26/04/2023
Vietnam's Extreme Points - Part 1: Lung Cu - the Northernmost Point
The extreme points of Vietnam (abbreviated as extreme points) are the locations with the farthest coordinates to the north, south, east, and west of Vietnam, compared to any other location on the country's territory. Vietnam has 6 extreme points, including 4 on land and 2 on the sea. Among the 4 points on land, the northernmost point (Lung Cu, Ha Giang) and the westernmost point (A Pa Chai, Dien Bien) are located on the mainland. The southernmost point (Dat Mui, Ca Mau) and the easternmost point (Mui Doi, Khanh Hoa) are near the coast.
The 2 extreme points on the sea are Hon Da Le (Ca Mau) and the Tien Nu Lighthouse on the Truong Sa Archipelago of Vietnam in the Southwest Sea.
The current northernmost point of Vietnam is in Lung Cu commune, D**g Van district, Ha Giang province. However, to determine the exact point is not simple.
In April 2016, the People's Committee of D**g Van District began construction of the "northernmost point of the country" (with a budget of 12 billion VND, including an observation tower and some auxiliary facilities) overlooking the Nho Que River, in the area of To Mong (Cang Tang village, Lung Cu commune), about 2.5 km from the Lung Cu flagpole as the crow flies. In August 2018, the construction was completed and a sign was placed reading "northernmost point; Lung Cu - D**g Van", along with a stone plaque engraved with the coordinates "Lung Cu 23° 22' 59" North latitude - 105° 19' 21" East longitude".... This has led many people to mistakenly believe that this is the northernmost point. In fact, the northernmost point of Vietnam is a rocky outcrop on the bank of the Nho Que River (the boundary line between Vietnam and China is the median line of the river), located in Seo Lung village, Lung Cu commune, D**g Van district, Ha Giang province. This northernmost point is about 3.3 km from the Lung Cu flagpole as the crow flies. From the northernmost point on the bank of the Nho Que River to the "northernmost point" constructed by the D**g Van District People's Committee, it is about 1.05 km as the crow flies, but it takes about 2 hours to get there on foot through the mountain trails, rice fields, and forests along the Nho Que River.
The remote commune of Lung Cu is situated on the high plateau of D**g Van, approximately 26 km to the north of the center of D**g Van district and about 156 km from Ha Giang city. Lung Cu is home to various ethnic minority groups such as the Hmong, Tay, Lo Lo, Pu Peo, Giay, and Hoa, residing in nine hamlets throughout the commune.
Lung Cu has a national flagpole with a flag measuring 54 m², symbolizing the unity of the 54 ethnic groups. It was constructed on the summit of Dragon mountain many years ago at an altitude of 1,468.73 meters above sea level.
