The spectacular Ban Gioc-Detian Falls spans two countries, and is the largest transnational waterfall in Asia.
On the Chinese side the waterfall is called Detian Waterfall (德天瀑布) and on the Vietnamese it’s called Bản Giốc Waterfall. Collectively, it’s known as the Ban Gioc-Detian Falls. This beautiful natural wonder is still relatively unknown to international travellers, most of whom tend to visit from the Vietnam rather than China side.
There’s not much information online to help you plan a trip to Detian Waterfall from China, especially as an independent traveller. I had to do quite a bit of digging, mostly in Chinese, to plan my trip to Detian Waterfall from Nanning. So to save you the trouble, here’s my comprehensive guide on how to visit Detian Waterfall in China.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know for visiting Detian Waterfall in China, including how to get to Detian Waterfall, and the best time to go.
Essential Information about Detian Waterfall
Here are a few essential facts you need to know before visiting Detian Waterfall.
Ban Gioc-Detian Falls spans two countries: China and Vietnam. It’s the 4th largest transnational waterfall in the world, and the largest in Asia. Iguazu Falls in South America is the largest in the world, in case you were wondering.
There are actually two waterfalls which make up the Ban Gioc-Detian Falls, one on each side of the border. In the rainy season with higher water levels, the two waterfalls may combine into one.
Detian Waterfall is on the Chinese side and Ban Gioc Waterfall is on the Vietnamese side. In Vietnam, Ban Gioc Falls is often used to refer to both waterfalls. This seems to be a bit of a sensitive issue, as the current land border wasn’t officially agreed on until 1999.
The falls are supplied by the Quay Son River, also known as the Guichun River in China. The river forms the border between China and Vietnam, flowing through Guangxi region in China and Cao Bang province in Vietnam.
Detian / Ban Gioc is a little tricky to reach on both sides of the border. It’s about 240 km (149 miles) from Nanning, China and 360 km (224 miles) from Hanoi, Vietnam. Hanoi to Ban Gioc is an 8-hour bus ride. Nanning to Detian Waterfall is a bit quicker, with ‘only’ a 3-hour bus ride. We’ll discuss how to get to Detian Waterfall from Nanning later on.
The remote location of the Ban Gioc-Detian Falls means that it’s relatively unspoilt by mass tourism (for now). That means now is the perfect time to visit Detian Waterfall.
Best Time to Visit Detian Waterfall
Guangxi region, where Detian Waterfall is located, has a subtropical climate. It has a dry and rainy season, and is fairly warm all year round. Winters are mild, and it doesn’t get cold enough to have snow here. It was a very pleasant 20°C (68°F) when I visited in early March.
Detian Waterfall: Dry vs Rainy Season
It’s important to bear in mind the season when you plan to visit Detian Waterfall. June to November is the rainy season, and December to May is the dry season.
The waterfall is much fuller and more spectacular during the rainy season due to the increased volume of water from rainfall. It’s generally better to visit Detian Waterfall during the rainy season. During the dry season, there is much less water flowing, so the waterfall doesn’t look as impressive.
September to November are the best months to visit Detian Waterfall, as you’ll see the waterfall in its full glory, but with less rainy weather. It will also be less hot and humid than in the summer months. September and October is harvest season in Guangxi (as well as Cao Bang on the Vietnam side), so the surrounding fields will be green and lush.
Avoiding the Crowds
Early October is best avoided for travel in China, as there’s a week-long national holiday at the start of October known as ‘October Golden Week’. Similarly, there is also a surge in tourism during ‘May Golden Week’, and on either side of Chinese New Year. You should avoid travelling in China during these three periods, as it can get very crowded.
If you can, you should try to plan your Detian Waterfall visit for a weekday, as weekends will be noticeably busier. That’s applicable to most tourist attractions in China (and probably everywhere).
Detian Waterfall During the Dry Season
If you’re planning to visit Detian Waterfall during the dry season, I’ll let you in on a little secret. At around midday, they ‘let out’ more water so the waterfall looks much more impressive. How do they do this, you ask? The secret is an upstream hydroelectric dam on the Vietnam side.
I observed this during my Detian Waterfall visit in March 2024, which was the dry season. The waterfalls on both sides looked noticeably fuller starting from just before midday, and this lasted for around 2 hours before the water volume shrank back to normal. I overheard a Chinese tour guide saying that some days you can’t really tell when they let the water out. But when I visited, there was certainly a huge difference in water volume.
