The PLA crossing over into Vietnam: 17 February 1979

The Vietnamese were used to wars of attrition.
Although the PLA obliterated the city of Cao Báng, there were no civilians in it.

Chinese POWs at a Vietnamese camp, guarded by women soldiers of Vietnam

1979 - Vietnamese women's militia at Quáng Ninh.
Some were former Vietcong and had seen combat against the US occupation of South Vietnam

A VPA officer standing on the ruins of a Chinese tank in Cao Báng on 07 March 1979

1979 - Vietnamese soldiers on a destroyed Chinese 8th Army tank

Chinese POWs in Vietnam, 1979, once again guarded by women soldiers of Vietnam.

Yet another PLA trooper with his hands raised in surrender to the Vietnamese soldiers.
Deng thought he could just steamroll into Vietnam, not realizing that the PLA was all huff and puff, but no real fight within.

The PLA got free, new uniforms thanks to their Vietnamese hosts that year!