Admire the 3 most magnificent cave temples in Vietnam

Tam Coc tourist area

Tam Coc - Bich Dong is often known for its poetic, peaceful but no less beautiful scenes, captivating people's hearts - a place favored by the simile names "Nam Thien De Nhi Dong" or “Ha Long Bay on land.” It would be a mistake if you did not spend time traveling to Tam Coc - Bich Dong Ninh Binh, because this is a wonderful destination. It must be said that Tam Coc - Bich Dong is beautiful in every season, each season has its own beauty. But if you want to admire the lush green rice fields, full of vitality stretching across the winding stream like a soft silk strip, giving you a clear, fresh feeling, immersed in the flavor of rice. Earth, sky, rivers, and nature, the time after Tet in January and February is the appropriate time. And if you want to admire a beautiful picture of nature with mixed touches of the yellow color of ripe rice, blending with the green of the mountains and forests, and in the distance dotted with light boats floating extremely poetically, then Around the end of May, early June - when summer has arrived, it is a suitable opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Tam Coc - Bich Dong. One experience of traveling to Tam Coc - Bich Dong is that you can go and return in the same day, to save time - start early in the morning to breathe the morning air and have a complete trip because Tam Coc - Bich Dong is only about 110km from the center of Hanoi, so the luggage you bring with you only needs a few simple items such as a thin jacket in case the boat ride into the cave causes low temperatures and steam. causes a cold feeling. You can also bring an umbrella to use while boating on the river. In addition, it is best to wear flat shoes to facilitate comfortable movement and sightseeing. In addition, you can bring some snacks to eat when hungry. There are two options for you, one is to travel on your own by personal vehicle such as a car or motorbike to be proactive during your trip to Tam Coc - Bich Dong, or if you go in a large group and want to have If you have the opportunity to visit and walk, you can take a bus to Ninh Binh from Giap Bat and My Dinh bus stations. For a smooth trip, you should agree in advance on the vehicle, travel time, and respect punctuality. To admire and immerse yourself in the beauty of Tam Coc Bich Dong, you have only one choice: taking a boat. And if you are a photographer and want to preserve memorable moments and poetic scenes, please discuss and ask for help from boat drivers. Their experience and knowledge of the terrain will help you capture memorable photos. Another thing to note is that you should time it so that the trip is complete because the time on the boat when traveling to Tam Coc - Bich Dong also takes nearly 3 hours, avoid having to sit on the boat at noon when the sun is strong, or too late at night when the sun has already set. And it will certainly be great if you find an ideal seat to watch the sunset here, the harmonious sunset covering the fields and rivers like a story of attachment and sharing of nature's wealth. with the people here. Coming to Tam Coc - Bich Dong, you will definitely have wonderful and memorable moments of relaxation.

