Exploring Ninh Binh - Rediscovering the Ancient Land

The idea of exploring Ninh Binh struck me one day in mid-August, when my grandmother decided to revisit her homeland in Thanh Hoa after more than 30 years down south. With no prior plans, no prepared itinerary, and unsure about transportation and accommodation in Ninh Binh, I still resolved to take a bus here to marvel at, admire, and learn about this historical ancient capital.

After accompanying my grandmother to visit a comrade's house in Hau Loc district, Thanh Hoa, I caught a bus straight to Ninh Binh, as it was relatively close and the journey took just over an hour. En route, the natural scenery was incredibly lush and majestic.

I asked the driver to stop at the center of the old town, where I could walk to Hoa Lu ancient capital. Then, we pulled our suitcases to a nearby hotel, inquired about room rates, and decided to stay there because the owners were also quite enthusiastic and even offered us a discount.

Hoa Lu Old Town - Preserving the Charm of Vietnamese Culture

After checking in and dropping off our belongings, our first destination was Hoa Lu Old Town, incredibly peaceful and charming. In the evening, locals often stroll along the riverbank or sit down for a cup of tea at roadside stalls, chatting and watching the hustle and bustle of the old town. We felt truly relaxed and at ease.

Since it was a weekday, there weren't many activities here, so if you want to see art performances or lively events, it's best to visit on weekends. Hoa Lu is beautiful with its ancient architecture steeped in Vietnamese culture, colorful lanterns illuminating the old streets, and serene boats drifting along the river. Inside the old town, there are numerous food stalls, pottery shops, and booths showcasing handicrafts from traditional villages such as Bo Bat pottery, Dong Ho painting village, or Italian lacquer from Y Yen. A particularly special feature is the rental shop for beautifully crafted Vietnamese costumes. That's why I call this place a vivid representation of Vietnamese culture and history.

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Bai Dinh Pagoda - Cultural Beauty and Religious Beliefs

On the second morning in Ninh Binh, we decided to rent a motorbike to visit Bai Dinh Pagoda just to witness the majestic scenery of the mountains, the winding green roads. We exclaimed many times: 'Oh, how can it be so beautiful?' While driving, I tried to admire the surrounding scenery and breathe in the fresh air here. Along the way, we stopped many times just to admire the ducks released in the field, or just because of a wonderful green corner and to take photos of distant temples. Bai Dinh Pagoda with its ancient architecture, spacious grounds, magnificent towers, reflects the cultural beauty, religious beliefs, and extremely cool, serene space. I feel fortunate to set foot here, in a peaceful space, located on the land of extraordinary scenery and feel truly peaceful inside.

Bai Dinh Pagoda also holds many records in Vietnam such as the largest gold-plated bronze Buddha statue in Asia, the largest bronze bell in Vietnam, the longest corridor of Arhat statues in Asia, and the most Bodhi trees in Vietnam.

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Trang An - The Endless Beauty of Natural Landscapes

We left the temple and returned to the hotel to pack up and check out. Since we only rented for a day, we left our belongings at the hotel after check-out and continued to the next destination in this ancient land exploration journey, a place that has impressed me since childhood and I have always wanted to sit on a boat, to witness the grandeur of nature, the tranquility of the charming waterways, and to feel the friendly hospitality of the people here: Trang An Tourism Complex.

There are 3 tour routes for us to choose for this journey. However, since it's my first time here, I asked the locals and decided to take route 3 and return on route 2.

I was truly moved by the natural beauty here, with towering, majestic, lush green mountains, natural limestone caves, stunningly beautiful, slow-floating boats on the tranquil blue lake. I saw patches of floating grass, or the diving activities of the water monitor lizards, a few fish swimming around, while listening to the boat guides telling stories about the mountains and the stopping points.

In route 3, we stopped at Den Trinh, the temple dedicated to the four founding fathers of the Dinh dynasty, which has existed for over 1000 years, bearing significant historical meaning. Then we continued our journey to the more than 1000m long Dot Cave, the longest cave in Trang An, witnessing the beautiful stalactite system. Exiting the cave, we admired the surreal beauty of nature and continued along the river to the third stop at Suoi Tien Temple, dedicated to Saint Quy Minh Dai Vuong.

In route number 2, I passed through 4 caves and 3 other spiritual sites. I went through Lam Cave, which is 60m long, stopped at the Shrine of High Mountain God, continued through Vang Cave, which is 250m long, and stopped to take photos at Thuy Dinh, where traditional musical instruments and folk culture are performed during festivals. The next stop was Vũ Lâm Imperial Military Camp, a military base during the Tran Dynasty. After about 3 hours on the boat, I felt truly fortunate to witness the beautiful natural scenery and historical landmarks of the country firsthand.

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As this was an unplanned trip, we had limited time in Ninh Binh. However, for me, this journey felt truly complete and left deep impressions. It reinforced my belief that Vietnam is truly beautiful, our history is something to be proud of, and our landscapes are incredibly privileged by nature. So if you have the chance, I urge you to come here to admire, to feel, and to be even prouder.

Author: Vo Ngoc Nhu Quynh

*This article is participating in the Mytour Golocal program

Mytour Golocal is a blogging program introducing beautiful destinations across Vietnam, as part of the Mytour Go & Share initiative. This is a wonderful opportunity to promote local tourism to everyone. For each qualified article, you will receive 800,000 VND and a chance to become a contributor to Mytour. For detailed information about the program, visit: https://trv.lk/golocal