Compare these two photos of Detian Waterfall, which were taken on the same day, about 3 hours apart – before and after the water letting.
How to Visit Detian Waterfall
There are a couple of options for visiting Detian Waterfall – I’ll go over all of them so you can decide which one fits best with your travel style and budget. It’s possible to visit Detian Waterfall on a backpacker budget, as well as with a bit more comfort and luxury.
Detian Waterfall can be done as a day trip from Nanning, which is a common choice for Chinese travellers. You can also stay overnight at one of the two nearby villages: Shuolong (硕龙) or Mingshi (明仕).
Day Trip from Nanning
A day trip from Nanning is the most popular way to visit Detian Waterfall. It’s a 3-hour drive to Detian Waterfall from Nanning, which is the closest city with an airport and high speed rail connection.
A day trip to Detian Waterfall is very doable, but does involve 6 hours of driving, so it will be a long day. You can probably nap on the way back, though.
For independent travellers, the cheapest way to get to Detian Waterfall is by bus, which costs ¥90 (£9.80 | $12.50) per person one way. Buses leave Nanning at 08:00 and 08:30, and you will arrive at the waterfall at 11:00/11:30. You have 4 hours at the waterfall, and the return bus departs at 15:30 and 16:00.
It’s also possible to visit Detian Waterfall by private car or taxi, but this is much more expensive. A DiDi taxi from Nanning to Detian Waterfall costs around ¥700 (£76 | $98) one way.
Taking the bus may be difficult for non-Chinese speakers, so an easier alternative would be a guided tour. Detian Waterfall isn’t really a location where it’s essential to have a guide, but taking a tour means that transport is sorted, and you can enjoy your visit stress-free. You’ll usually be picked up directly from your hotel, which cuts down on travel time.
Viator offers a private day tour to Detian Waterfall in English. You can also find several group tour options on Trip. These are more budget-friendly at ¥288 (£31 | $40) per person, although the tour will be in Chinese. It’s mainly a means of cheap and easy transport, so the tour being in Chinese doesn’t matter hugely. Rather than leading you round with a guide the whole time, tours usually allow 3-4 hours of free exploration once you arrive. This is enough time to see the whole area, including doing bamboo rafting if you want.
Nanning to Detian with Overnight Stay
If 6 hours of driving sounds like too much for a single day, then you may prefer to stay nearby overnight and head back to Nanning the next day.
Staying overnight means you can have a more relaxed day visiting Detian Waterfall, without worrying too much about transport timings. You can also stay at the waterfall until later in the day, when the lighting is less harsh for photography, and most day trippers have gone home.
There are a few small hotels and restaurants just outside the scenic area entrance where you can pay a fee to store your luggage. Look out for signs that say “保存行李” (bǎo cún xíng lǐ), which means luggage storage. Make sure to lock your suitcase and not to leave anything valuable inside.
You should stay in either Shuolong or Mingshi village. The afternoon buses back to Nanning will stop at both villages. The last bus is usually at 17:30. You could also catch a local taxi or DiDi to your hotel.
There will be early morning buses going back to Nanning for the next day.
Overnight Stay and Morning Waterfall Visit
If you’re a keen photographer and want to photograph Detian Waterfall in the best light, i.e. the early morning, you should get there the night before. Whilst you won’t catch the sunrise as the park opens at 07:30, you’ll still have great lighting for those long exposure waterfall photos. The park will also be much emptier in the morning.
I recommend staying in Shuolong or Mingshi the night before. There’s an afternoon bus from Nanning to Shuolong via Mingshi. This departs from Nanning at 15:10. It costs ¥70 (£7.65 | $9.70) from Nanning to Mingshi (slightly more to Shuolong).
Visiting the Vietnam Side of Ban Gioc-Detian Falls
As this is a transnational waterfall between China and Vietnam, you might be wondering if you can visit both sides of the Ban Gioc-Detian Falls on the same day.
Although you’ll be right on the border with Vietnam at Detian Waterfall, it’s not currently possible to cross from China to Vietnam from here.
Crossing the border between China and Vietnam by land is only permitted at certain specified points. The closest border crossing to Detian Waterfall is the Pingxiang-Lang Son crossing, also known as the Youyi Friendship Pass or Huu Nghi.
