Destination: Hanoi - Halong
| Know the most important attractions in Hanoi - Ha Long
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HANOI
Overview
Hanoi, one of the most beautiful colonial Indochinese cities, is the second biggest city in Vietnam. Noi Bai International Airport, which locates in the Soc Son District, approximately 40 km (25 miles) north of Hanoi, makes it very convenient as the start or end point of a trip to Vietnam. Oozing with charm, Hanoi has quickly become one of the most attractive and elegant destinations in South East Asia since Vietnam opened its doors for tourism. Perfectly, it has its own character together with culture, tradition and architecture.
Similar to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Hanoi still retains a vibrant atmosphere. From the early hours until late at night, millions of motorbikes, taxis, cars, bicycles, etc., are squeezing in all streets to go to work, school, business and travel. However, Hanoi never loses its charming, stunning and elegance. It always maintains as one of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam, which you must visit and explore at least once.
See and Do
Hanoi has a number of lovely parks, museums, lakes, historic and cultural sites, where you can visit and learn about culture and history of the country, which has formed for 4,000 years. Beside that outskirt of Hanoi with some handicraft villages, pagodas, temples – which have more than 1,000 - year history – will make you fall in love with Hanoi more and more.
- Hanoi City Tour
- Halong Bay Full Day
- Halong Bay 2 days – On Junk or Hotel
- Hanoi – Halong – Sapa
- Hoa Lu – Tam Coc Full Day
- Bat Trang Ceramic – Van Phuc Silk – Tram Gian Pagoda 1 day
- Dau and But Phap Pagoda – Dong Ho Painting 1 day
- Bai Dinh – Trang An Pagoda 1 day
- Bat Trang Ceramic – Dong Ho Painting 1 day
- Duong Lam Village – Ba Vi National Park 1 day
- Ninh Binh – Cuc Phuong National Park 2 days
- Perfume Pagoda 1 day
HANOI CITY TOUR
Water Puppet Show
Water Puppetry is a thousand – year – old Vietnamese tradition which was begun in the Red River Delta. The main characters in the show are wooden puppets which are manipulated by bamboo wooden sticks hidden beneath the water. They depict stories of Vietnamese folk tales and daily life. This exciting performance also comes with special effects: smoke, small –fireworks and traditional music played by old folks.
Hoan Kiem Lake
In the middle of the lake, a nondescript monument which looks like a miniature pagoda is the attractive point of the lake. It is a great place to walk around in the early morning when the temperature is lower, the atmosphere is fresher and the traffic is not so busy. It is very easy to see many locals doing exercises near the lake, such as: running, dancing, Tai Chi, weight training, and so on. There are hundreds of turtles living in the lake. Some of them are over 700 years old and they often surface few times a year to mark important national events.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – One Pillar Pagoda
Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is the largest memorial site in Vietnam. It locates at the Ba Dinh Square where President Ho declared the independence for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on Sept 2, 1945. The body of Uncle Ho was cremated in this building. You are allowed to visit with strictly dressed codes and behavior. There are no shorts or miniskirts allowed. This building and area is strictly enforced by staffs and guards.
One Pillar Pagoda is a small pagoda with one pillar in the middle of a lotus pond. This unique pagoda was built by an emperor Ly Thai Tong, ruled Vietnam between 1028 and 1054. This Pagoda is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25m in diameter and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom.
Temple of Literature
Temple of Literature, built in 1070, was a temple to Confucius. It was considered as the Viet Nam’s first university and functioned for more than 700 years, from 1076 to 1779. It was educating the country's nobles, royalty, mandarins and other elite. People who graduated from this place would have their names engraved on the stone stele sitting on large stone turtles in the temple.
Ethnology Museum
The Museum has a large collection of objects on display: knives, mats, baskets, etc., which are used by the different 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.
It also has a variety of musical instruments, jewels, clothing collections, agricultural tools, fishing instruments, which belong to 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Those objects related to various religious customs, rituals wedding and funeral ceremonies.
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Tran Quoc Pagoda featured a bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the holy bodhi tree, where Buddha attained enlightenment under. There are many various shrines, gardens, statuary and relics with some dated from the 17th century. The views from the pagoda’s ground are also quite nice and you can see some local residents fishing from the pagoda's island.
HALONG BAY FULL DAY
Overview
Halong Bay is one of the most magnificent natural wonder that everyone wants to visit when in Vietnam. The Bay has an area of around 1,553 sq km, including 1,960 islands and islets, most of which are limestone that form what is called a Karst. "Bay of the Descending Dragon", it has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its geological uniqueness together with cultural and historical importance. Halong is not only home for 14 endemic floral species and 60 endemic faunal species but also has marvelous cave systems, striking caverns as well as geologically interesting formations, such as uniquely shaped massifs, “Amazing Caves" (Hang Sung Sot), Thien Cung, Dau Go, Coc Ngoi, Ti-Top Island, Cat Ba Island, Bai Tu Long, etc.
