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Quang Tri, the heroic land of our nation, where the traces of a time of war are preserved. Today, this land is rising, modernizing, and keeping pace with the country's development. If you want to visit a place to learn about history and the sacrifices made by previous generations to protect the country's independence, then Quang Tri is the place for you. Let's explore this heroic land together with VNTRIP.VN!
Your Quang Tri Travel Handbook
Best Time to Visit
You can visit Quang Tri for tourism at any time of the year, but it's best to avoid the following periods:
May, June: hot weather due to dry winds
July, November: rainy season causing inconvenience for sightseeing and beach trips
Transportation
Airplane: There is no airport in Quang Tri yet. However, you can book a flight to Quang Binh or Hue, and then take a bus from either of these two locations to Quang Tri.
Bus: From Hanoi bus stations, you can easily catch buses to Quang Tri. Ticket prices range from 250,000 to 300,000 VND depending on the bus and the time of travel.
Train: You can purchase train tickets to Quang Tri at all railway stations. The cheapest train ticket from Hanoi to Quang Tri is just over 300,000 VND for a hard seat, while the most expensive is around 700,000 VND for a soft air-conditioned sleeper. The travel time from Hanoi to Quang Tri is about 12 hours by train.
Places to Visit
Quang Tri Ancient Citadel
Address: Ward 2, Quang Tri Town
Quang Tri Ancient Citadel was built in 1809, during the reign of King Gia Long. Initially, it was constructed with earth and later rebuilt with bricks. During the French colonial period, a prison was built here to detain our patriotic political prisoners. This place also witnessed fierce battles of our nation. Therefore, the ancient citadel holds immense historical value for our people.
Quang Tri Ancient Citadel (Photo: ST)
Vinh Moc Tunnels
Address: Vinh Thach Town, Vinh Linh District
Constructed in 1965, Vinh Moc Tunnels were completed after 2 years with a length of approximately 2000 meters. The tunnel system consists of 3 levels, each serving different purposes such as living quarters, weapon storage, and bomb shelters. To this day, the architecture of Vinh Moc Tunnels remains remarkably intact without significant damage, preserving its original structure.
Historical site of Vinh Moc Tunnels (Photo: ST)
Cua Tung Beach
Location: Vinh Quang Commune, Quang Tri Province
As a beautiful beach with white sand and clear blue water, Cua Tung Beach attracts numerous visitors during the summer. This place also features eight stretches of red Badan land jutting out into the sea, forming a majestic comb-like hill range. Besides being a tourist destination in Quang Tri, it also leads tourists to a series of historical sites such as the 17th Parallel, Truong Son Martyrs Cemetery, Vinh Moc Tunnels, and more.
Cua Tung Beach rivals other famous beaches in beauty (Photo: ST)
Truong Son Martyrs Cemetery
Address: Ben Tat Hill, Vinh Truong Commune, Gio Linh District, Quang Tri Province (about 38km northwest of Dong Ha Town).
This is the largest national martyrs cemetery, where the graves of youth volunteers, soldiers, and civilian volunteers who constructed and defended the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail during the resistance war against America to save the country are solemnly gathered.
Truong Son Martyrs Cemetery (Photo: ST)
Truong Son Martyrs Cemetery is divided into 5 different areas. The central area is situated on a high hill with a solemn white stone monument, hollow and missing three sides, symbolizing the immense loss of the nation. The four martyr grave areas are arranged by province, city spread over five different hills. Between the grave areas are forests, paths leading to the graves are paved with stones, bricks, or cement, and each area has a memorial house with architecture reminiscent of the country's rural regions.
Con Co Island
Address: About 30km from the coast of Vinh Linh.
Con Co Island is relatively round in shape, with elevations ranging from 5 to 30 meters above sea level, and in the middle of the island, there is a hill rising. Ordinary means of transportation cannot reach the island when encountering winds of level 6 or higher. Besides its historical value, this island has great potential for tourism due to its pristine beauty with clear blue water, even dubbed the “Pearl Island in the middle of the East Sea.”
Con Co Island (Photo: ST)
Dakrong Scenic Spot
This scenic area encompasses the beautiful Dakrong River, which holds within it legends full of epic tales and humanism. There's the charming Dakrong Bridge amidst the vast sky, rivers, and mountains in western Quang Tri. Additionally, this location boasts valuable natural mineral springs and is a vital hub of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and National Route 9, the trans-Asia route through the Lao Bao - Den Sa Van international border gate.
