A part from its historical
interest, this area also is a astounding natural beauty with immense
limestone outcrops whose splendor is often said to surpass of
Ha Long Bay.
Indeed this area is often referred to as the Ha Long Bay on land. The
tour includes being rowed a long Boi river, which makes for a truly
unforgettable experience, passing in between towering limestone peaks.
07h30:
our guide come to pick you up from your hotel, depart 2 hour driving
along green fields and villages in the two side of the high way number
01.
09h30: come to Hoa Lu, used to be the capital of
Vietnam in the 11st centuries, visit the temple of Dinh & Le
dynasty, learn about history of Vietnam in the war with China and
about the first Vietnamese government. Have a great view of rice paddy
field, and lots of fresh air.
After lunch, get on a
small boat, glide along a long canal with rice paddy fields and
mountains two sides, your boat will go through three cave called "Hang
Ca", "Hang 2", "Hang 3".
15h00: You boat drive you back to the warft then get on bus back to Hanoi.
17h00: Bus arrive Hanoi and drop you off at your hotel, end services.
Cave in to the beauty of Ninh Binh
Caves, ruins, forests and mountains – Ninh Binh has just about everything a traveller could want. What are you waiting for?
Just 100km south of Ha Noi, Ninh Binh Province offers a world of natural and cultural heritage to explore.
With
its striking limestone mountains, caves and clear streams at Tam Coc
and Cuc Phuong and the ruins of the former capital at Hoa Lu, the
province attracts tourists from across Viet Nam and around the world.
"The
combination of beautiful scenery and spiritual values is what brings
tourists to Ninh Binh," says Bui Van Manh, from the Ninh Binh Centre for
Tourism Promotion and Development.
The province welcomed 750,000
visitors last year, one third of whom were from overseas, and it expects
to receive 860,000 this year.
"We are encouraging all economic sectors to invest in tourism, while improving the tourist packages on offer," Manh says.
The
provincial authorities are currently developing the Trang An grottoes,
near Ninh Binh town, into a natural and cultural tourist attraction at a
cost of VND976 billion.
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| Green field and buffalo |
Middle earth
First-time visitors to Ninh Binh
are frequently mesmerised by the charming scenery at Hoa Lu, where the
jagged limestone outcrops once acted as natural defences for the former
national capital.
The historic site lies close to the present-day
town of Ninh Binh, and served as the capital of Dai Co Viet from the
year 968 until 1010, when the Ly Dynasty established the capital at
Thang Long (present-day Ha Noi).
In the late 10th century, Viet Nam was fragmented and had fallen under the control of 12 local warlords.
However, Dinh Bo Linh defeated the warlords in 968 and reunited the country, which he called Dai Co Viet.
He founded the Dinh Dynasty and ascended to the throne under the name Dinh Tien Hoang.
The
emperor chose Hoa Lu as his capital because it was protected by the
Trang An mountains on three sides and by the Hoang Long River to the
northwest.
With strong walls linking the limestone mountains, Hoa
Lu was easily defended but also allowed the emperor's forces to mount
attacks against its foes and communicate with its subjects.
During
its 42 years at the centre of the nation, the Dinh and Le dynasties
erected many palaces, pagodas and temples within the city walls.
The
most beautiful of these was the Bach Bao Thien Tue Palace, meaning A
Hundred Valuables and A Thousand Ages, which was plated in gold and
silver.
Time, the elements and Viet Nam's tumultuous history have taken their toll, and very little remains but ruins.
When
the capital was moved to Thang Long, the local residents built temples
to honour the emperors Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh that are now
known as the Thuong and Ha (Upper and Lower) temples.
The temples
were restored in the 17th century to worship Duong Van Nga, the only
woman in Vietnamese history to be married to two emperors.
When
Dinh Tien Hoang died, Nga married Le Hoan. After one thousand years, the
debate about Nga's intentions continues. Was she a good woman, or was
her second marriage simply political opportunism?
There are three
altars inside each temple, known as Thai Duong, Thien Duong and Chinh
Cong. They have a characteristically Vietnamese design, and complement
the temples' elegant wooden and stone carvings.
"The biggest
drawcard is the carvings," Manh says. "The block of green stone that
formed the emperor's throne is decorated on both sides with
sophisticated carvings added in the 17th century and representing two
dragons."
Towering over the temples is Ma Yen Son – the words translate as horse-saddle shaped mountain.
Two hundred and sixty-five steps lead from the temples to the tomb of Emperor Dinh, which was added alongside Emperor Le's tomb.
Viewed from the south, Ma Yen Son appears to be a gigantic throne.
Even
when Hoa Lu was demoted from the nation's capital, successive dynasties
still regarded it as a sacred site and the homeland of heroes.
Visitors
to contemporary Hoa Lu can still imagine the grandeur of the two
dynasties and get a glimpse of the soul of old Viet Nam.
Ha Long Bay on land
Not far from Ninh Binh town is another must-see attraction: the caves of Tam Coc.
Known
as "Ha Long Bay on the rice paddies", the three caves can only be
reached by boats rowed along a stream and under Cong Rong, a stone
bridge built in 1604 whose name means Dragon Culvert.
In the past,
the Tam Coc karst system lay under the sea and water carved out the
three caves: Hang Ca (Big Cave), Hang Hai (Second Cave) and Hang Ba
(Third Cave).
The water followed cracks in the limestone but left behind the mountain range that now runs along the banks of the Ngo River.
The river gets narrower and narrower as you pass through the caves where stalactites billow from the ceiling like clouds.
After
127m, the boats stop at a vast and open space where visitors can
appreciate the cool, quiet atmosphere and listen to droplets of water
falling onto the river.
They may also see people searching for
kindling-wood on the mountain, goats chewing leaves or be able to spy
the orchids clinging to the rocks.
Down below, schools of fish dart between the rocks and plants at the bottom of the river.
On
a busy day, however, visitors may not quite be able to feel the
serenity over the sounds of boatloads of happy tourists having their
photographs taken and bargaining for a cool drink or an embroidered
tablecloth.
The nearby villages are famous for their skills with a
needle and thread, and the rowers are proud to show you their handiwork
as they paddle you back to base.
Back to nature
The truly adventurous can really get away from it all when visiting Ninh Binh.
Viet
Nam's first national park, Cuc Phuong, was declared in 1962 and its
22,000ha are home to a diverse range of plants and animals.
For
years, the forests of Cuc Phuong have inspired poets, musicians and
writers. Vietnamese and foreign archaeologists have found artefacts such
as coffins and stone tools dating back thousands of years in the park's
Con Moong and Nguoi Xua caves.
These days, nature lovers can stay
in comfort near the entrance or in the middle of the national park and
enjoy some of the local rice liquor.
In the morning, early risers
can arrange to visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre, where several
species of rare monkeys are being rehabilitated for their release back
into the wild.
Walking trails inside the park can lead visitors
through the forests to see several remarkably old trees, and the
intrepid can walk even further to stay overnight in Muong villages where
life seems to have changed little since King Dinh began calling Hoa Lu
home.
