Bac Can province is home to Ba Be national park. The park takes its name from Ba Be (Three Bays) lake, Vietnam's largest. Situated about 180 km (111 miles) northwest of Hanoi, the park is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in Vietnam. It is home to the ethnic Tay, Dau, Hmong and Nung peoples who continue to maintain their traditional lifestyles and survive by fishing the lake as they have done for centuries.

A mountainous and heavily forested area of fast-flowing rivers, waterfalls, lakes, deep valleys and caves, the park covers more than 23,000 hectares (88 miles2 ) and was established in 1992. Ba Be contains more than 400 named plants and 300 species of wildlife including barking deer, pangolins, bears, monkeys, birds, butterflies and other insects.

The lake itself is in fact three bodies of water linked by narrow channels. Its total legth is about 8 km (5 miles) in length, the northern and southern sections are linked by a 100m (110 yards) wide stretch of water squeezed between high rock walls. You can spend a whole day just exploring the lake by boat.

An interesting place to visit is Puong Cave. 30m (about 100 feet) high and 300m (330 yards) long, the cave was created by navigable river and passes completely through a mountain, making for an interesting boat trip.

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