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This locality in the North is currently the only province in the country with 4 affiliated cities. Knowledge
As a province in the northeast of Vietnam, Quang Ninh is likened to a miniature Vietnam. The west leans against the mountain, the east slopes down to the first half of the Gulf of Tonkin with a coastline of about 250 km, many estuaries.
Quang Ninh has land and sea borders with China. On the mainland, the north of the province is bordered by Guangxi, China; to the east is the Gulf of Tonkin; the West borders the provinces of Lang Son, Bac Giang and Hai Duong; bordering Hai Phong to the south. Quang Ninh is the province with the most cities in the country, with four cities: Ha Long, Uong Bi, Cam Pha and Mong Cai. Besides, there are two towns of Dong Trieu and Quang Yen, two island districts are Van Don and Co To.
Tourist season
Quang Ninh has four seasons, depending on the region you choose to travel to. If traveling in the spring of the year, Quang Ninh is an ideal choice with many spiritual tourist attractions. Cool summer is suitable for vacations on the bay, but this is also the peak tourist season, service prices can increase. Autumn weather is suitable for trekking and sightseeing. Winters are dry, but you can definitely consider an off-season vacation on a yacht or ice hunt .
Move
Transportation to Quang Ninh is easy and convenient whether you take a plane, car, motorbike, bus…
If you ride a motorbike, you can follow two directions: Road 5 – Bac Ninh – National Highway 18 – Pha Lai – Chi Linh – Dong Trieu – Uong Bi – Ha Long; or Noi Bai Airport – Bac Ninh – National Highway 18A through Pha Lai – Sao Do – Dong Trieu – Uong Bi – Ha Long. Self-driving car, you can go to Hanoi – Hai Phong – Ha Long highway; Ha Long – Van Don depending on the itinerary.
By bus or limousine, you can book a car to pick up and drop off at the inner city streets or Giap Bat, Nuoc Ngam, My Dinh, Gia Lam bus stations. Destinations in Quang Ninh are classified according to the routes Van Don, Cam Pha, Ha Long, Uong Bi, Quang Yen, Dong Trieu… Fares from about 150,000 VND.
Quang Ninh has Van Don international airport, connecting a number of domestic provinces such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Phu Quoc… and has routes to China, Japan, Korea…
Sea Island
Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay has been recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage and a world heritage site because of its geomorphological value. Nature endows Ha Long with beautiful scenery and a deep culture, tourism activities here are very diverse.
The entire bay has nearly 2,000 limestone islands, of which there are about 900 named islands, of all shapes and sizes. The rocky islands are concentrated, in some places they are separate, creating a highlight for Ha Long Bay. On some islands, there is an interesting system of stalactite caves for visitors to admire such as Sung Sot cave, Trong cave, Trinh Nu cave, Luon cave, Dau Go cave, Kim Quy cave, Me Cung cave…
See more: Ha Long travel guide
Bai Tu Long Bay
Bai Tu Long Bay attracts visitors by its towering rocky islands, the distant twinkling lights of small boats and cool breezes. Experience the night on a cruise in the middle of the bay to help you relax while enjoying the rare beauty.
Co to island
Co To Island in Van Don, Quang Ninh is likened to a paradise island with a wide beach, white sand, clear and cool sea. Visiting Co To, visitors can walk on the road of love, have a BBQ party on the beach, and visit Uncle Ho’s monument. Couples can rent bicycles to roam around town, explore Cau My rock, Lighthouse and enjoy fresh seafood.
See more:
Co To travel guide
Quan Lan Island
If looking for an unspoiled beach to relax, choose Quan Lan island , where Minh Chau beach has fine white sand and winds. The ship to the island only takes more than ten minutes and you are in the middle of the waves.
See more:
Quan Lan travel guide
Cai Chien Island
Cai Chien Island is quite unspoiled with long, smooth white sand, surrounded by rows of green casuarinas as far as the eye can see. With an area of over 500 hectares of primeval forest, this is the home of many species of birds and wild animals.
Pearl Island
Ngoc Vung Island is located in Van Don district, Quang Ninh province, about 45 square kilometers wide. The reason why the island has this name is because it is said that this area used to have many rare and precious pearl species that glowed in the sky at night. Today, pearl farming here thrives.
