This path has been paved with stones and fitted with steps to make it easier for visitors to ascend and descend. Despite the many upheavals over time, the remnants of President Ho Chi Minh’s journey remain intact.
Reaching Landmark 108 is now far easier than before. The path winds through rows of verdant sua trees (Dalbergia tonkinensis Prain), with the serene forest air enveloping the trail.
It has been 84 years since the great father of the Vietnamese nation returned to directly lead the revolution after many years abroad in search of a way to liberate the country. The traces of those early historical days remain remarkably well-preserved. The Cao Bang border was the land that welcomed him back, witnessing his first steps home.
Upon his return to Viet Nam, Uncle Ho initially stayed at the home of Ly Quoc Sung (also known as May Ly). This house was located just a short distance from the border marker, and the remnants of its foundation still lie along the path leading to the landmark. After a brief stay there, he moved into Coc Bo Cave, Lung Lan Cave, and the Khuoi Nam hut.
Landmark 108 is made from a single block of stone, erected in the late 19th century under the Franco-Qing Convention to demarcate the land border between Viet Nam and China. In 2001, after Vietnam and China completed their border delimitation and demarcation, the official boundary was moved to Landmark 675. Today, the old Landmark 108 stands just a few metres from the new one.
The Pac Bo relic complex includes: the upstream area of the relic cluster, the central memorial area, the Kim Dong Relic Site, the Khuoi Nam Site, and the Bo Bam Site. When visiting Pac Bo – Cao Bang, one cannot miss Landmark 108 — the place where "There, the shadow of Uncle Ho kisses the land / Listening in the pink hue of a nation being born." It was here that the 8th Plenum of the Communist Party of Vietnam took place, between May 10 and 19, 1941, leading to the formation of the Viet Minh Front, the establishment of revolutionary bases, the development of guerrilla warfare, and the armed uprising to seize power nationwide.
Eighty-four years on, following in Uncle Ho’s footsteps, the country has been unified from north to south. The legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail begins at Km0 in Pac Bo – Cao Bang and stretches 3,167 kilometres to the southern tip of Cape Ca Mau.