Ninh Binh 3185 view

May to October

Hoa Lu ancient capital relic site

Hoa Lu ancient capital is a unique architectural complex in Ninh Binh province, recognized by UNESCO as one of the four core areas of the Trang An World Heritage complex. This place is also ranked by the government as a particularly important architectural complex and national historical relic that needs to be preserved. With a history of more than 1,000 years, this place has gone through many ups and downs of the nation, is a place to preserve historical relics through many eras as well as become a historical testament for our country. for thousands of years. However, even though it has gone through many ups and downs of time, Hoa Lu still retains its historical traces. Those are sturdy city walls, two majestic temples worshiping King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh, built to simulate the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. You can come to Hoa Lu at any time of the year. However, spring is the most beautiful time as well as many festivals are held, so this is the right time for you if you want to participate and experience the bustling, crowded atmosphere of these festivals. If you are someone who likes quiet and wants to enjoy the peaceful space of this place, you can choose to go on the remaining days. Since the past, Hoa Lu was a magnificent and magnificent imperial capital. The mountains and hills rise up around the capital's perimeter like a sturdy wall. The meandering Hoang Long River and the vast Nho Quan and Gia Vien fields are extremely convenient natural deep ditches. The entire historical and cultural relic site of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, including the special protection zone, buffer zone and relics such as Thien Ton cave and Bai Dinh pagoda, are all located in the limestone mountain system in the area. Ninh Binh province, belonging to Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district, bordering Gia Vien and Hoa Lu districts. This place is about 100km south of Hanoi capital. Hoa Lu ancient capital is an architectural complex, and each architecture has its own characteristics, all creating the ancient and heroic look of ancient historical relics. The historical traces still remaining in the relic complex are very diverse and rich, including the architecture of city walls, royal citadels, caves, temples, tombs and many other types of valuable architectural works. history and high culture. Most notably, there are still two relics here: King Dinh temple and King Le temple. These are two monuments built around the 17th century with extremely elaborate and unique sculptures on wood and stone. The road to King Dinh temple leads visitors under the canopy of poinciana trees along the road. People call Hoa Lu the stone citadel and the temples of King Dinh and King Le also used many materials from stone. For example, when entering the temple yard, visitors will see a floor made of boulders and two flanking goats also carved from monolithic green stone. Entering the harem, visitors will see a statue worshiping King Dinh cast in bronze and placed on a green stone. King Le's temple is located 50m away from King Dinh's temple and has the same structure. 200 meters from King Le Temple, is Nhat Tru Pagoda, built during the reign of King Le Dai Hanh. In front of the temple door is a stone pillar, 4.16 meters high, eight-sided shape, engraved with the Shurangama Sutra made by the king to offer to the Buddha. . Located right next to it is a relic associated with the story of King Dinh Tien Hoang's third princess, who jumped into a well and committed suicide rather than follow her husband and betray her father. This temple worships that princess. On March 8 - March 10 every year, the traditional festival of the ancient capital of Hoa Lu takes place to honor the kings and national heroes who built and developed the capital of Hoa Lu and founded the Vietnamese dynasty. Dai Co Viet country in the 10th century. The festival of Hoa Lu ancient capital includes 2 parts: the ceremony and the festival. Besides the ceremony, the festival with traditional games such as boat racing, wrestling, cheo singing... takes place in an extremely jubilant and bustling atmosphere. When coming to this relic you need to note the following. Hoa Lu Ninh Binh is a spiritual tourist destination, so when coming here you need to dress politely and discreetly. When visiting the temples of King Dinh and King Le, you need to be gentle and orderly to maintain dignity as well as burn incense to show respect to the kings who have contributed to the country. It is necessary to follow the instructions of the monument management board or tour guide if traveling in a group. Must throw trash in the right place, do not litter indiscriminately. If you go on your own, you should look at the map in advance to make your discovery journey more convenient. You can directly chat with the elders in the temple relics management board to learn more deeply about the history, cultural values, architecture... of the relics. If you want to see with your own eyes and admire works of extremely historical value as well as architectural value, then come quickly to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu Ninh Binh - a work of great historical significance. that our ancestors' generation has worked hard to preserve and preserve until now. Let's come here to visit the ancient capital and relive the heroic moments of the nation's history.