Simple mountainous scenery (Photo: ST)
Khe Sanh Base, Ta Con Airport
Address: Tan Hop Commune, Huong Hoa District (from Dong Ha city, take National Highway 9 to Huong Hoa district, then ask for directions to Tan Hop commune)
These are highly renowned landmarks that are no strangers to every Vietnamese citizen, as they have been mentioned in history lessons since childhood. Here, you will hear about the intense 170 days and nights of fierce combat between us and the U.S., about the haunting 'Dien Bien Phu at Khe Sanh' of the enemy forces. Visiting Khe Sanh Base, you will partly feel the pain of war and the sacrifice of the previous generation for us to enjoy the peaceful life we have today.
Khe Sanh Base, Ta Con Airport (Photo: ST)
Lao Bao Border Crossing
Address: Lao Bao town, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province
Lao Bao is a bustling Vietnam-Laos border crossing. From here, you only need a few minutes to complete the procedures to travel to the beautiful Savannakhet province in Laos. What's interesting and convenient is that you can easily bring your own motorcycle from Vietnam to Laos here for easy transportation and exploration.
Lao Bao Border Crossing (Photo: ST)
Cuisine
Buffalo Meat with Truong Leaves
Buffalo meat has a sweet taste and is very beneficial for health. It can be said that buffalo meat possesses more nutritional value than beef. Truong leaves are a type of thorny leaf that often grows wild in the mountainous forests of Quang Tri province. These leaves have a distinctive fragrant and spicy aroma. Buffalo meat with Truong leaves has become a specialty favored by the people of Quang Tri because when eaten, you can feel the sweet taste of buffalo meat blending with the spicy flavor and fragrant aroma of Truong leaves, creating a memorable and distinctive taste for diners.
Buffalo Meat with Truong Leaves (Photo: ST)
Quang Tri Clear Dumplings
The crust of the dumplings is made from cassava flour, while the filling is made from various ingredients such as pork, chicken, shrimp, and mung beans. However, the most delicious and suitable filling is still fresh shrimp combined with finely minced pork seasoned with spices, then stir-fried until cooked. Quang Tri clear dumplings are made very small with the meaning that when served on the dining table, the small dumplings will create a feeling of scarcity, so everyone will eat them all instead of leaving leftovers. This reflects the frugal living ethos of the people here.
Quang Tri Clear Dumplings (Photo: ST)
Am Village Bamboo Shoot Soup
Am Village Bamboo Shoot Soup is a specialty dish from Hai Lang homeland (Quang Tri), cooked with two main ingredients: snakehead fish and river vegetables. To make delicious soup, the snakehead fish should be from freshwater, and if it has eggs, it's even better. As for the river vegetables, they must be freshly picked and thoroughly washed to maintain their crispness, enhancing the flavor of the dish.
Am Village Bamboo Shoot Soup (Photo: ST)
When enjoying the soup, the slightly sour taste of river vegetables combines with a hint of bitterness. This dish is commonly served in daily meals as well as during memorial days and festivals by the people of Quang Tri.
Banh Khoai
Quang Tri Pancake is made from rice flour, sometimes with added straw mushrooms or seafood, but the most common filling is simply shrimp or pork with mung bean sprouts. These pancakes are typically served with a variety of herbs such as water spinach, banana blossom, and thinly sliced starfruit, accompanied by a dipping sauce made from ground pork, liver, and pork skin, finely crushed peanuts, garlic, and chili powder. Despite its simplicity and rusticity, this dish leaves a lasting impression on diners.
Traditional Pancake Dish (Photo: ST)
Mai Xa Clam Vermicelli
Mai Xa Clam Vermicelli is a specialty of Mai Xa village, Quang Tri. Although it's called clam vermicelli, it's actually made from chắt chắt, a type of clam smaller and more flavorful than regular clams. The cooking process isn't too complicated: you just sauté the chắt chắt with onions and spices until they firm up, then add water. Once the broth boils, you add vermicelli and some aromatic herbs, a little ginger, and some spicy chili on top. With these simple steps, you'll have a bowl of light yet flavorful vermicelli soup that perfectly embodies the essence of Quang Tri cuisine.
