồngs.[31]
In 2018, Lạng Sơn ranked 51st out of 63 provinces in terms of GDP, ranked 47th in GDP per capita, and ranked 20th in terms of growth.
Historical sites
Apart from the war-ravaged Đồng Đăng Border town, which has a rich war history that attracts many visitors, the other historical places of interest in the province are two large limestone caves located a short distance from Lạng Sơn town, and a 16th-century citadel of the Ming dynasty.[6][13]
The two caves contain Buddhist altars, are well illuminated and are called the Tam Thanh Cave and the Nhi Thanh Cave. The Tam Thanh Cave is very large with three chambers, a 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 contains the Tam Giao Pagoda (built in 1777) with six shrines. The second chamber of the cave on the left also has 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 and Tam Thanh Cave, were discovered in the 18th century by Ngô Thin Sy, a military commander at the Lạng Sơn garrison. His poems have been inscribed at the entrance to the cave. A plaque erected near the cave depicts a French resident of Lạng Sơn in full European dress. The Ngoc Tuyen River flows through the cave.[6][13]
The Ming dynasty citadel, a 16th-century monument located in a desolate area on a rock outcrop, is bounded by the east–west facing walls and can be accessed using the Tam Tinh road from Lạng Sơn city. A series of steps from the roadside lead to the ruins of the citadel.[6][13]
Lạng Sơn city also has ancient walls built in the 18th century.[6]
Forests
The northern mountainous province is rich in biodiversity of flora and fauna in its rich forest. In the
- Star anise
The most important tree grown in Vietnam (and also in China) is the
References
- ^ "Phê duyệt và công bố kết quả thống kê diện tích đất đai của cả nước năm 2018" [Announcements of area statistics for the whole country in 2018]. Act No. 2908/QĐ-BTNMT of November 13, 2019 (in Vietnamese). Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Vietnam). - the data in the report are in hectares, rounded to integers
- ^ ISBN 978-604-75-1532-5.
- ^ Also called Kinh people
- ^ "Tình hình kinh tế, xã hội Lạng Sơn năm 2018". UBND tỉnh Lạng Sơn. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ ISBN 0-87779-546-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-906098-13-1. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ a b c d e Special issue on Lạng Sơn (1988), p.12
- ^ a b c d Special issue on Lạng Sơn (1988), p.24-25
- ^ ISBN 0-521-24332-7.
- ISBN 0-924171-92-8.
- ^ "Vichy Indo-China vs Japan, 1940". Stone & Stone Second World War Books. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ ISBN 1-903471-31-1. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-74104-306-8. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ Mother Jones Magazine. Mother Jones Magazine. November 1983. p. 22. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ a b Special issue on Lạng Sơn (1988), p.23
- ISBN 981-234-984-7. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ Special issue on Lạng Sơn (1988), p.13
- ^ ISBN 1-898323-67-4. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ a b Special issue on Lạng Sơn (1988), p.14-15
- ^ "QCVN 02:2022/BXD Quy chuẩn kỹ thuật quốc gia về Số liệu điều kiện tự nhiên dùng trong xây dựng" (in Vietnamese).
- ^ "Annuaire Statistique du Vietnam" (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Also called Kinh people
- ^ a b "Filed Guide to Vietnam:Limestone Forest: Beyond Stunning Beauty" (PDF). Asia Forest Network. pp. 5, 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ Edmondson, Jerold A., Solnit, David B. (eds). 1997. Comparative Kadai: the Tai branch. Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington Publications in Linguistics 124. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington.
- ^ a b c d Special issue on Lạng Sơn (1988), p.16
- ^ "Lạng Sơn". The Free Dictionary by Farlex. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ Special issue on Lạng Sơn (1988), p.20-21
- ^ "Number of cooperatives in 2008 by kind of activity and by province: Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery". Population and Employment :General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 2009-11-13. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ "Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery: Number of cooperatives by province". Population and Employment :General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 2009-11-13. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ "Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery: Number of farms by province". Population and Employment :General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 2009-11-13. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ "Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery :Output value of agriculture at constant 1994 prices". Population and Employment :General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 2009-11-13. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ISBN 1-85573-721-3.