Khau Co is a mispronunciation of the word “Khau Co”, which is the local language, and means “wind gate”. Khau Co Pass is located in Nam Xe Commune, Van Ban District, and is also the “gateway” to the southwest of Lao Cai Province connecting to Lai Chau Province, the end of the Northwest. Anyone who has not been to Khau Co Pass once cannot fully understand the danger and majesty and cannot imagine the fierceness of the wind typical of this place.
From the center of Nam Xe commune, we climbed the slope along National Highway 279, which is being expanded, with a mess of soil, rocks, and dust, swirling around the wheels for about 20 km to reach the Nam Mu - Khau Co Forest Ranger Station under the management of the Hoang Lien - Van Ban Nature Reserve Ranger Department. The early summer morning here is foggy and chilly, looking around is a vast expanse of mountains, hills, and forests. However, after driving 2 km more to the top of Khau Co pass, the fog was thick, as soon as we opened the car door and got out, we shivered as a strong wind blew our cloth hats into the cliff like leaves, accompanied by a shivering cold. Looking towards Van Ban or Than Uyen through the mountain pass, it was all covered in fog.
We were a bit subjective when we thought the pass was normal, only when we looked at the steep cliff on the "heavenly gate" Khau Co, below was a deep abyss, the wind blew like a storm wanting to sweep us down the abyss, then we realized the full danger of this place.
It was at this critical location that, in the early 20th century, the French colonialists built a fort on the top of a high hill with the intention of "blocking" the "air vent", using firepower to control our troops and guerrillas, blocking the "throat" of the vital route connecting the two provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau. However, with courage, intelligence, and resilience, after many attacks, in October 1949, the main force and guerrillas of Van Ban district destroyed the enemy, liberated Khau Co fort, poured down to attack Minh Luong fort, liberated Van Ban district, and proceeded to completely liberate Lao Cai.
It took us more than 30 minutes of clinging to tree branches and bushes to climb up the cliff to reach the top of the high hill where the French colonialists built the Khau Co fort. More than 7 decades have passed, and almost nothing remains of the old fort, but from the high hill looking down at the steep, cloudy road, we can feel the dangerous position, the hardships, and the harshness of the "windgate" land.
Recalling when the delegation arrived at Vo Lao commune, Van Ban district, we heard veteran Hoang Van Ke, born in 1931, tell us about the difficulties and hardships of our troops when attacking Khau Co post at midnight. Hunger, cold, mosquitoes, leeches and fog; enemy bullets from the post poured down like a downpour. That time, the company had to withdraw before dawn to prevent enemy aircraft from attacking...
When arriving at Lang Giang commune, the old men who used to join the frontline laborers told stories about carrying rice across Khau Co pass at night, full of hardship and fatigue. Mr. Pham Van Muon, 91 years old, living in La 1 village, Vo Lao commune, clenched his wrinkled hands as if he was trying to hold the rice load through the storm on Khau Co pass more than 70 years ago.
"In the "wind gate" area, winter is bitterly cold, but from Lunar New Year onwards to April and May, hot winds blow so fiercely that they seem to burn all the plants and trees. The terrain is rugged and the weather is harsh, but everyone tries to transport as much food as possible to the troops who are focusing on fighting the French in the Northeastern provinces and the Dien Bien Phu battlefield," said Mr. Muon.
Standing on the top of Khau Co Pass, surrounded by wind and mist, Mr. Lo Van Toan, Head of Nam Mu - Khau Co Forest Ranger Station (Hoang Lien - Van Ban Nature Reserve Ranger Station) pointed towards the vast forests, his voice clear as if he wanted to drown out the sound of the wind howling through the ravine. According to the Head of the Forest Ranger Station, Nam Mu - Khau Co Forest Ranger Station is located in the most remote and isolated area, managing over 15,000 hectares of forest in Nam Xe Commune. This area has high mountains, deep ravines, with Sinh Tcha Pao peak at 2,715m above sea level. In such a large and difficult area, the station only has 4 forest rangers, so the work is extremely difficult.
“To successfully complete the task of protecting the forest at the western gateway of the province, the key and most important solution is to rely on the people. Currently, Nam Xe commune has 36 forest rangers and 28 people participating in the forest protection patrol team of the village community. We have established 4 forest protection posts in key areas, on duty 24/7 to patrol and protect every square meter of forest land. For example, post 518 is located in the middle of an ancient po mu forest with hundreds of rare po mu trees, it takes more than 3 hours to walk to get there, each shift usually has 6 people including forest ranger station staff, forest rangers, and members of the community forest protection patrol team. After a week, the shift will be changed for another group to continue the work," said Mr. Toan.
