Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Lào Cai

Battle of Lào Cai was a battle fought in 1979 in what is now Vietnam. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of the Sino-Vietnamese War. The recorded result: See Aftermath section. Recorded strength: At least 8 regular divisions; ~125,000 regular troops against 2 regular divisions; plus ~20,000 regional troops and militia.

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Fought1979
WhereVietnam22.300N, 104.167E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeSee Aftermath section
BelligerentsChinaagainstVietnam
Part ofSino-Vietnamese War1979

Where it sits in the Sino-Vietnamese War

Battle of Lào Cai, 1979Battle of Cao Bằng, 1979Battle of Móng Cái, 1979Battle of Lạng Sơn, 197919791979Battle of Lào Cai, 1979
4 placed engagements of the Sino-Vietnamese War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1979 (year precision)
to 1979
PlaceVietnam
22.300N, 104.167E
KindBattle, Cold War
StrengthAt least 8 regular divisions; ~125,000 regular troops2 regular divisions; plus ~20,000 regional troops and militia
Casualties and lossesChinese claim: 7,886 casualties (including 2,812 killed); Vietnamese claim: 11,500 casualties; 66 tanks/APCs destroyedChinese claim: ~13,500 casualties (including 33.3% of 345th Division wounded or killed, over 1,000 of 316th Division killed.)
Commanders
  • Yang Dezhi
  • Vũ Lập
Battle of Lào CaiBattle of Lào CaiBattle of Nghia LoBattle of Yu OcBattle of Hòa MộcSiege of Tuyên QuangBattle of Na SanBattle of Nghia LoBattle of Yu OcBattle of Na SanGejiuViệt TrìWenshanLao ChiHa GiangBắc KạnSơn LaLuan Chau100 km22.300N, 104.167E
Placed at its recorded location; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1979

Battle of Lào Cai is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 140 in present-day Vietnam.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q16208767, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Lào Cai, revision 1370448405, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.