Trang An Cultural and Natural Heritage Complex is located in many districts of Ninh Binh province. This is our country’s only “dual” heritage recognized by UNESCO. This heritage complex includes the Trang An – Tam Coc – Bich Dong scenic area – Hoa Lu ancient capital – Hoa Lu special-use forest.
In that complex, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu is located in the North; Tam Coc – Bich Dong is located in the south; Trang An tourist area is located in a central location. From Ninh Binh city center, visitors only need to go about 8km to get here. This place attracts tourists because of its charming landscape, famous spiritual tourist attractions, unique festivals, and attractive specialties.
It has a system of limestone mountains 250 million years old over hundreds of millions of years of weathering and transformation. Hence, Trang An today has an attractive Vietnamese beauty with a series of valleys, lakes, lagoons, caves, flooded forests, or forests on a beautiful limestone mountain.
Besides, this scenic spot is a place to preserve and contain many archaeological sites and historical and cultural relics. In addition, there are many historical relics from the Dinh and Tran dynasties today.
Geographical location
Located nearly 100 km south of Hanoi capital and 7 km west of Ninh Binh city center along Trang An Avenue. Trang An scenic complex spreads over 2,000 hectares, including Trang An eco-tourism area in the central location, Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourist area in the north 8 km away, Hoa Lu ancient capital in the central position 3km south. The link between these tourist areas is a special-use forest and winding valleys and rivers that blend.
Best time to visit
– January-March (lunar calendar): this is the best time to visit Trang An. At this time, the weather is warm and temperate, and flowers and leaves sprout. Hence, it can be convenient for sitting on the boat and visiting scenic spots. Besides, this season has many festivals, which can be combined with visiting festivals or going to pagodas to pray for peace. Plus, if you want to participate in one of the traditional Trang An festivals, like the Co Lau festival, you should come here from the 8th to the 10th of the third lunar month.
– In June (lunar calendar): the weather is a bit hot, but the sky is blue, and there is little rain. Additionally, suppose you want to experience the feeling of sitting on a boat on the rivers and watching the poetic, ripe golden rice fields. In that case, you can also enjoy the lotus blooming ponds with a sweet and charming fragrance. Therefore, this time is very suitable for sightseeing.
– If you go in July-September, then Trang An is in the ripe rice season. Thus, you cannot miss this time if you like to see the golden rice fields on the boat. In November and December, the weather is bad since it rains a lot. Hence, you should avoid traveling to Trang An at this time.
Top destinations to visit
1. Tam Coc – Bich Dong
Possessing a spacious area of 350.3 hectares, the scenic spot is a combination of limestone systems, caves, and peaceful village scenery. In addition, this tourist complex also owns a Bich Dong Pagoda imbued with traditional architecture and historical relics related to Vu Lam Palace of the Tran dynasty in the past. Visitors can take a boat down the Ngo Dong River to explore Tam Coc.
Tam Coc means three caves including Ca Cave, Hai Cave, and Ba Cave. Tam Coc is surprisingly beautiful in the eyes of tourists with its towering limestone mountains, interesting shapes in caves, and ripe golden rice fields on both sides.
2. Mua Cave
About a 15-minute drive from Trang An, Mua Cave tourist area is located right at the foot of the mountain. Mua Cave has its own outstanding beauty. To admire the majestic natural scenery and the vast golden rice fields stretching across Tam Coc, you have to reach the top of the mountain. You need to overcome the challenge of 486 stone steps flanked by majestic ancient dragon and phoenix reliefs.
Immersed in the wonder of Ninh Binh Mua Cave, you will experience a “hidden paradise” in the heart of everyday life. Favored by tourists as the “Scene of a Fairytale” place, all worries and troubles in the world suddenly disappeared.
Mua Cave is located in Ninh Xuan commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh. The team of architects from Ninh Binh has created a unique masterpiece with undeniable creativity.
3. Trinh Temple
This temple is where the four generals of the Dinh dynasty were. These are the generals who govern the king’s gold and silver vaults. It is said that after King Dinh Tien passed away, four generals brought Dinh Toan and hid in this place to avoid the pursuit of Le Hoan. And when King Le Hoan ascended the throne, they martyred themselves in this place.
4. Tran Temple
Tran Temple is where to worship the deity Quy Minh, the deity of the southern gate of Hoa Lu town. King Dinh Tien Hoang established this temple. However, when King Tran Thai Tong came to power, he renovated the temple and renamed it Tran Temple.
5. Trang An Cave
Forty-eight caves have been discovered, including 2 km long trans-water caves such as Dia Linh Cave, Sinh Duoc Cave, May Cave, etc. Each cave has unique transformed stalactites, and the water flowing from the ceiling makes the air in the cave cool.
Next, the wine-making cave has clear underground water more than 10m deep. Legend has it that the ancestors came here to collect water and cook wine for the emperor. When dredging the cave, archaeologists discovered many ceramic pots, jars, and tools for making wine.
Dark Cave has a wide and narrow cave that changes unexpectedly. A bright cave glitters with strange iridescent stalactites. Besides those caves above, Trang An has many other caves, such as Thien Ha Cave, Am Tien Cave, and so on.
6. Thung Nham Ecotourism Area
The center of Hai Nham Hill Valley (referred to as Thung Nham) is more than 40 hectares wide, located at the westernmost tip of Ninh Hai commune and Hoa Lu district, 14 km from Ninh Binh city center. Thung Nham ecotourism area is one of the tourist attractions in the core area of the Trang An landscape complex. This tourist area is located in Hai Nham Valley, with the main highlight being the natural bird garden and rich and rare flora and fauna ecosystem.
Plus, it has beautiful natural caves, typically: Vai Gioi Cave, Tien Ca Cave, Thuy Cung Cave, and so on. Moreover, Thung Nham Bird Park spreads over an area of more than 300 hectares and is home to about 40,000 birds. Plus, this palace has about 5,000 bird nests belonging to 46 species. Especially in the bird garden, there are two particularly rare species of birds listed in the Red Book of Vietnam: flamingos and phoenix birds.
Conclusion
Trang An scenic spot is an eco-tourism area located in the Trang An World Heritage Complex, a prominent tourist destination not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast Asia and the world. This place has been ranked a particularly important national monument by the Vietnamese Government and recognized by UNESCO as a dual world heritage site since 2014.
Different from the bustle of the city or the crowdedness of the sea, Trang An is nestled in the gentle beauty of the blue mountains. The quiet and contemplative nature of Trang An over time has made many people come here. Once they come, they will want to come again.
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