There is a pilot project to allow visitors from both sides to cross the border at the waterfalls for a day trip. This initiative started in September 2023, but unfortunately is only available to Chinese and Vietnamese passport holders, and must be booked with a tour group. Perhaps if the pilot is successful, we may be able to easily visit both sides in the future. But for now, the closest you’ll get to Vietnam is on the water with a bamboo raft.
Getting to Detian Waterfall
Getting to Nanning
The closest big city to Detian with high speed rail connections is Nanning. Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi region.
If you’re already visiting Guilin, Nanning is only a 2.5 hour train journey away. Detian Waterfall makes a good addition to a Guilin/Yangshuo trip, as you’re already in the Guangxi region.
Getting to Nanning from northern cities like Beijing or Shanghai takes 10-13 hours by high speed rail. Slow trains can take more than 24 hours! If you’re coming from further afield, it may be more practical to take a domestic flight. You can fly to Nanning Wuxu Airport from most major cities in China.
Nanning to Detian Waterfall
Detian Waterfall is located in a rural part of Daxin County in Guangxi. Although Nanning is the closest big city, it’s still some distance away from the waterfall – about a 3 hour drive. It’s quite a scenic drive through the Guangxi countryside.
Because Detian Waterfall is on the Vietnam border, you’ll pass through a security checkpoint on the way there. They will check your passport, and if you’re staying overnight, make sure you have the name of your guesthouse or hotel ready.
Here are your transport options for getting to Detian Waterfall from Nanning.
By Public Transport
There is a bus that goes from Nanning to Detian Waterfall. It also stops in Daxin (大新), Mingshi (明仕田园) and Shuolong (硕龙). This is the cheapest way to get to Detian Waterfall.
The bus leaves from Langdong Bus Station (琅东汽车站) in Nanning daily at 8:00 and 8:30am. It costs ¥90 (£9.80 | $12.50) per person and takes 3 hours. This bus drops you at the entrance to the Detian Waterfall Scenic Area. You can get to Langdong Bus Station by metro (line 1).
If you’re going to Mingshi or Shuolong first, you should take the bus from Xixiangtang Bus Station (西乡塘客运站). You can reach Xixiangtang Bus Station by metro (line 1). There’s one bus per day that goes to Shuolong via Mingshi, departing at 15:10. Shuolong is the final destination of the bus. If your accommodation is on the bus route, the driver can usually drop you there rather than at the main stop. It costs ¥70 (£7.65 | $9.70) to Mingshi and takes 2.5 hours.
It’s a fairly comfortable air-conditioned coach, as this route is specifically aimed at tourists. However locals might hail the bus from the roadside as you get further outside the city.
You can buy tickets at the bus station ticket window, and you’ll need your passport. For some reason, you can’t buy bus tickets online unless you have a mainland China ID card. This is the case on a few different platforms, including ctrip, 铁路12306, and 运德出行 (Guangxi bus service WeChat mini-app).
If you’re doing this as a day trip, the return bus usually departs in the afternoon at around 3pm. There are also later ones at 4/5pm. The bus will depart from the car park where you were dropped off. Be sure to check the exact time of departure with your driver. During busier periods, it’s a good idea to buy the return ticket in advance in case seats are sold out.
Read more about taking public transport in China.
By Car/Taxi
You can take a taxi to go directly to Detian Waterfall from Nanning. This takes 2.5-3 hours and is pretty costly, around ¥700-800 (£75-86 | $97-111) with DiDi. If you miss the morning bus, this may be your best option to get to Detian Waterfall.
A slightly cheaper alternative is taking the bus to Daxin town (大新市) and then a taxi from there to Detian Waterfall.
Daxin is the closest town to Detian Waterfall, and is the best connected area by public transport. However, Daxin is still an hour’s drive from Detian Waterfall, and the taxi ride would cost you around ¥250 (£27 | $35). Buses to Daxin leave from Nanning Langdong Bus Station regularly throughout the day. There’s at least one per hour and it runs until 20:30. It costs ¥65 (£7 | $9) and takes 2 hours.
Although expensive, it is fairly easy to hail a DiDi from Nanning to get to Detian. Similarly, there will usually be DiDis and local taxis in Daxin, as it’s a reasonably-sized town.
Hailing a cab back from Detian Waterfall may prove a bit more difficult, as you’re relying on there being taxis that have just dropped passengers off. However, I did see a few local yellow taxis driving around the entrance in the afternoon, and there seemed to be availability on DiDi.
