Buzz
Engage in vegetable farming and fishing in Yen Duc village, take a cable car to the pagoda, and visit Am Ngọa Vân. These are experiences to try during a 2-day trip to Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh.
Dong Trieu Escapade: Embracing Rural Bliss
Dong Trieu town, situated at the western gateway of Quang Ninh province, is 78 km from Ha Long and 90 km from Hanoi. A 2-day retreat from Hanoi makes Dong Trieu an ideal destination for Vietnamese travelers seeking leisure and spiritual exploration.
Day 1: Eco-Tourism in Yen Duc Village
Yen Duc, located 60 km from Ha Long, takes approximately 3 and a half hours to reach from the city center of Hanoi.
Visiting Yen Duc, travelers immerse in a serene space with lush green rice fields, ponds, and gardens, reminiscent of traditional Vietnamese villages. The area boasts unique cultural and historical landmarks such as Cảnh Huống Pagoda, Canh Mountain, Cave 73...
The most captivating aspect of Yen Duc is the experience of a day as a farmer, planting vegetables, catching fish with a bamboo basket, grinding rice, milling paddy... witnessing water puppetry shows and savoring local products like mudfish sausage, sticky rice with yellow flowers, freshwater fish, and crunchy cakes...
Day 2: An Sinh Temple – Thai Temple – Am Ngoa Van Pagoda
An Sinh Temple
Originally a temple, An Sinh Temple was built during the Tran Dynasty (1381) and underwent multiple renovations and enhancements during the Tran, Le, and Nguyen dynasties. Over time and historical changes, An Sinh Temple now remains as ruins.
An Sinh Temple today is in An Sinh Commune, 5.5 km from Dong Trieu intersection. This is a place of worship for 8 Tran Dynasty kings with tombs in the An Sinh – Dong Trieu region, including the great general Tran Quoc Tuan and President Ho Chi Minh.
The annual An Sinh Temple Festival takes place from the 20th to the 22nd of the 8th lunar month, attracting thousands of visitors to explore and worship.
Here, two majestic rows of trees are planted, symbolizing the Tran Dynasty kings. Additionally, the temple displays some cultural heritage of the Tran Dynasty found in Dong Trieu, such as ancient stone fields and royal pottery...
Thai Temple
Thai Temple (also known as Thai Mieu), approximately 3 km east of An Sinh Temple. Thai Mieu is situated on a low hill in Trai Loc hamlet, An Sinh commune. This is a significant historical site, affirming Dong Trieu as the ancestral land of the Tran Dynasty.
When King Tran Thai Tong granted land in An Sinh, An Sinh Vương Tran Lieu built Thai Mieu to worship the ancestors and the late King Tran Thua. As the Tran kings chose An Sinh for their tombs, the Thai Temple became the site for worshiping the Tran kings.
Over time, the architectural structures of Thai Mieu built during the Tran Dynasty were completely destroyed. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a new shrine called Dinh Doc Trai was erected at the former Thai Mieu location. Recognized as the ancestral shrine or Thai Mieu of the Tran Dynasty in their native An Sinh, Thai Temple is considered the most important historical site in the system of Tran Dynasty tombs, temples, and towers in Dong Trieu.
Am Ngọa Vân Pagoda
After leaving Thai Temple, travelers continue their journey to the pagoda, Am Ngọa Vân. As part of the Tran Dynasty spiritual tourism route, Am Ngọa Vân is where King Tran Nhan Tong, the Buddhist Emperor, practiced meditation, attained enlightenment, and transformed into a Buddha. It is considered a sacred site and a large complex of Zen architecture of the Truc Lam Zen sect.
Ancient tales narrate that after Tran Nhan Tong became a Buddha, his disciple Phap Loa (the second Patriarch of the Truc Lam Zen sect) cremated him at Ngọa Vân, obtaining thousands of relic beads and precious gems. Some relic beads are enshrined in the Buddha Emperor tower at Am Ngọa Vân, while others are revered in various places such as Duc Lang, Pho Minh tower... The sacred site of Ngọa Vân was later developed and expanded into a large complex of pagodas and towers by Phap Loa. Subsequently, the Ngọa Vân pagoda tower complex continued to expand.
Ascending Ngọa Vân, visitors experience a cable car route spanning over 2 km, featuring 2 stations and 53 cabins accommodating 10 people each. The round-trip cable car fare is 180,000 VND, and one-way is 100,000 VND.
The Ngọa Vân Spring Festival is held annually throughout the spring season, from the 9th day of the first lunar month to the end of the third lunar month.
Hồ Thiên Pagoda
After concluding the travelers' journey, they will visit Hồ Thiên Pagoda. Constructed by Phap Loa in 1327, the name Hồ Thiên translates to a temple built in the place of Buddha's scenery and celestial realm.
Legend has it that Hồ Thiên is where high-ranking monks cultivate themselves after successfully completing their courses at Quynh Lam Monastery. During the reign of Le Trung Hung, the Lê dynasty royals funded a major renovation for Hồ Thiên Pagoda, elevating its structures such as the main pagoda, meditation halls, ancestral houses, tower garden, and stone steles.
Situated about 100 meters east of the main pagoda is the stone stele house, constructed with unique green stone architecture. Additionally, within Hồ Thiên Pagoda's premises, there is a 7-story tower and various other architectural relics. Pilgrims to Hồ Thiên Pagoda have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a beautiful space, envisioning the path of meditation of the Tran dynasty monks.
On the morning of March 26th, Đông Triều town announced the recognition of 14 tourist spots and 4 tourist routes by the Quảng Ninh Provincial People's Committee. These routes include the spiritual heritage tour of the Trần family's residence, the combined spiritual and ecological tour, the exploration of the Đông Triều countryside, and the Fourth Offensive Zone tour of Đông Triều.
Nguyen Van Tuan, the Director-General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, affirms that Đông Triều holds immense potential and strengths for tourism development. In the near future, the town needs to install a system of signs guiding tourists to various routes and spots, organize training for guides and narrators at these locations, research and develop new tourism products, and promote and introduce tourism in Đông Triều. For businesses, travel companies should continue to develop suitable tourism packages, fostering connections with tourism in other regions within the province and the surrounding area.
Source: Vnexpress
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourApril 4, 2016
