Lạng Sơn (Vietnamese: [laːŋ˧˨ʔ ʂəːn˧˧] (listen)) 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. 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.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 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 (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 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.
View More On Wikipedia.org