Halong Bay locates on the western side of the Gulf of Tonkin in North East Vietnam. The bay is approximately 35 km (21 miles) North – East of Hai Phong City and approximately 170 km (105 miles) by road from Hanoi Capital. Halong Bay is formed by Cat Ba Island to the South, Ngoc Hung and Van Canh islands to the East and the Vietnamese coastline to the north and west
HALONG BAY 2 DAYS – ON JUNK OR HOTEL
Caves and Grottos
Another exceptional geological feature of Halong Bay is the number of limestone islands which have caves and grottoes inside them. The most common caves and grottoes for visit are Thien Cung Cave (Heaven Palace), Dau Go (Tip of Wood) grotto, Sung Sot Cave (Surprise) and Trinh Nu grotto (Virgin).
Sea and Lakes
The lower chambers of those caves and grottos are below sea level, which are often partially filled by tide to form lakes and pools. And it is almost certain that there are undiscovered and fully mysterious lakes inside many of the islands.
There are a rich biodiversity of around 1,000 species of marine animals and over 160 species of coral. Coral reefs make up 30% of the seabed and in some areas almost 80% of the seabed is covered in coral reefs.
The large islands are home to densely tropical forests featuring abundant bird lives. Cat Ba island is a rich treasure trove for nature lovers. The National Park, which occupies most of the island and some of the surrounding waters ranges in diversity from double – tiered primeval tropical rainforests on the slopes of the hills, down to tidal mangrove forests and inshore coral reefs. The island is also home for several plant and tree species which are strongly used for medicine cause and one of the rarest primate species which still exists is the Cat Ba (Golden – headed) langur.
HANOI – HALONG – SAPA
Halong Bay
Halong Bay is one of the most magnificent natural wonder that everyone wants to visit when in Vietnam. The Bay has an area of around 1,553 sq km, including 1,960 islands and islets, most of which are limestone that form what is called a Karst. "Bay of the Descending Dragon", it has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its geological uniqueness together with cultural and historical importance. Halong is not only home for 14 endemic floral species and 60 endemic faunal species but also has marvelous cave systems, striking caverns as well as geologically interesting formations, such as uniquely shaped massifs, “Amazing Caves" (Hang Sung Sot), Thien Cung, Dau Go, Coc Ngoi, Ti-Top Island, Cat Ba Island, Bai Tu Long, etc.
Halong Bay locates on the western side of the Gulf of Tonkin in North East Vietnam. The bay is approximately 35 km (21 miles) North – East of Hai Phong City and approximately 170 km (105 miles) by road from Hanoi Capital. Halong Bay is formed by Cat Ba Island to the South, Ngoc Hung and Van Canh islands to the East and the Vietnamese coastline to the north and west
Laocai – Sapa
Sapa is located at the foothills of Vietnam’s northern mountain range. It is a mountainous district of Lao Cai province. Sapa is a modest and quiet land but it hides many wonders of nature. Sapa’s scenery is the combination of human creativity and mountains’ topography and green forests. All creates a romantic area.
Engulfing in clouds, Sapa is – a magical area. It has Fan Si Pang peak (3.143m) on the Hoang Lien Son range. The mountain range was named after a pharmaceutical tree, Hoang Lien Son.
Sapa was originally home for the Black Hmong ethnic minorities. With the growth of tourism, many of the hill tribes have moved away from Sapa’s city centre into the surrounding hill county. Weavings and artwork are often sold at the main market by ethnic minorities.
Hoa Lu – Tam Coc
Tam Coc takes about two hour drive from Hanoi (110 km) to the South. The boat will be rowed by local people through three caves on the river. All was created by wind and water from a legend time, while the sea had occupied this area. The river trip is wonderful for photo hunters, especially when local people come to harvest water rice planted along the river, or when they transplant some seedling for the next crop. Tam Coc is also called Halong-Bay-On-Land.
Hoa Lu is nearby Tam Coc. The relics of the ancient capital Hoa Lu are the temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le, the two heroes who lived in 10th century and chose Hoa Lu to build the citadel of the capital city. The temples are said to be built on the old foundation of their original palaces in 11-12th centuries and restored in 17th century. Some precious antiques are still preserved well, such as the whole-stone dragon thrones, wooden bas-relieves and lacquered statues of King and Queen.
