Mong Cai is a revealing place. The Vietnamese are fast developing their side of the border while the Chinese side remains a bit of a backwater.

The Vietnamese are making a statement of intent, a show of face that their economy is keeping pace with China. China is making its own statement: ‘We don’t care, we have bigger fish to fry’, sharing as they do borders with India, Russia and several other economic giants.

It would take a real optimist to think Mong Cai is an attractive place. For the Vietnamese, the big draw here is the chance to purchase low-priced (and low-quality) Chinese-made consumer goods. For the Chinese, the attraction is mostly gambling and girls.

Chinese speakers will find plenty of opportunity to practice in Mong Cai. Most of the market stalls are run by Chinese. This explains why the market shuts so early: the Chinese have to head back across the border before it closes at 4.30pm. It also means it’s easy to offload any leftover Chinese yuan.

Other than the prospect of crossing the border, Mong Cai is of no interest to tourists. The town is dusty, the buildings are ramshackle, and there’s construction-site chaos everywhere. Dongxing (on the Chinese side) is even less appealing.

www.lonelyplanet.com