[6] The area has a rich history tracing to the Bronze Age Tây Âu (西甌) Kingdom of the ethnic Tày.

Cao Bằng has several points of historical interest as well as many natural features such as the Pác Bó (at the mouth of the confluence of two rivers, the Bằng Giang and Hien rivers) where Hồ Chí Minh in January 1941 established a revolutionary force at Cốc Bó cave, the Mạc emperor's Temple, the Kỳ Sầm Temple, Coi Bin Church, the Bản Giốc waterfall area at the international border between Vietnam and China, and the Thang Hen Mountain Lake.

Cao Bằng's history can be traced to the Bronze Age when the Tày Tây Âu Kingdom flourished.

[7] In the 3rd century BC, the Tây Âu leader Thục Phán shifted their capital to Cổ Loa in the Red River Delta.

[7] Cao Bằng's proximity to China has meant that it has had a somewhat turbulent history, having changed hands a number of times.

What are now the provinces of Cao Bằng and Lạng Sơn were known as châu Quảng Nguyên during the time of the Lý and Trần Dynasties.

Quảng Nguyên became part of Đại Việt in 1039, when Emperor Lý Thái Tông expelled Nùng Trí Cao, a Tày-Nùng leader, from the area.

[8] At the end of the 14th century, Tày lords dynasties ruled the area, such as Bế Khắc Thiệu and Nga Dac Thai.

Royalty faced strong revolt during the 16th and early part of the 17th century – Mạc Đăng Dung initially occupied the territory and the Lê throne in 1527.

Its historicity was further accentuated when Hồ Chí Minh, on his return from China in exile in 1941, made his headquarters at Pắc Bó, in Trường Hà commune, Hà Quảng District, 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Cao Bằng for the decisive revolutionary movement between 1940 and 1945.

[7][8] In December 1978, the two districts of Ngân Sơn and Chợ Rã were transferred from the province of Bắc Thái to Cao Bằng by a decree of the congress of the Communist Party.

In 1996, the districts of Ngân Sơn and Ba Bể were transferred into the newly created province of Bắc Kạn.

It also has a common international border (322 kilometres (200 mi) long) with the Guangxi province of the People's Republic of China.

The southern side of Cao Bằng borders the provinces of Bắc Kạn and Lạng Sơn.

According to the General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam, the population of Cao Bằng province as of 2019 was 530,341 with a density of 79 persons per km2 over a total land area of 6,700.26 square kilometres (2,586.98 sq mi).

[21] As the province is in the region where the Vietnamese people lived thousands of years ago before their southwards expansion, Cao Bằng has several points of historical interest as well as many natural features.

Its historicity is due to the fact that Hồ Chí Minh, on his return from China (where he had lived for 30 years) on 28 January 1941, established a revolutionary force at a cave near Pác Bó valley inhabited by the Nùng tribes.

The Vietnam Independence League (Việt Nam Độc Lập Đồng Minh Hội), known by its short form as Việt Minh, was established here during the Eighth Congress of the Communist Party Central Committee held at Pác Bó from 10–19 March 1941.

The Japanese set up King Bai as the head of state to counter the influence of the French government and the Việt Minh had established themselves their rule in six provinces in North Vietnam in the Red River delta.

The Pac Ba Vestiges Area Exhibition Centre has an array of display of artifacts of the revolution with a Hồ Chí Minh House of Remembrance.

Two years later Cao mobilised a rebellion army and captured the territory and declared himself as the king of the Nùng Kingdom and named it as Dai Lich.

Six years later he again launched a rebellion against the king in 1048 and captured the territory in southern China and declared himself as the "Emperor of Đại Nam."

The outer building has the altar of one of his generals and the inner shrine housed the images of Cao, his wife and his mother till they were stolen a few years ago.

The city of Cao Bằng has many buildings of World War II vintage of French design, which were in ruins, but have since been rebuilt.

There is an 'Exhibition Centre' in the town where the history of the revolutionary struggle in Vietnam, which originated in this province, is displayed along with Hồ Chí Minh's vintage car, bearing the registration number "BAC 808".

[12] Bản Giốc Waterfalls are located 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Cao Bằng at the Vietnam-China Border.

It has been clarified by the Head of the Border Committee that the borderline of the fall shall be as fixed along the median of the main flow which shall be done jointly by both sides.

[25] Located in Quoc Toan Commune, Trà Lĩnh district, the Eye of God Mountain is a prominent tourist destination at the Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark.