Top 11 Unmissable Tourist Destinations in Thai Binh

Although not as famous as other beaches, Con Vanh Beach is very attractive to tourists and locals alike due to its long stretch of sand and moderate waves.

Depending on your schedule and preferences, you can plan your visit accordingly. However, based on the typical weather conditions of the northern region and the travel experience, it's recommended to visit Con Vanh Beach during the summer months from May to August each year. There's nothing better than enjoying the hot weather by immersing yourself in the cool sea water.

Con Vanh Beach offers a harmonious blend of sunshine, sea breeze, and sandy shores, providing unforgettable experiences. It holds a pristine significance within the biosphere reserve of the Red River Delta recognized by UNESCO as a rich and pure mangrove ecosystem. Moreover, besides exploring the tourist spots, you can also engage in exciting outdoor activities such as traditional games: walking on stilts, brass band performances, drum beating, fishing net throwing, beach volleyball, camping. Additionally, you can visit the Ba Lat lighthouse, where you can observe the beauty of Con Vanh Island from above.

Above is the complete and detailed experience of Con Vanh Beach tourism. Hopefully, you have another option for your Thai Binh exploration journey. Thai Binh Beach may not be as splendid or crystal-clear as other beaches in the Central region, but Con Vanh is always a must-visit destination.

Alongside the Trần Temple in Nam Định, the Trần Thái Bình Temple with its increasingly modern architectural features attracts many international tourists. Especially during the New Year festivals, this is the spiritual destination where people can enjoy traditional entertainment activities deeply rooted in the country's culture.

The Trần Temple consists of a tomb area and a temple dedicated to the Trần dynasty kings, recognized by the government as an important national historical relic. Covering an area of 5,175 m2, the temple is meticulously constructed, majestic, and adheres to ancient rituals and architecture. Today, the main palace has a nail-shaped architecture covering an area of 359 m2, the secondary palace, ceremonial hall, worshiping halls, and the graves of the Trần kings have also been restored and maintained, contributing to its development.
Retaining its traditional features, the temple complex includes village communal houses, ceremonial halls, inner sanctuaries, garden spaces with green trees, etc. The stone dragons intricately carved retain vividness and the essence of the Trần dynasty era.

Cồn Đen Beach is located 3 km offshore in Thái Đô commune, Thái Thuỵ district, Thái Bình province. It is 15 km south of Diêm Điền Town and about 40 km west of downtown Thái Bình. Visitors can easily reach this destination by both public and private transportation. Cồn Đen Beach has a relatively flat terrain with a long sandy strip stretching about 3 km, the widest part being about 700m and the narrowest part 450m. It was formed by the deposition of silt and sand by the Trà Lý River. On hot sunny days, walking along the 3 km stretch of Cồn Đen Beach, you will feel cooler while admiring the crashing white waves and the lush green pine forest swaying in the sea breeze.

Recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2004, the natural scenery on the island remains pristine, being considered the most beautiful coastal sandbank in the North with extensive landscapes including fine sand beaches and areas for clam farming. With its long stretches of sand, gentle slopes, and calm waves year-round, Cồn Đen Beach is also a great place for swimming every summer. Visitors can also organize picnics and outdoor activities on the beach such as fishing, beach volleyball after moments of frolicking in the waves. Walking through the stretch of pine forest along the sandy bank, exploring the pristine vegetation, the unique mangrove ecosystem by the sea (mangroves, sedges, reeds, sea hibiscus, coconut trees...); immersing yourself in the vast ocean space, feeling the salty taste of the sea. Moreover, visitors will be fascinated by the strange allure of the sandbank here with the 'green wall' of the coastal mangrove forest with 500 species of aquatic animals and valuable seaweed. Currently, the Cồn Đen Eco-tourism Area is being developed into an eco-tourism area with beaches, resorts, entertainment areas, comprehensive cultural tourism, shopping centers, and commercial centers, where picnics, vacations, and entertainment activities by the sea such as fishing, surfing, beach volleyball can take place... Besides swimming, exploring the vibrant plant life, organizing picnics, boat trips with fun, and entertaining activities on the beach like fishing, surfing, beach volleyball, visitors also have the opportunity to visit temples and pagodas in the area.

Although there are simple eateries around Cồn Đen Beach offering essential services for visitors, if combined with visits to other tourist destinations, Diêm Điền town and Thái Bình city are places where you can enjoy famous local specialties such as rice cakes, fish soup, jellyfish salad, soursop salad, thorn leaf cake, banana flower vermicelli...

Dong Bang Temple is a beautifully sculpted wooden art museum, an attractive tourist spot in the rice fields of Thái Bình. The entire scenic area is a large complex, including a system of temples, shrines, pavilions, towers, collectively called the 6 phủ: 1 main temple (Đức Vua temple) and 5 other temples, namely Sinh temple, Second Mandarinate, Third Mandarinate, Dieu Mandarinate, Eighth Mandarinate. Located on an area of ​​11,000 square meters, harmonizing with the charming natural landscape, stretching over the territory of two communes: An Lễ, Đông Hải. Not far from here is the temple of the Holy Tran (Trần Hưng Đạo Đại Vương).