Ninh Binh 3587 view

January to December

Phat Diem Cathedral

For a long time, Phat Diem Stone Cathedral has not only been a place for common spiritual and cultural activities of parishioners in the Kim Son area, but also a unique architectural work that attracts tourists from near and far to visit and admire the architecture. threshold. Because this is not only a harmonious and unique combination of Eastern and Western architectural art, but also a miracle that our ancestors left behind for future generations. Phat Diem Stone Church was built in the late 19th century by Phat Diem Parish Priest Peter Tran Luc (also known as Uncle Sau) - who was appointed as Phat Diem Parish Priest in 1865 after many years of research and completion of the outline. draw up plans and concentrate financial and material resources. The church is made of mainly stone and wood. On each stone and wooden slab, flowers bloom with exquisite carvings. Most notably, the art of stone sculpture is extremely soft and flexible, with pieces of stone only 3.5cm thick. The entire architectural complex consists of 9 rafters with 9 different stages of workers, so each rafters has a distinct cultural feature, reflecting the rich aesthetics of skilled craftsmen. Furthermore, the church was built entirely of stone without the need for a reinforced concrete core. The most difficult part of this project is the foundation treatment. Because Kim Son is inherently a muddy alluvial land, Parish Priest Peter Tran Luc had to exploit and transport thousands of tons of stone from a mountain in Thanh Hoa to prevent subsidence, including blocks of stone weighing up to 20 kg. ton. At the same time, Mr. Luc also exploited and transported hundreds of ironwood trees from Nghe An mountain forests to build the project. However, what makes cultural researchers and architects fascinated about the Phat Diem Cathedral complex is the harmonious combination of Eastern pagoda architecture with Western Gothic architecture. Mr. Sau is the one who designed and created the church with extremely new details. It could also be because he was not a Christian but a Buddhist, so in his design, he had a very ingenious combination of Western church architecture and curved roof architecture like that of a communal house. in Buddhism. The artistic quintessence at Phat Diem stone church also clearly demonstrates the harmony between stone carving art and Vietnamese wood carving art, such as the symbol of the cross (symbol of Catholicism) sitting on the lotus (symbol of the Catholic religion). Buddhist symbols), Buddhist "swastika" letters engraved on rosary flowers, stone and wood reliefs carved with images of Jesus and saints; In which the saints dressed in Vietnamese style look so vivid but close, as familiar as watching folk paintings; The stone pillar carved in the shape of a lotus flower represents the stages of "birth - old age - illness - death" according to Buddhist philosophy. Even more impressive is the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which is made entirely of stone, with a dazzling gilded sanctuary with many delicate and elaborate patterns and carvings but still creating a gentle feeling. peaceful because of its simple and familiar design according to the Eastern philosophy of "the sky is round, the earth is square". There is also a Bible verse carved into stone in early Vietnamese. It can be said that Phat Diem Stone Cathedral is an interference, a harmonious and sophisticated combination of Western church architecture and traditional Eastern architecture. Catholicism brings faith to people, but the architectural style and worship space with images of communal houses and pagodas are deeply ingrained in the subconscious of Asians in general and Vietnamese people in particular, creating peace and protection, this is also a symbol of the meeting between Catholicism and the religious traditions of the Vietnamese people from a very early age.

