Friendship Pass (Youyiguan)

The Friendship Pass sits in a gap in the mountains on the Sino-Vietnamese border, 18 kilometres south of Chongzuo city. The fortified stone gateway — massive, ornate, and considerably older than its name suggests — has guarded this mountain pass since the Ming dynasty, and the current structure was rebuilt and enlarged several times as the strategic importance of the crossing grew. From the upper battlements of the gate you can look south into Vietnam, where the road descends toward Lang Son and eventually Hanoi.

The surrounding hillsides are honeycombed with fortifications, most of them from the Qing dynasty or earlier, and accessible on foot trails that take an hour or two to complete. The hill immediately behind the gate has the best views and the most intact defensive walls. It is a genuinely atmospheric place — not touristic in any heavy-handed way — and the contrast between the ancient gate and the busy modern border traffic on either side of it is striking. Buses from Chongzuo run to the pass regularly, or you can hire a driver for the morning.

things to do sight
A story
The pass has been a contested entry point between China and Vietnam for over two thousand years. In 1979, Chinese and Vietnamese forces fought here during the Sino-Vietnamese War — the gate and surrounding hills saw significant combat in the brief but bloody conflict. Today it is a functioning border crossing for trade traffic, and the old fortified gate stands adjacent to the modern checkpoint, a juxtaposition that says a great deal about the pragmatic relationship between the two countries.