With a Tour
A tour is a half-way option between an expensive taxi and budget bus journey. With a tour, your transport is sorted, and you can usually be picked up from near your hotel.
Most group tours offered online will unfortunately be in Chinese, but this is ok, as you’re mainly using the tour as a means of convenient transport. Trip.com offers a few different group tour options to Detian Waterfall. There is also a private day tour package from Nanning on Viator, although this is obviously more expensive.
Where to Stay
The two main areas to stay near Detian Waterfall are Shuolong village (硕龙) and Mingshi village (明仕田园). Both villages are located in Daxin County (大新) in Guangxi region.
Shuolong is closer to Detian Waterfall, and about a 15-minute drive. Mingshi is about 30-40 minutes’ drive to Detian Waterfall. Shuolong is a bit more developed compared to Mingshi, but both areas are very rural.
If you want to be as close to Detian Waterfall as possible, you should stay in Shuolong to cut down on journey time in the morning.
However, I recommend staying in Mingshi, as it’s a very beautiful area with karst mountain landscapes similar to Guilin. This area has a large Zhuang ethnic minority population, and there’s a “cultural park” where you can watch traditional dance performances and experience the local culture. If you have time, I highly recommend spending an extra day in Mingshi to explore the surrounding area by bicycle or electric moped.
I stayed at a really lovely and peaceful homestay in Mingshi called Lanxin Farmhouse. The bus from Nanning drives past, so we were dropped off right outside the door. We also enjoyed delicious home-style cooking with rice and vegetables grown in their own fields!
Check accommodation options for Detian Waterfall.
Visiting Detian Waterfall
Prices & Opening Times
Detian Waterfall is open daily from 7:30 until 17:00.
It costs ¥80 for entry to the scenic area, plus an additional ¥35 for the shuttle bus. The shuttle bus is pretty much compulsory unless you’ve booked through a tour, as it’s 10km from the entrance to the waterfall itself. So that makes it ¥115 per person.
There’s also an evening light show at Detian Waterfall, where the waterfall and walkways are lit up with multi-coloured lights. This seems a bit gimmicky, and I prefer seeing the waterfall in its natural glory. But if you’re interested in attending, it costs ¥198 per person and runs from 19:30 to 21:30 daily.
Food
There are food stalls and restaurants inside the Detian Waterfall scenic area. As we’re on the border with Vietnam, you can also get Vietnamese specialities such as banh mi and pho. You can also try Vietnamese coffee – there’s a cute café with a viewing platform for a ‘coffee with a view’.
Food inside the scenic area tends to be a bit overpriced, although it won’t break the bank. For a more budget-friendly option, you might want to bring your own packed lunch. There are also a few nearby restaurants outside the entrance. If you’re arriving by bus from Nanning in the morning, you might want to have lunch here before entering.
I ended up having a very late lunch after exiting the waterfall area at one of these restaurants. I got a hearty bowl of pho ga (chicken pho) for ¥20 (£2.20 | $2.80). It was tasty, but not particularly authentic according to my Vietnamese friend.
Detian Waterfall Scenic Area
After buying your ticket at the counter, you’ll be signposted to a shuttle bus to take you to the waterfall area. The bus takes 10 minutes, and you’ll get your first tantalising glimpse of Vietnam across the Quay Son river.
There are two main pathways to view the waterfalls. One is a ground-level pathway directly along the river. The other is a higher wooden walkway, which provides you with an elevated and more panoramic view of Detian Waterfall.
Helpfully, the map is all in Chinese… but it’s hard to get lost here, so you don’t really need it. The red dashed line on the map is the higher walkway, and the yellow line is a mock farm set-up with straw farm buildings and a coffee shop.
There’s a third viewing area that’s even higher up with a glass walkway and a ‘magic carpet’ ride down – probably not for those squeamish about heights. This costs an extra ¥88 per person, and you can buy tickets once you’re inside the scenic area.
Detian Waterfall also has a small temple, which was built in the 1980s. There’s a statue of Buddha inside, but it’s also used by the local people to pray to their ancestors. There are lots of bright red prayer flags hanging here, which are very eye-catching.
Bamboo Rafting
Bamboo rafting at Detian Waterfall is a fun activity which I recommend. It costs ¥30 per person for a 10 to 15-minute boat ride.