Ngoc Vung also has Truong Chinh sand beach, the ancient citadel of the Mac Dynasty, the 12mm 7 cannon battlefield – the place where the 200th aircraft of the American enemy was shot down in the North sky during the years of fighting the American imperialist wars, Columns National flag on Ngoc Vung island… In addition, there is a system of rocky islands with beautiful and unspoiled landscapes, with great potential for developing marine tourism, such as Phuong Hoang, Dat Nut, Ha Mai, Van Canh…
There are many ways to get to Ngoc Vung, moving is very convenient. Visitors can go from Cai Rong wharf (Van Don), from Vung Duc (Cam Pha) or from Hon Gai wharf (Ha Long City). In particular, going from Hon Gai pier is the most convenient.
Tuan Chau Island
Located at the gateway to the wonders of Ha Long Bay, Tuan Chau Pearl Island is one of the destinations for tourists to complete their vacation when coming to Quang Ninh. About 2 km from the mainland, Tuan Chau not only has a large artificial yacht port, but also has a high-class entertainment and entertainment ecosystem such as an 18-hole golf course with the longest golf course in Vietnam. This destination also has new check-in coordinates such as King Kong park, Dragon park, ecological park like miniature Da Lat…
Long Beach
Bai Dai is located in Van Don island district, about 50 km from the center of Ha Long city. This beach stretches about 2 km, white sand, clear water. There are resorts with a system of beaches, restaurants, hotels… There are also many sea sports activities for visitors to experience such as water motorbike driving, beach volleyball, kayaking. .
Tra Co Beach
Tra Co is known as “the most lyrical beach in Vietnam” with a coastline stretching over 17 km, from Sa Vi Cape – the beginning of the country, to Nui Ngoc – the end of Tra Co peninsula. Because it is located far from Mong Cai city and the industrial zone, the climate here is very cool and the space is quiet. You can comfortably play with the waves in the clear blue sea, or walk on the smooth white sand.
Border landmark
Binh Lieu
As a border mountainous district located in the northeast of Quang Ninh province, Binh Lieu is 120 km from Ha Long city, 290 km from Hanoi. From October to November, the reeds on the hillsides along the way to conquer the landmarks will bloom white. The higher you go, the narrower the path becomes and winding along the ridge and slopes. The most special of which is the paradise of reed grass at the landmark 1927 and the road like the “back of the dinosaurs” to the landmark 1305 on the highest peak of Quang Ninh.
Sa Vi Cape, Mong Cai city
Also known as Mui Got, Mui Sa Vi is the place where the first pen stroke was drawn to draw the shape of the letter S Vietnam on the map. “Sa” means sand, “Tai” means tail, so this name can be understood as sand tail.
Although the easternmost point of Vietnam is at Dien Cape (Phu Yen), but Sa Vi Cape in Tra Co is the first place to receive the sun in the North. Therefore, the moment of dawn in Sa Vi is always welcomed and brings overflowing emotions to the people of Vietnam.
Standing at Sa Vi cape, looking out into the distance, visitors can see landmark 1378. This is the last landmark on the maritime border between Vietnam and China. Not far away is the 17-kilometer crescent-shaped Tra Co beach.
Mong Cai International Border Gate
Mong Cai city, where the trade border gate with China is located, was first built in Vietnam. Mong Cai border gate is a famous tourist destination in Quang Ninh, especially for those who love shopping. This place is always bustling with freight trains going back and forth, bustling with buyers and sellers with all kinds of goods, fabrics, clothes, shoes, electronics, household appliances.
The border gate area consists of three main works: Bac Luan International Border Gate, Bac Luan Bridge and landmark 1369. Among them, Landmark 1369 is the first landmark to be planted on the land border between Vietnam and Vietnam. South and China, out of a total of 1,400 landmarks along the 1350 Km land border length. This is also an attractive destination for many tourists to visit.
Mountains
Goryeo Mountain, Binh Lieu District
Goryeo is a high mountain range stretching over 40 km2 with 8 peaks over 1,000 m high in the border district of Binh Lieu. Goryeo Mountain, also known as Co Don mountain, more than 10 km from the center of Huc Dong commune, is a camping and picnic spot suitable for groups of young people, or small families.
