The Nho Que River rises in Yunnan, China, enters Vietnam at Lung Cu and runs about 46 km across the Dong Van plateau, cutting Tu San canyon below Ma Pi Leng Pass. Its jade-green colour comes largely from the Nho Que 1 hydropower dam, which since 2017 has held the river back as a slow, deep lake.
That lake is also what makes the boat trip possible. Motor boats run from a dock by the dam between 07:00 and 18:30 and go into the canyon and back in 45 to 60 minutes, for 150,000 VND (~$6) per adult. After heavy rain the water turns brown and the boats stop.
The Nho Que boat is already in the plan
Our trips drive you down to the dock after Ma Pi Leng, with the boat ticket, the shuttle and a licensed local guide included.
★Ha Giang Loop by Private Car — 3 DaysThree days around the Ha Giang Loop in your own car, from Ha Giang city — Heaven Gate, Lung Cu, the Sky Path on Ma Pi Leng and a private boat on the Nho Que. · 3 days, 2 nightsSee the tour →Ha Giang Loop from Hanoi — 4 Days by Private CarDoor to door from Hanoi: four days on the Ha Giang Loop with your own car, a licensed local guide and a good hotel every night. · 4 days, 3 nightsSee the tour →Where the river comes from and where it goes
The Nho Que starts at about 1,500 m in the hills of Yanshan county in Yunnan and is roughly 192 km long, of which only about 46 km are in Vietnam. It crosses the border in Lung Cu commune, the far northern tip of the country, flows south-east under the Dong Van plateau and leaves the loop area towards Cao Bang, where it joins the Gam River. Its basin covers just over 6,000 km², more than half of it in China.
On the Ha Giang Loop you meet it once, properly: at Ma Pi Leng, where the river has cut a gorge hundreds of metres into the limestone. From the road it is a thin green line at the bottom of the drop; from the boat it is a lake between walls.
A river of dams
Below the border the Nho Que is now a staircase of hydropower plants. The one that matters to visitors is the top step.
| Plant | Capacity | In service | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nho Que 1 | 32 MW | Generating from late 2017 | Its reservoir fills Tu San canyon; the company runs the tourist boats |
| Nho Que 2 | 48 MW | 2016 | Further downstream |
| Nho Que 3 | 110 MW | 2012 | The largest, well downstream towards Cao Bang |
Why the water is green
A river running fast over rock carries fine silt and looks grey or brown. Hold it back behind a dam and it slows almost to a stop; the silt settles, the water deepens, and sunlight reflecting from deep, clear water over limestone reads as the jade green on every postcard of Ma Pi Leng. The colour is strongest in the drier months, from about October to April, when little new sediment is washing in.
In the rainy season the river changes character. Storms upstream send down mud and stone, and within a day the lake can turn a reddish brown. It is the same place, but it no longer looks like the photographs, and on the worst days the boats do not run.
The boat trip, in practical terms
The tourist boats are operated by the Nho Que 1 Hydroelectric company under a licence from the local authority. The dock is by the dam, reached by a side road that leaves the main road on the Meo Vac side of the pass.
| What | Detail in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Adult fare | 150,000 VND (~$6) per person, taller than 1.2 m, from 13 April 2026 |
| Child fare | 80,000 VND (~$3) per child up to 1.2 m |
| Included in the fare | Shuttle between the car park and the dock both ways, passenger insurance and VAT |
| Hours | 07:00 to 18:30, every day of the year when the water allows |
| Boats | Motorised longboats seating about 18 |
| Time on the water | 45 to 60 minutes into Tu San canyon and back |
About 40,000 visitors came to the river in 2025, so the dock is rarely empty in the autumn high season; early morning and mid-afternoon are the quieter times, and the low sun in those hours also lights the canyon walls better than midday. Nho Que boats run from 7:00 to 18:30 all year but stop after heavy rain or when the reservoir runs high. If the boat is off on your day, your guide swaps in the canyon viewpoints and a longer walk on the Sky Path.
