Me Pia Pass - A steep 14-storey pass in Cao Bang

From a distance, Me Pia Pass looks like a giant python winding, forming 14 steep storey with twisting corners. And everyone considers this pass as one of the most dangerous passes in Cao Bang.

Me Pia Pass has many challenges, a favorite destination for those who like to travel and explore nature. Let's explore Me Pia Pass with Ama Journey and gain experiences if you are planning to travel here!

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1. Learn a little about Me Pia Pass

Me Pia Pass in Cao Bang province locates on National Highway A4. The pass was built connecting Xuan Truong commune to the center of Bao Lac district, a district bordering the Chinese border. Me Pia Pass is also known as the 14-storey pass or Khau Coc Cha pass.
Actually, The right name should be Khau Coc Cha pass, Me Pia is the road that has this Khau Coc Cha pass. However, people still use Me Pia to call this gorgeous pass in Cao Bang.

The pass is only about 2.5km but is winding and divided into 14 steep levels. The pass is a vertical slope, the reason it was built into 14 floors was to create 14 turns that lowered the height and slope so that vehicles could travel more easily.

The stunning Me Pia or Khau Coc Cha pass

This pass has been associated with indigenous people for a long time. Previously, it was only about 40cm wide, the mountain road was craggy and very difficult to navigate. But in 2009, Me Pia Pass was built and the road surface was expanded up to 5m, the construction process was not completed until 2011.

Although the road has been widened, it does not mean that anyone can easily conquer it. The road has many twists and turns, so this place is quite dangerous. When conquering this 14-storey pass, you will feel like you are climbing a mountain in a different and equally adventurous way.

If traveling on a mountain pass by motorbike, visitors must drive slowly and be very careful at every road and bend. And most importantly, you must make sure you are a "silk driver" to be able to handle these 14 steep slopes.

Although it is a bit risky, when standing on the top of the pass, visitors will say the word "fantastic" because the Northeast scenery is so majestic with its rolling hills and mountains, but full of poetry with its beautiful landscapes. White clouds float between the mountain ranges.

Location of Me Pia pass or Khau Coc Cha pass in the map

2. The most convenient way to get to Me Pia Pass

For those who like to explore, you can conquer the pass by motorbike. However, when driving on this mountain pass, you must be very careful because the passes are extremely steep. Visitors must have nerves of steel and a strong steering wheel to safely cross the pass.

One difference between Me Pia Pass and other passes is that you can conquer the pass by a road in the forest. A Trekking journey along Me Pia Pass will also be very interesting for those who love nature. Reaching the top, visitors can fully see the magnificence and uniqueness of this 14-storey pass.

To get to the top of the pass, people will have to follow the forest track to the top of the hill. On the way to the top, there will be a small local shop. Visitors can ask the owner to know exactly where they can see the entire view of Me Pia Pass.

3. The right time to explore Me Pia Pass

Me Pia Pass is a bit dangerous, so choose to travel at the right time to have the most complete trip. In August and September, Cao Bang has cool, sunny weather and a little rain, so it is convenient for traveling on mountain passes and forest roads to climb mountains. With this kind of weather, you will be able to fully view these 14 extremely magnificent winding slopes.

This time is also the season of pouring water and the season of ripening rice, so if you come here during this season, in addition to being convenient for travel, you will also be able to admire the majestic scenery of the mountains and rice terraces fields.

Visitors can also go from December to February, the weather is neither too cold nor too hot, and the blooming pear, peach, and plum flowers are also extremely eye-catching.

4. Cao Bang tourist destinations nearby that cannot be missed
 

Ma Phuc Pass

If you love to explore and conquer mountain passes, not far from Me Pia Pass, there is Ma Phuc Pass. In terms of difficulty, Ma Phuc Pass may be inferior to Me Pia Pass, but it is equally zigzag and it has 7 steep slopes on the mountainside. The scenery here is also extremely magnificent and poetic.

Ban Gioc Waterfall

Ban Gioc Waterfall is a famous tourist destination in Cao Bang. This place is fascinated by domestic and foreign tourists because of its picturesque beauty. This fall is known as one of the four largest cross-border waterfalls in the world. Ban Gioc Waterfall locates on the Vietnam - China border. Looking from the foot of the waterfall, it has two parts, the left side (temporarily called the secondary waterfall) and the right side (temporarily called the main waterfall).

The secondary waterfall and the left half of the main waterfall belong to Vietnamese sovereignty, the rest belongs to China. Ban Gioc Waterfall appears like a glowing white silk strip amidst the vast green mountains and forests of the Northeast, a place that anyone who visits once will remember forever.

Thang Hen Lake

Thang Hen Lake possesses a majestic and poetic beauty with a clear blue lake background like a mirror. The lake is surrounded by deep green mountains and forests, creating a surprisingly beautiful natural space. Thang Hen Lake has a system of 36 lakes of different sizes. Visitors here can experience rowing or kayaking.

Magic Eye Mountain

The Eye of God Mountain is also called Perforated Mountain. This place is called that because there is a hole through two sides of the mountain. Magic Eye Mountain is also a landmark in the complex of Thang Hen Lake. This is a favorite check-in point for many tourists because of its wild and rustic beauty.

Coming here, you will feel strangely peaceful. In particular, this place can also be an overnight camping location for tourists who want peace in nature, gathering around the campfire with their companions.

5. Explore Cao Bang's specialties
 

Roast duck with 7 flavors

A famous dish that cannot be missed is the 7-flavored roasted duck. It has golden and crispy skin on the outside and soft and sweet meat inside mixed with 7 typical spices of the Northeast mountainous region. This dish will make diners remember it forever once they taste it.

Ant Egg Cake

This is a very special cake and a specialty of the Tay people in Cao Bang. The main ingredient, as the name of the cake suggests, is ant eggs. The crust is made of glutinous rice flour, the filling is young ant eggs and wrapped outside with fig leaves. Because the main ingredients are quite special, the cake is only available from the beginning of April to the end of May.

Cao Bang Sour Pork

This dish is a specialty of the Muong ethnic group in Cao Bang, made with low-fat pork marinated in spices and incubated in a bamboo tube. After fermenting for a while, it will be processed to create a fragrant dish.

In addition, Cao Bang has many specialties that captivate tourists such as Xoi Tram, smoked sausage, Khao Cake, black arrowroot vermicelli, sour pho, etc. Coming to Cao Bang, everyone must definitely explore the famous dishes of this place.

>>> Read more:  Specialties in Cao Bang

6. A small note for tourists trekking on Me Pia Pass

Because it is a forest road, choose clothes and shoes for ease of movement.
The time to climb the pass and return is about 1 hour. People can prepare extra drinks and snacks, but don't litter in the forest!

People can stop at Mr. and Mrs. Nong Van Ngoan's shop to ask for directions to a place with a panoramic view of the pass. Mr. Nong Van Ngoan is the person who discovered the place to see the entire 14-story pass of Me Pia Pass.

The gorgeous Khau Coc Cha or Me Pia pass

Above is the experience as well as information about Me Pia Pass. Hopefully, it will help you in your upcoming journey to travel to Cao Bang and explore Me Pia Pass. Don't forget Ama Journey will always accompany visitors on every trip with many services and the most attractive incentives.

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