Hoa Lu temples of the Dinh & Le Dynasties

Located near the town of Ninh Binh, 90 km south of Hanoi, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is the capital of an ancient Vietnamese Kingdom called Dai Co Viet in the 10th century. This small Kingdom covered an area of only 300 hectares, and reigned from the 10th century, during the Dinh and Le dynasties, to the 11th century, during the Ly Dynasty. The Kingdom was enclosed by a citadel. The citadel and the Yen Ngua limestone hills provided a good defense for this kingdom against the Chinese. Hoa Lu is an ancient city surrounded by the Trang An limestone mountains. Its northwest is bordered by the Hoang Long River, the tributaries of which run through the capital, cooling the weather within the city and serving as convenient waterways. Hoa Lu is known as the first capital of Vietnam with a wide range of historical landmarks. In 968, King Dinh Bo Linh of Dai Co Viet (an old name of Vietnam) constructed his capital in Hoa Lu and ruled until the year 980.

Tam Cốc-Bich Dộng

Tam Coc-Known as “Halong Bay on land”, Tam Coc is a must-see place for first-time visitors in Ninh Binh. The 2-hour boat ride in Tam Coc will start from Van Lam Pier, run along Ngo Dong River, beautiful rice paddies, unique limestone karsts, and pass underneath three caves. Just remember to keep your head low in the boat to avoid hitting on the low ceilings of these unique mountain erosions. With 127m in length and 20m in width, Hang Ca (First Cave) is regarded as the longest one and contains the most fascinating natural art deep inside. You may feel amazed at how your boat captain uses their legs to row the wooden paddles. Don’t forget to turn on your camera to record these beautiful moments. Here, you may feel like disappearing from the real world and getting lost in such a hidden fairy site.