Ninh Binh 3035 view

From January to December

Trang An tourist area

Trang An Cultural and Natural Heritage Complex is located in many districts of Ninh Binh province. This is our country's only "dual" heritage recognized by UNESCO. This heritage complex includes the Trang An - Tam Coc - Bich Dong scenic area - Hoa Lu ancient capital - Hoa Lu special-use forest. In that complex, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu is located in the North; Tam Coc - Bich Dong is located in the south; Trang An tourist area is located in a central location. From Ninh Binh city center, visitors only need to go about 8km to get here. Every spring - summer - autumn - winter, Trang An puts on a new shirt. And every time of the year, visitors find things worth exploring here: In spring, visitors can immerse themselves in special festivals such as: Trang An Festival (mid-March of the lunar calendar); Co Lau Festival (8th - 10th day of the third lunar month). In the summer, this place is enchanting with golden rice fields or fragrant lotus ponds. In autumn, the weather is cool and pleasant, ideal for outdoor sightseeing and exploration activities. In winter, Trang An is hidden in the mist like a fairyland. Coming to Trang An tourist area, visitors can visit famous spiritual and cultural sites such as: Trinh Temple - a place to worship 4 officials of the Dinh Dynasty. Tran Ninh Binh Temple: The throne was established by King Dinh Tien Hoang to worship the god Quy Minh - the god of the southern gate of Hoa Lu. Four Pillars Temple - where four great mandarins under the Dinh Dynasty helped King Dinh Tien Hoang quell the rebellion of 12 warlords to establish the Dai Co Viet state. Phu Khong - a place to worship 7 loyal mandarins of the Dinh Dynasty. Vu Lam Palace - a check-in location that no one wants to miss. Mysterious caves: Dia Linh Cave with a length of nearly 1500m and a system of fossil stalactites. Nau Ruou Cave has underground water more than 10m deep and hundreds of jars of wine distilled from this underground water. Boi Cave - where traces of prehistoric people were discovered about ten thousand years ago. Bright Cave - Dark Cave, Ba Giot Cave are also caves worth visiting. With river terrain, boats are the main means of transportation in Trang An tourist area. Visitors can choose to take a traditional boat with 3 routes departing from the marina including: Route 1: Boat wharf – Trinh Temple – Toi Cave – Sang Cave – Wine Cooking Cave – Tran Temple – Ba Giot Cave – Seo Cave – Son Duong Cave – Khong Palace – Bao Hieu Pagoda – Khong Cave – Tran Cave – Quy Hau Cave – Return to the marina. Route 2: Boat dock – Lam Cave – Vang Cave – Thanh Truot Cave – Suoi Tien Temple – Dai Cave – Hanh Cung Vu Lam – back to the boat dock. Route 3: Boat station - Trinh Temple - May Cave - Suoi Tien - Dia Linh Cave - Dai Cave - Hanh Cung Vu Lam - back to the boat station. In addition, the resort also provides kayaking services with 2 main routes: Route 1: Boat wharf - Trinh Temple - Tam Quan Gate - Toi Cave Entrance - Quy Hau Cave Entrance - Ngoc Mountain. Route 2: Boat wharf - Kong Island wharf - Thuy Dinh - Hanh Cung Vu Lam.

Ninh Binh 3383 view

From January to December

Bai Dinh Pagoda

1. When is the best time to visit Bai Dinh Pagoda? From January to March of the lunar calendar in the spring, the weather here is extremely warm and is also the best time to go to Bai Dinh Trang An. You can combine spring sightseeing, pagoda ceremonies for good luck and participating in major festivals in both Trang An and Bai Dinh. 2. How to get to Bai Dinh Pagoda? You can refer to some popular ways to move to Bai Dinh Pagoda below: - Travel by motorbike: To limit costs, you can proactively travel by motorbike to Ninh Binh. This way, you move along Highway 1A to the city center then follow the signs to get to Bai Dinh. - By bus: From Hanoi, you can catch buses to Ninh Binh from Giap Bat and My Dinh bus stations. Ticket price is about 70,000 - 80,000 VND/person. Stopping at Ninh Binh bus station, you continue to catch a bus or taxi for about 130,000 VND/trip to Bai Dinh pagoda area. - By train: This way, you get on the train from Hanoi and get off at Ninh Binh station. From here you can take a bus or catch a taxi to get to Bai Dinh. Train ticket prices range from 70,000 - 120,000 VND/person depending on seat class. 3. How to move at Bai Dinh Pagoda? Tourists who choose to take the electric car will wait for the car at the waiting area, then travel 3.5km of asphalt road to go straight to the Tam Quan gate of Bai Dinh Pagoda. The latest updated tram ticket price from the parking lot to Tam Quan gate in 2022 is: Bai Dinh pagoda tram ticket price for adults: about 30,000 VND/ticket/turn ⇔ about 60,000 VND/round-trip ticket. Tram ticket price for children: Children under 1m are free, over 1m are charged as adults. 4. Ticket price to visit Bai Dinh Pagoda. You will need to hire a tour guide service for Bai Dinh Pagoda which is about 300,000 VND for both the new pagoda and the old pagoda which is about 500,000 VND. The ticket to Bai Dinh Pagoda Stupa is about 50,000 VND. 6. What to eat when traveling to Bai Dinh Pagoda? You can refer to some delicious places to eat when traveling to Bai Dinh Pagoda that many people visit below: Mrs. Phan's eel vermicelli: 999 Tran Hung Dao, Thanh Binh, Ninh Binh. Luan Nhan Restaurant: Hamlet 4, Gia Sinh, Gia Vien, Ninh Binh. Thang Long Restaurant: Trang An, Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh. Nha San Van Long Restaurant: Gia Van Commune, Gia Vien District, Gia Van, Gia Vien, Ninh Binh. 7. Note when traveling to Bai Dinh Pagoda Although Bai Dinh Pagoda is an attractive tourist destination, you also need to pay attention to the following issues to have the most complete travel trip: Because during the journey to visit the temple you will walk quite a lot, so you should wear sports shoes instead of high heels to help you move more easily. If you want to buy souvenirs, wait until you get off the mountain to buy them. Because if you buy inside the temple grounds, the price will be exorbitant. Please bring a few coins to donate and pray for good luck for yourself and your family. If you go in early spring, you should bring an umbrella to prevent heavy drizzle. Source: https://63stravel.com/

