Lao Cai

Lao Cai, town, northwestern Vietnam, on the China-Vietnam border. It lies at the junction of the Red River (Song Hong) and the Nam Ti River about 160 miles (260 km) northwest of Hanoi. It is a market town for timber from the surrounding mountains and is strategically important because of its location on the Haiphong railway to Yunnan province, China. It has a carbide factory.