Inside the temple, many artifacts from the Ly to Nguyen dynasties are still preserved. The literary works and unique wooden architectural works such as scrolls, horizontal lacquers, couplets, great tombs... are still relatively intact. In the ancestral worship hall, the sounds of the van singing teams never cease day and night. According to folklore, 'hầu đồng' is an important ritual in the belief of worshiping Mother Goddess and Đức Thánh Trần. Therefore, 'hầu đồng' is a special cultural activity here, attracting a large number of viewers.

It can be said that Dong Bang Temple bears the traditional architectural style of the Northern villages of Vietnam but is influenced by Hue architecture in the early 20th century. That is the art of pottery bonding and overlapping four-sided roofs, which is also the cultural intersection and also makes the unique beauty of this temple even more enchanting. The historical and cultural relic of Dong Bang Temple was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Monument by the Ministry of Culture in 1986.

The beauty of the temple, besides the beauty of the ancient architecture, is also reflected in the exquisite carvings of the ancients, which are still felt in the beauty that has been sanctified, glittering through the lens of pilgrims. That is also the beauty of Vietnamese culture that has created the depth of history, the aspirations, and the wishes of generations. Every year, Dong Bang Temple celebrates its festival on the 20th of August (lunar calendar). But throughout the year, there are still many groups of people coming to visit and offer incense.

Thai Binh's Keo Pagoda, nearly 400 years old, is one of Vietnam's ancient temples that has been almost completely preserved. With its vast scale comprising many majestic structures, the pagoda is considered a masterpiece of wooden art, a testament to the talent of artisans during the Le Dynasty.

This is an architectural masterpiece of the Le Dynasty, still retaining its original ancient architecture. In addition to being the largest in scale among ancient temples in Vietnam, the Pagoda also features many unique artistic architectural structures. The pagoda faces south, with its structures built symmetrically according to the characteristic architectural style of 'internal solidity, external distinction.' If the Tam Quan Ngoai (Three Entrances) is considered the starting architectural point and the Bell Tower behind the pagoda is the end point, then these two points lie on a straight line in the North-South direction, called the divine path. Regarded as a wooden art masterpiece, the Pagoda is also seen as a grand artistic work with 12 main towers and 102 main architectural sections. Additionally, there are 4 towers and 24 sections of auxiliary architectural structures. In total, there are 16 towers and 126 sections covering an area recently measured at approximately 56,000 square meters.

Annually, the Pagoda holds two festivals, the Spring Festival on the 4th day of Lunar New Year, and the Autumn Festival (the main festival) from the 10th to the 15th of the 9th lunar month (the main festival is from the 13th to the 15th), closely associated with the legend of Venerable Khong Lo. The festival is lively and bustling with religious rituals, some traditional customs, artistic performances, folk games, reflecting the riverbank residents' way of life and the agricultural culture of the Red River Delta, attracting many local people and tourists to attend and visit Thai Binh's Keo Pagoda.

Bac Trach Church is one of the largest churches in Vietnam and a must-visit destination when traveling to Thai Binh. It was built within 7 years before being inaugurated on October 13, 2013. The construction here is quite meticulous with tons of building materials combined with round statue architecture, bas-reliefs. Paintings bring you a vivid space.

Bac Trach Church is located in Tien Hai district, about 25km from the center of Thai Binh city. The church is built in Gothic architecture with many windows, sharp towers, pointed arches. This is considered one of the most beautiful architectural masterpieces of Gothic architecture in Vietnam, a masterpiece in Gothic architecture, which is most seen in large churches, royal sanctuaries.

Moreover, you will be impressed by over 100 stained glass windows. Each window is a colorful painting. This is a destination in Thai Binh that you should not miss!

Address: Van Truong, Tien Hai, Thai Binh

Bach Thuan Garden Village has been over 100 years old, located next to the Red River with rich alluvial soil. This is a typical ancient village in the Red River Delta region, also the only garden village in Thai Binh province that still preserves many ancient Vietnamese houses and has a long-standing ornamental tree planting profession.

The people of Bach Thuan Garden Village say that since ancient times, their ancestors have lived by gardening, so this is a typical traditional profession of the whole village, almost every household owns a garden ranging from 2ha to 5ha, with various fruit trees, interspersed with ornamental trees, bonsai trees that are carefully cared for and meticulously trimmed. Unlike other communes in the province where the area of cultivated land is larger than that of garden land, the area of garden land here is greater than the area of rice cultivation land. Coming to Bach Thuan, tourists feel like they are in a miniature park with various shades of color... Along the village roads are many trees with different colors, deep green of bamboo, red of lotus flowers, rainbow trees... Nature has favored Bach Thuan to develop the traditional garden profession. Moreover, tourists will be overwhelmed by hundreds of consecutive fruit trees such as apples, pears, plums, apricots, limes, longans, lychees, oranges, mandarins, kumquats... very suitable for the taste of ladies. As for the gentlemen, they can sit fishing, chatting, and enjoy the fish they catch by themselves with a bottle of fragrant rice wine. Besides, tourists also have the opportunity to participate in the daily life of the people such as rowing on canals, ponds, fishing, riding horses to visit fruit tree gardens or traditional craft villages, enjoy tea mixed with honey-scented with longan flavor.