When the boats stop
The boats stop whenever the reservoir runs high or the road down to the dam is blocked. The clearest recent example came on 30 September 2025, after typhoon No. 10 dumped heavy rain on the plateau: inflow to the Nho Que 1 reservoir climbed past 1,570 m³ a second, a landslide put about 2,000 m³ of rock and earth on the access road, and the company suspended all tourist trips from 13:00 that day.
Suspensions like this cluster between June and September. If your dates fall in those months, treat the boat as likely rather than certain and keep the lookouts on the pass as the fallback; our Ma Pi Leng Pass guide lists the ones where a car can stop.
Seeing the river without the boat
The river is on view for most of the pass. The canyon lay-bys look straight down on the reservoir, and the trail along the cliffs above the road gives the longest, highest view of its bends. Both are free, and both work on days when the water is too high for boats, though not on days when cloud fills the gorge.
For where the dock sits relative to Dong Van, Meo Vac and the rest of the loop, see the Ha Giang Loop map.
How the boat fits into our trips
On the three-day loop the boat comes on day two, after Lung Cu, the Vuong palace and the Ma Pi Leng lookouts, before lunch and the drive through Meo Vac to Du Gia. On the four-day trip from Hanoi it is at 09:30 on day three, straight after the pass. The fare, the shuttle and the drive down to the dock are included in both, and children under 5 travel free on our tours.
The canyon from the water and from the road
Ma Pi Leng lookouts in the morning, the Nho Que boat after, private for your group and tailored on request.
Ha Giang Loop by Private Car — 3 Days3 days, 2 nightsSee the tour →Ha Giang Loop from Hanoi — 4 Days by Private Car4 days, 3 nightsSee the tour →Questions about the Nho Que River
Why is the Nho Que River green?
Mainly because the Nho Que 1 dam has turned the river through Tu San canyon into a slow, deep reservoir. The silt settles out and the deep, clear water over limestone looks jade green, most strongly from about October to April.
How much is the Nho Que River boat trip?
From 13 April 2026 it costs 150,000 VND (~$6) per adult and 80,000 VND (~$3) for children up to 1.2 m, including the shuttle to the dock, insurance and VAT.
How long is the boat trip on the Nho Que?
About 45 to 60 minutes on the water, into Tu San canyon and back. With the shuttle from the car park, allow one and a half to two hours.
What time do the Nho Que boats run?
From 07:00 to 18:30 every day, except when heavy rain or a high reservoir makes the water unsafe or blocks the road to the dock.
Does the boat run in the rainy season?
Often, but not always. After storms the river turns brown and the operator suspends trips, as it did on 30 September 2025 after typhoon No. 10.
Where does the Nho Que River start?
In Yanshan county, Yunnan, China. It is about 192 km long, enters Vietnam at Lung Cu and joins the Gam River in Cao Bang.
Your own car to the Nho Que dock
Car, driver, licensed local guide, rooms, meals, the boat fare and the permit in one price for your group, free to cancel until 5 days before.
★Ha Giang Loop by Private Car — 3 DaysThree days around the Ha Giang Loop in your own car, from Ha Giang city — Heaven Gate, Lung Cu, the Sky Path on Ma Pi Leng and a private boat on the Nho Que. · 3 days, 2 nightsfrom$354/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$975BOOK →2 guests$1,075BOOK →3 guests$1,315BOOK →4 guests$1,415BOOK →See the full tour page →Ha Giang Loop from Hanoi — 4 Days by Private CarDoor to door from Hanoi: four days on the Ha Giang Loop with your own car, a licensed local guide and a good hotel every night. · 4 days, 3 nightsfrom$543/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$1,515BOOK →2 guests$1,640BOOK →3 guests$2,045BOOK →4 guests$2,170BOOK →See the full tour page →Boat fares, hours and the operator were checked in September 2026; trips stop without notice when the reservoir runs high.