Also in the story about protecting the "green gold mine" at the "wind gate", we had a chance to talk with Mr. Pham Dang Hai, 65 years old, former Head of the Nam Mu - Khau Co Forest Ranger Station, who has been on duty for 36 years to protect the forest on Khau Co Pass. Mr. Hai said that this place is truly a "green gold mine" with many precious woods such as po mu, pine, trai, doi... That is why many people "sneaked" to exploit precious woods for profit. Before 1993, illegal loggers were very active, and our brothers worked hard to protect the forest, facing countless difficulties.
Then Mr. Hai pulled up his sleeve, revealing a scar as long as half a hand, looking like a centipede, his eyes pensive: "This wound of mine was caused by a slash from a logger. They took revenge on me for blocking the flow of po mu wood at the forest entrance. Later, the illegal logger was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison by the court," Mr. Hai confided.
Talking to us, Mr. Nguyen Duc Thinh, Deputy Head of the Forest Protection Department of Hoang Lien - Van Ban Nature Reserve said: Hoang Lien - Van Ban Nature Reserve was established in 2007, with the task of managing and protecting 24,766 hectares of forest and forestry land in the communes of Minh Luong, Nam Xe, Nam Xay, and Liem Phu.
In recent years, the work of propaganda, forest protection, forest fire prevention and fighting has been paid attention to, so the effectiveness of forest resource protection has been improved, preventing forest fires and serious violations. The work of paying for forest environmental services has been well implemented, both preserving the green color of the forest and increasing income for the people.
At the foot of the historic Khau Co Pass, where more than 70 years ago, the frontline laborers passed through, the anti-French soldiers fought and sacrificed to protect this land, until now, the people's lives have changed significantly. During the working trip to Khau Co Pass, we had the opportunity to meet and talk with the ethnic people of Nam Xe Commune, which is also the most remote and difficult commune of Van Ban District.
Mr. Trieu Van Thanh, Dao ethnic group, Head of Ta Nang village, excitedly said: Ta Nang village has 86 households of Mong and Dao ethnic groups. In the past, people's lives were very difficult, but now they are more prosperous. In 2023, 7 households escaped poverty, now there are only 13 poor households. Thanks to the funding from forest environmental services of more than 300 million VND per year, people not only have more income but the village is also more spacious. Journalists, look, the road to the village cultural house, the road to the group of 5 most disadvantaged households, which were dirt roads two years ago, are now paved with concrete, and the solar energy lighting project lights up the entire 2km of the village axis... The total value of nearly 200 million VND comes from the money people contribute to forest protection.
Arriving at Tu Ha village during the bamboo shoot harvest season, we saw a special type of bamboo shoots, although as small as an adult's thumb, but not enough to sell to traders. Mr. Vang A Doan, a green Mong in Tu Ha village, peeled the white bamboo shoots and said that this is a type of bamboo shoot, just as delicious as bamboo shoots, just boil it and dip it in rice vinegar or peel it, smash it and stir-fry it with chicken eggs, eat it once and you will remember it forever. It turns out that along with the income from forest protection, in recent years, the green Mong people in Tu Ha and Tu Thuong villages have grown 50 hectares of bamboo shoots, bringing in a significant income. Typical families include: Vang Thi Chu, Ly A Su, Vang Thi Mai, Vang A Lo, Vang A Chinh... selling bamboo shoots each crop earns from 15 to 20 million VND. In 2023, Tu Ha village reduced the number of poor households by 11. The poverty rate of the whole village is only nearly 15%. At the "wind gate" of Khau Co, a new wind is blowing, bringing prosperity to this harsh land.
We stayed overnight at the Nam Mu - Khau Co Forest Ranger Station. During dinner in the chilly weather at the foot of the pass, the working group interacted with the rangers and visitors from Than Uyen to enjoy the delicious salmon farmed at the foot of the pass. Mr. Nguyen Duc Thinh, Deputy Head of the Hoang Lien - Van Ban Nature Reserve Ranger Station, said that in the future, Khau Co Pass will no longer be deserted but promises to become an attractive tourist destination.
Currently, the Conservation Area is submitting to the province for approval the Ecotourism Development Project with a focus on 6 points, 7 ecotourism routes associated with natural beauty and 1 spiritual tourism point, resort tourism combined with scientific research associated with the Khau Co Historical and Cultural Relic. A new day is coming to the historic "heavenly gate" of Khau Co.
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