BAT TRANG – VAN PHUC – TRAM GIAN
Bat Trang Ceramic Village
Bat Trang is a village in North Vietnam about 13 kilometers south east of Hanoi, on the Red river. It has been famous for its ceramics for a thousand years, particularly dinnerware and ornamental ware. The most outstanding strength of Bat Trang village is its tradition of making pottery. The people are very skilful and talented, producing a product that has a distinctive look. Bat Trang traditional quality pottery includes bowl, dish, pot, cup, wine pot, a big flower-vase, leg lamp, lime-pot, big-bellied jar with glazes – ancient pearl glaze, crackle glaze, dark glaze, indigo-blue flower glaze, grey flower glaze, melt glaze... Craftsmanship developed over many generations.
Van Phuc Silk
Van Phuc is situated on the bank of Nhue River, 10km from central Hanoi on the southwest motorway. The village is in the centre of Ha Dong Town and the biggest silk production village in Vietnam. The village’s fine silk, commonly known as Ha Dong Silk, has inspired many poets and composers to write about its beauty.
The most famous Van Phuc product is “lua van”. The village stocks a wide variety of silk products and ships goods all over Vietnam, as well as exported overseas.
Tram Gian Pagoda
Tram Gian Pagoda, roughly 7km southeast of Quoc Oai Village along a country lane and 3km north of Highway 6 coming from Hanoi, the pagoda‘s signed to the right of the highway at the kilometre 21 marker. It is well – known as the large, peaceful temple sitting on a wooded hill for its rich array of statues. There are over 150 statues, including more arhats in the side corridors, alongside some toe-curling depictions of the underworld and an impressive group on the main altar. Among them sits the unmistakable, pot-bellied laughing Maitreya, the carefree Buddha, in stark contrast to the black emaciated figure behind him.
DAU and BUT PHAP PAGODA – DONG HO VILLAGE
Dau Pagoda
The Dau Pagoda, also known as Phap Van, Dieu Ung or Co Chau, locates in Thanh Khuong commune, Thuan Thanh district, the northern province of Bac Ninh.
The pagoda is at the centre of the prominent historical and cultural sites in north Bac Ninh Province: the Luy Lau ancient citadel, Si Nhiep temple and a system of pagodas, temples, villas, roads, markets, tombs, brick and pottery kilns - the evidence of a historical period tens of centuries before Christ.
Materials and antiques left at the Dau Pagoda, especially a wood block made around 1750 years ago and research on the history of Vietnamese Buddhism (which appeared in the country around 1,800 years ago) confirm that the Dau Pagoda is the one of the oldest Vietnamese Buddhist pagodas.
Pagodas were built near citadels, palaces, markets and along the streets of Luy Lau and the Dau Pagoda was one of them. This pagoda became the centre of a branch of Buddhism and many veteran monks from China and India went there to research, compile, translate prayers and train monks.
But Phap Pagoda
But Thap Pagoda, located on the bank of the Duong River in Dinh To commune, Thuan Thanh district of the northern province of Bac Ninh, is about 30 kilometres northeast of Hanoi. It was built in the reign of King Tran Thanh Tong in the 13th century. The pagoda is one of the finest pagodas in the country’s north and known as Vietnam’s first Buddhist centre. It is famous for its traditional Vietnamese Art of Wood Carving and Sculpture. There are some splendid works of arts such as houses in the pagoda, including the statue of Buddha with thousand hands and thousands eyes, and also the statue of Tay Thien Dong Do Vietnam
Dong Ho Paintings
Dong Ho Painting is a kind of Vietnamese folk painting originating in Dong Ho Village in Song Ho Commune, Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh Province. Dong Ho paintings have about 300 years of history.
Artists use pine – leaf brushes to coat Dzo paper with sea bivalve mollusk powder to create a sparkling colourful background. Colours of the painting are refined from various kinds of tree leaves, which people can easily find in Vietnam. Traditional artists use all-natural colours for their pictures: burnt bamboo leaves for black, cajuput leaves for green, copper rust for blue, pine resin for amber, and crushed egg shells mixed with paste for white. The painting is covered by a layer of sticky rice paste to protect the painting and their colours. They are also lasting longer. It is very difficult to make them dimmer even time or daylight.
Dong Ho Painting has produced hundreds of famous works such as the romantic and humorous “Catching coconuts”, “Teacher” which captures old educational practice and “Jealousy scene” satirizing the polygamous system. But the most famous ones are the pictures of pigs with Ying and Yang circles on the bodies.
BAI DINH – TRANG AN PAGODA
Bai Dinh Pagoda
Bai Dinh Pagoda is famous for its great size and imposingness. The pagoda will be also set more record for the owner of the most Arhat Statues in ASEAN with 500 Arhat statues made of stone and standing higher than human’s head.
