The tri-border marker sits atop a 1,000-meter high peak that rises from in Vietnam’s Kon Tum province, Lao’s Attapu province, and Cambodia’s Rattanakiri province. The point has become a tourist attraction in the past decade.

The construction of the tri-border marker begins in 2007 and finishes in 2008.

Dieu Le Nam, a member of the Vietnam Youth Federation in Dak Nong province, has come there for the very first time. He said: “The marker instills a great pride in me. I’m so grateful for our predecessors who sacrificed their lives to defend Vietnam’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

A ten-kilometer paved road, embellished by majestic mountain scenery on either side, connects the Bo Y international border gate with the tri-border marker. A spacious parking area lies at the foot of the mountain, from which hundreds of stone steps lead visitors to the landmark. Once a deserted land due to bombs and chemicals, the mountain where the stone-tiled border marker is located is now covered by lush green trees.

Youngsters hoist the national flag during an educational tour to the tri-border marker.

77-year-old Do Trong Khoi, former Director of the Border Guard Museum in Hanoi, is visiting the monument for the third time. Khoi told VOV: “I’m moved by visiting my former battlefield and reuniting with my comrades in arms at the Kon Tum border station.  I’m moved even more by standing at Indochina’s T-junction and seeing the tri-border marker of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It is much more beautiful and crowded than the first time I was here.”

In the past seven years, the Kon Tum border guards have cooperated with their Lao and Cambodian counterparts to host a thousand seminars and discussions, conduct 230 joint patrols, and settle border insecurities.

A joint patrol is held at the tri-border gate area.

Colonel Pham Ngoc Phu, commander of the Kon Tum Border Guard Command, told VOV: “We pay special attention to border foreign affair activities, frequently holding exchanges and meetings at different levels to increase mutual trust, understanding, and cooperation. We work with local authorities to improve relationships between border towns. We collaborate with the people, authorities, and border guards of Laos and Cambodia to address problems that arise, bearing in mind that helping them means protecting ourselves.”

The monument is a destination for educational tours, people exchanges, and special task forces. It has welcomed tourists from inside and outside Vietnam.