It’s a motorboat, and there’s no pretense here of it being an ‘authentic’ experience like with the bamboo rafts in Guilin and Yangshuo. It feels a bit touristy, but it’s worth it, as the bamboo rafts take you right up to the base of Detian Waterfall.
The waterfall looks really spectacular up close, and you’ll also pass by Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Vietnam side. You’ll pass quite close to the shore on the other side, but the boat won’t be allowed to dock for you to set foot in Vietnam.
Watch out for the water sprays as you get up to the waterfall. This will probably depend on how windy it is. I wore my raincoat and put my passport in a waterproof bag, as I’d heard you can get really soaked by the waterfall. I ended up just getting a gentle spray, and only my camera lens needed a light wipe.
On the river, you’ll be approached by sellers from the Vietnam side. They’ll try to sell you Vietnamese coffee and cigarettes. It’s tempting to buy something out of curiosity, particularly as their prices are cheap. However it’s technically illegal, and you could end up getting arrested. According to that same Chinese tour guide I eavesdropped on earlier, two of her clients got arrested last year for ‘drug trafficking’ because they bought cigarettes from these sellers.
Two Vietnamese ladies on a proper bamboo raft latched onto our raft and followed us for a good portion of the way. The boatmen are supposed to tell you not to buy anything, but ours was clearly bored and hating life, so didn’t do anything to deter them. Quite a few guys on my bamboo raft bought packs of cigarettes without any issues. Although there didn’t seem to be anyone enforcing the law on the river, I still wouldn’t advise buying anything from them.
If you really want Vietnamese coffee, you can also find it in the shops back on shore at Detian Waterfall. If you want to try Vietnamese cigarettes, as a doctor, I can tell you that they cause lung cancer the same as regular ones…
Mingshi Scenic Area
The area around Mingshi village is really stunning. It has a similar feel to Guilin, but is a lot less touristy.
There’s a panoramic cycle route, which takes you around the beautiful landscapes, weaving through the fields and karst mountains. You can explore the area by bicycle, or you can also take an electric moped. You don’t need a licence to ride an electric moped in China, and there isn’t much traffic in the area, so it’s quite an easy and safe ride.
Your guesthouse or hotel will likely have bicycles or mopeds to rent. Our homestay actually let us use their moped for free! I definitely recommend spending some time exploring this area.
Mingshi and the entire surrounding areas are inhabited predominantly by the Zhuang ethnic minority people. There is a small “cultural park” called Mingshi Tian Yuan (or Mingshi Garden), where you can experience the local culture.
In the evenings, they put on a performance at around 8pm, which includes traditional Zhuang dances and music. There is also some commentary about Zhuang culture, but this is only in Chinese. Mingshi Garden is quite a pretty area, but usually costs ¥80 entry, which is fairly steep for what it is. A lot of hotels and homestays around the area, including the one where I stayed, can get you free entry to the garden.
Final Thoughts on Detian Waterfall
Detian Waterfall wasn’t as crowded and touristy as I’d expected. Usually, even in the off-season, most tourist attractions in China are still fairly crowded. Whilst there was the occasional tour group, the waterfall area was actually relatively quiet.
Certain parts like the bamboo rafts and street food/shopping areas did feel quite touristy and commercialised, but overall, Detian Waterfall remains relatively unspoilt. There were very few foreign tourists visiting Detian Waterfall in China, and I only spotted one or two the whole day. There were more international visitors on the Vietnamese side, but fewer people overall there.
Comparing the two sides, Detian Waterfall is certainly the larger and more impressive of the two waterfalls. The Chinese side of the waterfall is noticeably more developed than the Vietnamese side, with the additional upper walkways providing an excellent panoramic view of both sides. On the upper walkways and the bamboo raft, you can get a pretty good view of Ban Gioc Waterfall as well as Detian Waterfall.
I had originally planned on visiting both sides of the Ban Gioc-Detian Falls, as my next destination was Vietnam anyway. However, as it’s so difficult to reach from the Vietnam side (an 8-hour bus from Hanoi), with not much added benefit, I ultimately decided to skip visiting Ban Gioc in Vietnam. I’m still holding out hope for the transnational pilot project.
Even with low water levels, Detian Waterfall was pretty spectacular. I imagine visiting Detian Waterfall during the rainy season must be truly magnificent!
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