If around July-September, Goryeo attracts tourists because the flowers bloom and dye the hillsides purple, then by the end of October, this place is an ideal hunting spot for the sea of clouds. Just one night camping, waking up around 5-6am or having fun, eating, waiting until 4pm – 5pm, you can watch the dance of the clouds.
The camping site is about 30-40 minutes walking from the top, motorbikes and personal cars can reach the campsite. During the time of discovering Goryeo mountain, tourists move 15 more, combined with visiting Khe Van waterfall, which has 3 floors and is the highest waterfall in Quang Ninh province.
Phoenix Mountain, Uong Bi city
Phuong Hoang mountain range (or Three Floors) belongs to 12 Khe village, Bac Son ward, Uong Bi city, about 50 km from Ha Long city. Recently, Phuong Hoang has become a favorite destination for camping and photography enthusiasts. The end of the year is a beautiful time to explore this area because the grass hills turn a fiery yellow, the weather is cool and the sun is no longer as intense as summer.
Visitors can send a car for trekking about 1.5 km or ride a motorbike, hire a motorbike taxi to take them to the top. The lawns in Phuong Hoang are very suitable for exploring and camping at the weekend. Note that the destination is still wild and does not have many tourist services, mainly guests bring their own things and avoid littering.
Binh Huong Mountain, Uong Bi city
Binh Huong is a mountain range located in Vang Danh ward, Uong Bi city, Quang Ninh province. The mountain range extends 3 km, located 10 km from the center of Uong Bi city. Similar to Phuong Hoang, Binh Huong is also a coordinates not to be missed for those who are passionate about backpacking, nature exploration and weekend camping.
The road in Binh Huong is more difficult than in Phuong Hoang. However, to the top, visitors can also see the vast grassy hills, can take pictures to check-in with dwarf pine hills, wild rocks along the road, camp overnight to watch the sunrise in the morning. after.
Bai Tho Mountain, Ha Long City
Bai Tho Mountain is 200 m high, considered an interesting viewpoint overlooking Ha Long Bay and the city. The mountain was originally called Truyen Dang, ie Light Lamp, to indicate the important sentry of the Northeast gate thousands of years ago, responsible for illuminating the way for ships on the bay.
The road to Bai Tho mountain lies in the alley of families in Hang Pot street, Bach Dang ward. Often tourists come to Ha Long to climb Bai Tho mountain because they are introduced by friends who are here. Otherwise, you need to ask the people in Hang Pot street if you want to conquer it yourself.
Historical sites
Bach Dang historical site
Currently, Quang Yen town has excavated three yards of wooden piles dating from the 13th century, distributed in Yen Giang ward, Nam Hoa ward, Lien Hoa commune.
Yen Giang pile yard: At the mouth of the Chanh river, a tributary of the Bach Dang river, in Yen Giang ward, Quang Yen town. Discovered in 1953, excavated in 1958, 1969, 1976, 1984, 1988.
Dong Van Muoi pile yard: At the estuary of Rut river, a tributary of Bach Dang river, in Nam Hoa ward, Quang Yen town. Discovered in 1958, excavated in 2005.
Dong Ma Ngua pile yard: At the Kenh river mouth, close to the Rut river, in Nam Hoa ward, Quang Yen town. Discovered in 2009, excavated in 2010.
In addition, visitors can visit Tran Hung Dao temple located on the land between Bach Dang river, the center of Bach Dang battle in 1288, in Yen Giang ward, Quang Yen town.
Ironwood from the well of the Forest
Two ironwood trees located at the foot of Tien Son mountain, Quang Yen ward (Quang Yen town, Quang Ninh) are determined to be about 700 years old by the authorities. Two ancient trees and places like: Ben Rung, Rung Market… are vestiges of the ancient forest that the Tran army and people used to build a pile of wood for, making an important contribution to the Bach Dang victory. on March 8, the year of the Rat, 1288.
Next to the two ancient iron trees, there are two wells built in the French period, associated with the daily life of the people here, so they are called two ironwood trees in the forest. Currently, two wells are built around, cleanly tiled and covered.