Four statues - three bronze Tam The statues and one Great Buddha Sakyamuni statue - are the pride of “Owners” of Bai Dinh pagoda. Each statue of Tam The weighs 50 tons, 12m high, Great Buddha Sakyamuni statue with 16m high and weighs 100 tons, which are casted by the pure bronze bought from Russian, casted and installed by the famous Artisans of casting bronze statue in Y Yen, Nam Dinh. A “great bell” with the weight of 60 tons was casted and located on the top of hill on the way come to the main sanctuary.
Ecologically and historically rich, the Bai Dinh Pagoda Mountain was recognised as a cultural and historical heritage site in 1997.
Trang An Ecology
Trang An – the eco tourism attraction locates in the East of Ninh Binh, with area of 2000 ha. The area caves – Trang An eco was discovered several years ago. In 2001, the cave was discovered by a project in terms of research scientists and indigenous people.
BAT TRANG – DONG HO
Batbat Trang Ceramic Village
Bat Trang is a village in North Vietnam about 13 kilometers south east of Hanoi, on the Red river. It has been famous for its ceramics for a thousand years, particularly dinnerware and ornamental ware. The most outstanding strength of Bat Trang village is its tradition of making pottery. The people are very skilful and talented, producing a product that has a distinctive look. Bat Trang traditional quality pottery includes bowl, dish, pot, cup, wine pot, a big flower-vase, leg lamp, lime-pot, big-bellied jar with glazes such as ancient pearl glaze, crackle glaze, dark glaze, indigo-blue flower glaze, grey flower glaze, melt glaze... Craftsmanship developed over many generations.
Dong Ho Paitings
Dong Ho Painting is a kind of Vietnamese folk painting originating in Dong Ho Village in Song Ho Commune, Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh Province. Dong Ho paintings have about 300 years of history.
Artists use pine leaf brushes to coat Dzo paper with sea bivalve mollusk powder to create a sparkling colourful background. Colours of the painting are refined from various kinds of tree leaves, which people can easily find in Vietnam. Traditional artists use all-natural colours for their pictures: burnt bamboo leaves for black, cajuput leaves for green, copper rust for blue, pine resin for amber, and crushed egg shells mixed with paste for white. The painting is covered by a layer of sticky rice paste to protect the painting and their colours. They are so long lasting, so that it is very difficult to make them dimmer even time or daylight.
Dong Ho Painting has produced hundreds of famous works such as the romantic and humorous “Catching coconuts”, “Teacher” which captures old educational practice and “Jealousy scene” satirizing the polygamous system. But the most famous ones are the pictures of pigs with Ying and Yang circles on the bodies.
DUONG LAM – BA VI NATIONAL PARK
Duong Lam Village
The ancient village has a history of about 1,200 years with many houses dating back up to 400 years. One special thing about the village is that most of the buildings here are made of laterite and mud; two materials that are abundant in the area. Apart from its historical and tourism values, Duong Lam ancient village is an important place for scientists to study resident communities in ancient agriculture. The village gate, banyan, well, communal house are important factors in classifying Duong Lam ancient village.
The wooden house mainly has 5 or 7 spans with 2 wings. It has 5 rows of columns, sometime 1 row disappears. The house has specialized by sophisticatedly carved details in the form of flowers, leaves, clouds. A system of wooden doors is very firm. Each span has 4 leaves of the door with upper and lower joints. Thresholds were made of firm wood above 40-50cm from the ground and 10cm from the floor. This distance helps to ventilate well, avoid humidity for the thresholds. The whole system of the thresholds is the tie system linking all spans together.
For tangible culture relic, Duong Lam has 21 relic sites, consisting of temples, pagodas and tombs and ten of which have been classified as national and provincial relics. For intangible cultural relic, Duong Lam has preserved various festivals, customs and literature on the people and land of Duong Lam through different period of time.
NINH BINH – CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK
Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh is a province at the North East of Hanoi in the Red River Delta. Ninh Binh nowadays is a famous destination which attracts more and more tourists to come here to visit its beautiful landscapes and historical structures such as: Hoa Lu (the old capital of Vietnam which is dedicated to the King Dinh Tien Hoang and Tien Le dynasty), the temples of King Dinh and King Le, Phat Diem cathedral, Bai Dinh pagoda, Cuc Phuong national park, etc…
Cuc Phuong National Park
Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong is the oldest national park in Vietnam. Located only 120km southwest of Hanoi and nestled between the provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa, Cuc Phuong boasts engaging cultural and wildlife heritage and enchanting scenery. Limestone magnificent mountains rise up majestically from the green rice-terraces and traditional stilt houses of the Muong hill-tribe. Covered in a dense forest they form a habitat for some of Asia's rarest species. It is no wonder that researchers, naturalists, enthusiasts and conservationists alike are drawn to this corner of the world.
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