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NORTHERN PROVINCES
Hai Phong Province
Hai Phong, one of three largest cities in Vietnam after Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, was officially founded in 1888. Situated 120km east of Ha Noi, Hai Phong lies on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. With a warm climate and sunny beaches, Hai Phong has favourable conditions for tourism. Hai Phong is also a major sea port lying on the international sea lane from East-West and North-South. It was already a commercial port some centuries ago when merchants from China, Japan, France, Spain and Portugal came to trade. Nowadays, Hai Phong is speeding up to implement its own economic projects to build an export processing zone and an industrial estate to develop the city's local industries, particularly the chemical industry , ship-building and the production of construction materials. An international recreation centre in Do Son is taking shape. Also under way are projects to upgrade the facilities of the port, and National Highway 5 linking Hai Phong and Ha Noi. Besides its naturally beautiful seascapes, Hai Phong also attracts tourists by its unique traditional festivals, ritual ceremonies and places of historic and cultural interest.
Do Son Beach : Immediately upon setting foot in Hai Phong, the French turned Do Son into a summer resort for their community and the Vietnamese upper classes. Do Son Airport was built in 1950. The sea resort town is composed of three zones, each having bathing beaches, hills and quiet pine forests. In Zone II, stands a former summer residence of Bao Dai, the final king of Nha Nguyen. In Zone III, there is a small construction in imitation of a pagoda. It is called "Pagodon". At the very tip of the peninsula built on the top of a large hill is Van Hoa Hotel. This is the finest architectural work in Do Son. Hang Kenh Communal House was built in 1856. It is famous for its inestimable works of wooden sculpture : 156 pieces of engraving with the figure of a dragon as the main theme. There are altogether 308 dragons of different shapes and sizes. Of high artistic value are a statue of King Ngo Quyen and a palanquin. Every year from the 16th to 18th days of the lunar second month, ritual ceremonies, festivals, performances of Cheo, Tuong and other folk songs and traditional games are held at the house, attracting a large public participation. Cat Ba National Park : Situated on Cat Ba Island, this Park covers 15,200 ha, including 9,800 ha of forests and 4,200 ha of sea waters. Cat Ba Island is the biggest of Cat Ba group of 366 islands. They join Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay to form a spectacular array of sea and island scenery. Cat Ba National Park mostly includes limestone hills with an average height of 150m. There are also marvelous grottoes and white sand beaches. The largest area of tropical primeval forests in Vietnam remain in this Park. According to initial statistics, there are some 745 species in 149 families of plants, including various species of rare wood trees that need to be protected (Cho doi, Trai ly, Lat hoa, Kim giao for example). Cat Ba National Park is home to 20 types of mammals, 69 birds and more than 30 reptiles and amphibians. The rarest are the Vooc (white-headed monkeys) which are seen on the high limestone mountain walls along the island's coast. Also seen are mountain goats, deer, wild boars and various kinds of beautiful birds such as kingfishers, hornbills and hawks. Some 20km to the northeast of Hai Phong is Bach Dang River which runs through a rugged terrain close to the sea. Also named Van Cu or Rung River, Bach Dang River entered Vietnamese history with the resounding military exploits of national heroes Ngo Quyen (938AD), Le Dai Hanh (981AD) and Tran Hung Dao (1288). Generally, their usual strategy was to plant secretly the pointed stakes in the bed of Bach Dang River. The Vietnamese troops lured the invaders into the ambush, and launched a counter-offensive at the ebb. Consequently, many enemy warships were sunk because they had been pierced by those dangerous stakes.
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HOA LU Ancient Royal Capital : In 968, Dinh Bo Linh ascended to the throne and took the name of King Dinh Tien Hoang. The country was named Dai Co Viet. Because of its half-mountain half-plain topography, Hoa Lu was chosen as royal capital during 41 years (968-1009). Twelve years were spent under Nha Dinh (Dinh Dynasty), and the remaining 29 years were under Nha Tien Le (Pre-Le Dynasty) beginning with King Le Dai Hanh. King Le Dai Hanh was credited with building many palaces and made the royal capital more beautiful and magnificent. In 1010, Ly Thai To moved the royal capital of Hoa Lu to Thang Long. Nowadays, tourists can see two temples some 500m apart of each other : One in dedication to King Dinh Tien Hoang and the other to King Le Dai Hanh. On the 10th day of the lunar third month each year, a great number of pilgrims come to Hoa Lu to pay tributes to Kings Dinh and Le.
C uc Phuong National Park covers an area of 25,000ha, three quarters of which are limestone mountains. This primeval tropical forest was discovered in 1960, and turned into a national park two years later. Cuc Phuong is famous for dozens of picturesque caves. The most interesting of them is Dong Nguoi Xua (Ancient Man Cave) where stone tools of prehistoric humans were found. The National Park is home to some 2,000 species of flora. It is also home to 262 species of animals, birds and reptiles, including elephants, tigers, deer, flying squirrels, flying lizards and boas.
Tam Coc literally means 'Three caves' and is actually a combination of three caves: First, Second and Third or Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba respectively. They are to be found in Ninh Hi village of Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province, just 100 km Southeast of Ha Noi. The only entrance to the compound with the three caves is a three-hour long waterway starting from Dinh Cac in Van Long village. Having left the roadway, one is greeted by hundreds of small boats waiting to take visitors to Tam Coc. Sitting on boat enroute to Tam Coc, one is enclosed by the scenic beauty of huge rocks standing along the river and scattered green rice fields, all combining to form a poetic painting of the countryside. An early morning ride only adds to this scene a thick layer of fog, making one wonder if this is indeed earth or Heaven? A 2-km ride from Van Long would take you to Hang Ca where you are welcomed by a real rainbow in the water if it is morning time. The sun after rising high above Hang Mua (Cave of Dance) creates this effect which pull one's mind away from reality into a dream world. The rocks eaten by sea water over thousands of years have been carved into a series of caves here. Although the sea is far away from the locality, now the caves remain. Rainwater has helped to polish the caves and start up underground rivers.Hang C (the First Cave) is 127 m long under a big mountain stretching on both sides of the Ngo Dong river. The river, having met the mountain, enters it through the cave. Only nature could produce such a miracle. The quiet movements of the oars create a sort of musical rhythm inside the cave. As the boat leaves the cave, one is startled to see what seems to be an old man with a white beard fishing. High above is fairy flying in the clouds. The picture is completed by some peasants collecting fuel and a group of white goats grazing on the hills. As the boat moves, visitors approach Hang Hai (the Second Cave). Not less beautiful, the undisturbed water reflects the details of the flowers and trees and rocks alongside its banks as well as the blue sky and white clouds above. The cave is thus full of water and clouds. Only a hundred metres away is Hang Ba (the Third Cave) which is the coolest of the caves due to its lower formation. The attraction here is the natural light inside the cave reflected by the water. The huge and even rocks lying in the stream provide excellent platforms for those who wish to bathe in the waters. Legend has it that the fairies bathed here once and thereafter the stream has been called Suoi Tien. Whether it is true or not, a bath in the wild with the sounds from the jungle and the fragrance of wild flowers is certainly an experience one would not like to miss.
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LAN ANH
HOTEL - VIET NAM
Head office: To 09 Song Da, Muong Lay(Formerly Lai Chau) - Dien Bien, Vietnam Phone: +84 (0) 230 3509 577 - Fax: +84 (0) 231 896 403 Mr Cuong 0989673888 Mrs Thuy 01683089666 or Mailto:Lan Anh hotel - Viet Nam CEO Mr Thang 0988888934, www.lananhhotel.com |