Delicious Clam Vermicelli (Photo: ST)
Rice Noodle with Fish Dish
Although called rice noodle soup, it's not actually soup. This dish is made from rice noodle strands with snakehead fish. A handful of noodles, some fragrant snakehead fish, a bit of scallions, fresh chili, and pour in broth, and there you have it - rice noodle with fish dish ready for you to enjoy. You'll find it hard to forget the spicy, tongue-burning taste of the chili in this local delicacy, whether it's summer or winter, slurping a hot bowl of rice noodle with fish dish will bring you immense pleasure.
Rice Noodle with Fish Dish (Photo: ST)
Lemongrass Offal Porridge
Lemongrass offal porridge, also known as floating offal, has been a famous dish in the sunny land of Quang Tri for a long time. This porridge is made by mixing pig or duck offal with lemongrass, seasoning with spices, adding golden-roasted rice and mung beans into boiling water, and cooking until tender. Then, add pig or duck offal, wait for the broth to boil again, and add some spicy chili for the authentic flavor.
Lemongrass Offal Porridge (Photo: ST)
Braised Corn
For this dish, one must select corn kernels that are round, shiny, and bright yellow. These carefully chosen kernels are thoroughly cleaned and soaked overnight. The cook wakes up early to skim off any impurities, then puts them in a pot and simmers them over low heat with dry wood. When the corn is cooked, add pre-prepared ingredients like boiled mung beans, sugar, salt, pepper, and a bit of sesame. This braised corn dish is delicious, chewy, and brings a taste of Quang Tri's rustic life.
Braised Corn Dish (Photo: ST)
Rice Cake with Ramie Leaves
Rice cake with ramie leaves is made from ramie leaves, mung beans, and banana leaves. When eaten, this cake feels soft and chewy, with a slightly earthy taste from the sweet bean filling, complemented by the delicate fragrance of green beans sprinkled with banana oil. It is often used as an offering to ancestors, then served at weddings, and finally given as gifts to distant relatives. This dish embodies the simplicity of the people and countryside of central Vietnam.
Rice Cake with Ramie Leaves (Photo: ST)
Phuong Lang Steamed Rice Rolls
Every time the name Phuong Lang in Quang Tri is mentioned, people immediately think of the famous steamed rice rolls associated with the village.
These steamed rice rolls are made from rice water. Specifically, the rice, after being thoroughly washed, is soaked in water overnight, then ground into rice water, and spread on steam. The rice cakes should be spread neither too thick nor too thin. After steaming, the cakes are stacked and served with meat, a few raw vegetables, and dipping sauce. The rice cakes are even more delicious when they are still hot because they are softer at that time.
Steamed Rice Rolls with Pork and Fresh Vegetables (Photo: ST)
Accommodation in Quang Tri
Book your room with Vntrip.vn to receive attractive discounts on real prices
Sai Gon Dong Ha Hotel
Address: 1 Bui Thi Xuan, Ward 2, Dong Ha City
Rating: 4 stars
Sai Gon Dong Ha Hotel stands out among the hotels in Dong Ha for its luxury, convenience, and modernity. It is an ideal stopover for tourists and also serves as a conference center, wedding venue, conference, and professional seminar in Dong Ha.
Accommodation at Sai Gon Dong Ha Hotel (Photo: ST)
The hotel is fully equipped with complimentary wifi, 3 restaurants, a spa area offering relaxation and beauty treatments, 2 bars, and a lounge area to ensure you have the most comfortable stay.
Bao Cuong Hotel
Address: 3 Ly Thuong Kiet, Lao Bao Town, Huong Hoa District
Located within the Makdahan Thailand supermarket complex, Bao Cuong Hotel offers high-quality services with well-equipped rooms featuring TV, complimentary Wifi, and mini-bars... From this hotel, guests can easily access Lao Bao Shopping Center for shopping, or for those intending to visit Laos, the Lao Bao border gate is conveniently close by.
A clean and spacious hotel (Photo: ST)
Golden Quang Tri Hotel
Address: 295-297 Le Duan, Dong Ha City
Rating: 3 stars
Located in the heart of Dong Ha city, Golden Quang Tri Hotel offers you the most comfortable bedrooms with full amenities to meet all your needs. Additionally, the hotel also features a variety of restaurants serving Quang Tri specialties, bars, rooms providing massage, spa, sauna services... From this hotel, you can easily explore the famous landmarks and historical sites of Quang Tri.
The bedrooms are quite convenient and luxurious (Photo: ST)
Above is the Quang Tri travel guide from VNTRIP.VN. We wish you a pleasant visit to this heroic land!