Bach Thuan Garden Village also has Thuận Vi Market, a rustic but bustling rural market. This is also where traders buy agricultural products from the garden village and then resell them at markets in Thai Binh city or Nam Dinh. Especially in the morning, the market sells many attractive types of steamed cakes such as rolled cake, water fern cake, steamed cake, gio cake, glutinous rice cake, steamed dumplings, shoe-shaped cake, fried cake... among which, Thuận Vi rolled cake is a famous delicious cake in the region, easily captivating diners.

Bach Thuan Garden Village is very suitable for tourists on weekends. In this exploration journey, tourists can buy local specialties as gifts for their relatives such as longan honey, arrowroot flour, various fruits, or some ornamental plants as souvenirs.

Dong Xam Temple, located in Hong Thai commune, Kien Xuong district, Thai Binh province, is an extensive complex of historical relics with a large-scale architectural ensemble covering nearly 10000 square meters. It comprises many splendid architectural structures such as Vong Lau Pavilion, Thuy Toa Pavilion, Hoanh Ma Pavilion, San Te Courtyard, ancestral temple, communal house, ceremonial hall, rear palace, and silver carving craft village...

The silver carving craft in Dong Xam village has existed since the 17th century, making it a famous traditional craft village in Thai Binh. When visiting the village, you will witness firsthand the meticulous and intricate craftsmanship of artisans, producing exquisite and artistic works. The hallmark of Dong Xam's perfect silver products is the skillful and meticulous craftsmanship of the artisans, meeting the demands of even the most discerning customers.

For those who want to experience the unique architecture or the daily life of the locals, Dong Xam Temple and Dong Xam Silver Carving Village are must-visit destinations when traveling to Thai Binh!

Address: Hong Thai commune, Kien Xuong district, Thai Binh

Dong Chau Beach is an untouched and beautiful beach located in Dong Minh commune, Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province. This beach is about 35km from the center of Thai Binh city. When you visit Dong Chau Beach, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a fresh, cool, and pleasant sea breeze. Dong Chau has a coastline stretching up to 5km. On hot summer days, there's nothing better than immersing yourself in the cool seawater at Dong Chau.

The first experience when setting foot on Dong Chau Beach is to play, swim, and immerse yourself in the clear, cool seawater. Moreover, tourists can also experience the local culture here. When you come here, you not only enjoy bathing in a peaceful, romantic atmosphere but also discover the natural scenery with lush green pine forests, which is absolutely wonderful.

The ideal time to visit Dong Chau Beach is in July and August. This is the time of hot weather, little rain, perfect for swimming and playing in the sea.

Address: Dong Minh, Tien Hai, Thai Binh

Hoi Mat Weaving Village in Thai Binh is a must-visit destination if you're looking for a place to explore and experience the craft of mat weaving. When visiting Hoi mat weaving village, tourists will observe the specific process of making mats by the locals. From the meticulous selection of materials to the weaving process. The weaving craft in Hoi village has appeared for many generations, carrying significant cultural meanings. Hoi village is famous for its longstanding mat weaving craft not only in Thai Binh but also in the entire North Delta and Red River Basin, so tourists here are quite numerous.

Hoi mat weaving village is located about 40 km from the center of Thai Binh city. Although quite remote, tourists, especially foreigners, love to visit Hoi mat weaving village. You will find yourself returning to the nostalgic countryside fields to reach this destination. The people here still keep the flame of their craft, love their profession so much, and increasingly spread the reputation of their Hoi mat products far and wide.

Address: Hai Trieu Village (Hoi Village), Tan Le Commune, Hung Ha, Thai Binh

Thai Binh Cathedral was inaugurated in 2007 and is considered one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Vietnam. Located on an area of over 6,201.6 square meters, Thai Binh Cathedral bears the hallmarks of the Bible. The cathedral is clad in a bright cream-colored robe, the color of alluvium, reminiscent of the rice fields of the Red River and Tra Ly River basin.

The two towers of Thai Binh Cathedral, 46 meters high, are designed like two bright burning candles, supported by two sturdy hands reaching straight up to the high sky, always shining brightly, along with the resounding sound of 3 bells, calling everyone to come to God. The sanctuary is designed like a bronze drum, with relief sculptures depicting scenes of daily life, such as hunting, harvesting, or Vietnamese Lac birds. The sanctuary is relatively spacious, capable of serving hundreds of priests in solemn occasions. The sanctuary floor is paved with red granite, resembling a giant red carpet from afar, showing grandeur and magnificence, worthy of being the venue for Mass. With such beautiful design, Thai Binh Cathedral is a place you should visit to learn about architectural design when visiting Thai Binh.

Address: No. 8 Tran Hung Dao Street, Le Hong Phong, Thai Binh