Lào Cai

Lào Cai ( Vietnamese pronunciation: [làːw kāːj] ) is a former provincial city that has been dissolved and reorganized into wards and communes within Lào Cai province, Vietnam. It was formerly the capital of the province. It is located approximately 260 km (160 mi) northwest of Hanoi, at the meeting point of the Red River (Sông Hồng) and the Nanxi River. It borders Bảo Thắng, Bát Xát, and Sa Pa, as well as Hekou Yao Autonomous County in Yunnan, China.

The area is an important regional trade and transport center. Lào Cai railway station lies on the Kunming–Haiphong railway, which connects northern Vietnam with Yunnan in China.