the point of this thread is to inform people of my experience with the two new changes (new international border crossing at Malipo, Wenshan and Visa exempt travel to vietnam)

@Napoleon entering at Tianbao is the most convenient way to get to Hagiang from kunming (although the highway stops at wenshan).

btw the sticker visa was issued at laocai/Hekou not Hagiang/Tianbao

"Visa exempt travel" ? I presume you are Chinese; this does not apply for non-Chinese.

lemon lover:

Citizens of a whole bunch of Asian countries, and a handful of European ones, can enter Vietnam without a visa.

Fine but it is still unclear if you can get a visa at the border.

Its a 2 week allowance stamp for certain nationalities, and takes a second to stamp, and goes without cost. So of course, what Lemon asks is reasonable, since those who belong to those nationalities can (if this is the case) cross to Ha Giang Hmong villages for a 2 week vacation, WITHOUT going to Kunming to apply a visa. This is the case with e.g. Lao Cai border. Saving both time and cost, and particularly if u live outside Kunming.

And what comes to Napoleons info, for those considering flying to Vietnam, theres a visa on arrival at most Vietnamese airports anyway. Applied online. Napoleon still lives in the 90's, but thats better than vietnamese officials, who still have cold war spy games going on. That being said, there could have been suspicions about being missionary in the area - thats why religion was asked during interrogation. Hmong are very apocalyptic people, and every 5 years there some messias stiring emotions, and army come in. Theres also a rumor some areas are very secret due to, e.g. world Bank funding for water cleaning project, or whatever, and since money disappeared, these areas you cant go to. Not to mention military areas, and border areas overall. Yea, and if the guy (jiangwu) who crossed had a beard and looked "xinjiangish" - on his way to holy war - thats also of interest to border guards. There was a shooting incident some months ago. And thats most likely the case why religion was asked.

I had to go the old fashioned way as my country wasn't one of the visa on arrival nations.

I flew to Saigon airport from Kunming but was through in no time.

And secondly, Lemons point wondering about a visa at border is also very valid. And jiangwu says it came for a 5 usd cost. He/she also says the initial stamp was 30 days.

Something not right here. Unless jiangwu is from a small number of Southeast asian countries, those few do get 30 days. Maybe so. But a visa for 5 usd? At Lao Cai border? Thats the bribe money, aint it. They are so used to bribes there, theres even a money cardbox on the floor in the officers bot.

Did they really stick a "visa" in your passport, jiangwu? And for five usd? If so, maybe they were high on opium, or bitten by a cobra. Just doesnt make sense. And sorry, no offense jiangwu, normally you just dont buy visas at that border, and nonetheless for five dollars.