Ninh Binh 3148 view

Cuc Phuong National Park

Cuc Phuong National Park has an area of ​​25,000 hectares and is also Vietnam's first national forest. Cuc Phuong's characteristics are tropical rain forests, green all year round and extremely rich and diverse flora and fauna. Many species of plants and animals at high risk of extinction have been discovered and preserved here, notably the black-and-white langur, considered the symbol of Cuc Phuong forest. The best time to go to Cuc Phuong National Park is during the dry season (from December to May), at this time the weather in the forest is very cool. Avoid going during the rainy season because at this time the roads are slippery and there are a lot of mosquitoes, which will affect your travel experience. Especially coming to Cuc Phuong National Park in May is the time when butterflies in Cuc Phuong forest bloom the most. With a number of individuals that can reach millions of animals competing to show off, it makes this place look like a beautiful "butterfly forest" like in a fairyland. Cave of the Ancients: Also known as Bitter Cave. This is where traces of prehistoric people's residences and burials are kept, a precious heritage of Cuc Phuong garden. Con Moong Cave: Because outside the cave entrance there is a large rock protruding that looks like the shape of an animal, it was named Con Moong cave (animal cave in Muong language). This is also the residence of ancient people, and is also an important archaeological site classified as a national monument. Crescent Moon Cave: from a distance, the cave entrance looks like a crescent moon, the cave is located deep in the forest. Silver Cloud Peak: Silver Cloud Peak is 648m high, from the top we can see a panoramic view of the national park along with the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and Bai Dinh Pagoda. However, the road to the top of May Bac has many rocky slopes that are quite difficult to go, so this place is only suitable for people with good health. Yen Quang Lake - Pho Ma cave: go back to Nho Quan street about 7km, reach Tri Phuong bridge and turn west to reach Yen Quang lake. Continuing through Thung La to the foot of the limestone mountain range is Pho Ma cave. Pho Ma Cave is a magical architectural work of nature with countless stalactites with interesting shapes. Thousand-year-old trees: Cuc Phuong forest has many ancient trees such as: Dang tree 45m high with a diameter of 5m, thousand-year-old green Cho tree with a circumference of more than 20 people, ancient crocodile tree... Muong village: Cuc Phuong is also home to the Muong community with many unique cultural features such as stilt houses, terraced fields, brocade weaving looms... Primate rescue center: A place to preserve and nurture many rare primate species. Coming here, visitors will not only be able to observe the beauty of primates but also learn more about these animals. Things to keep in mind when traveling to Cuc Phuong National Park include: It is necessary to prepare all necessary items such as hats, trekking shoes, medicine, bandages, food and drinks... before visiting Cuc Phuong. You can bring binoculars to enjoy the scenery. There are many types of mosquitoes in the forest, so a tip for you to avoid these obnoxious animals is to buy DEP (anti-scabies medicine) in cream form and apply it to sensitive areas such as the head, nape, and neck. wrists, ankles... The burning smell of this medicine is the bane of the above animals.

Ninh Binh 3122 view

March to August