Van Don port trade relic
Van Don commercial port includes many ancient boat wharfs, with an area of 200 km2 in Bai Tu Long Bay, in the area of Thang Loi, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, Van Don districts, Quang Ninh province. In 1149 under King Ly Anh Tong, Van Don was the first trading port of Dai Viet. The port operated continuously for nearly 7 centuries (from the middle of the 12th century to the end of the 18th century).
The port is a system of dozens of ancient marinas distributed on islands, along the shores of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long, extending from Mong Cai to Van Don, Ha Long, and Quang Yen. Along with that are a number of cultural and religious relics, pagodas and towers in Van Don and surrounding areas. Specifically, there are Cong Dong – Cong Tay relic sites, Cai Lang wharf relics, Cong Cai wharf relics, Con Quy wharf relics, Cai Rong wharf relics, Cong Yen wharf relics, Duc Hac wharf relics. Rau island, Gao Rang wharf, Bang and Dam Gao wharf, Van Ninh wharf.
Historical site of Monument to the martyrs of Po Hen
This is the place to record the heroic and heroic fighting moments of the army and people of Mong Cai city in the battle to protect the sovereignty of the sacred border of the Fatherland in 1979. This place is a red address for education. education, reminding the next generation of the tradition of patriotism, peace-loving – friendship at the border.
Quang Ninh Museum
Temples
Yen Tu Relic
Yen Tu relic complex is located in Uong Bi city, about 130 km from Hanoi. From National Highway 18A to the foot of Yen Tu mountain (about 10 km), visitors can feel the sacred and quiet atmosphere of the Truc Lam school.
From the foot of Yen Tu mountain , visitors can reach the top of Dong pagoda in two ways: by walking or by cable car. Compared to the cable car, the hike takes longer with a distance of about 6 km of steep trails, but for many visitors, this is a way to show their respect in the journey to worship the Buddha at the beginning of the year.
Either way, visitors will start from Giai Oan stream, pass Hoa Yen pagoda, Mot Mai pagoda, An Ky Sinh stone statue and then go to Dong pagoda – the largest bronze temple on the top of a mountain in Asia. Standing on the top of 1,068 m looking down, the Buddha realm is like in sight when the mist lurks under the feet and above the white clouds floating in the deep blue sky.
Cai Bau Pagoda
Although newly inaugurated in 2009, but with its back to the mountain, facing the sea, Truc Lam Giac Tam Zen Monastery (also known as Cai Bau Pagoda) in Van Don attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world.
Located near Bai Dai tourist area, the space here is not only peaceful, sacred, but also extremely fresh and pure. Especially, visitors to worship and sightseeing at the temple can also eat vegetarian meals and park their cars for free. fee. The pagoda is located about 10 km from the center of Cai Rong town, Van Don. In addition to personal vehicles, visitors can reach the temple by bus.
Cua Ong Temple
Cua Ong Temple in Cam Pha City is the place to worship Hung Nhuong Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tang and many famous characters of the Tran Dynasty. Although the Cua Ong temple festival itself takes place in the second lunar month, right from the days of Tet, this place has gathered a lot of tourists from the provinces to offer incense and worship.
Like Cai Bau Pagoda, Cua Ong Temple is located on a high hill overlooking Bai Tu Long Bay. The only difference is that from here, outside the immense sea, the whole city of black gold mining industry is wrapped in sight. Not only offering incense at two architectural clusters, Upper Temple and Lower Temple, visitors also enjoy a unique specialty that is sold along the entrance to the temple, which is Tai epep cake (also known as hearty Tay cake).
Temple of King Ba
Legend has it that during a trip to survey the terrain to prepare for the battlefield, Tran Hung Dao crossed the wharf to meet an old woman selling water who asked about this land. The old woman provided him with a calendar of the tides of the country, the terrain of the river, and also presented the fire attack strategy to fight the enemy. After winning the battle, Tran Hung Dao went back to the wharf to find the old woman selling water, but he couldn’t find her anymore, he asked King Tran to appoint her “King Ba” and set up a temple here.
Loi Am Pagoda
As a name that is still quite unfamiliar to tourists from all over the world, but to the people of Quang Ninh, Loi Am Pagoda is very famous for its charming, sacred and ancient landscape. Belonging to Dai Yen ward, Ha Long city, visitors to the temple have to sit by boat for about 15 minutes and then continue to climb for about half an hour along the gentle slope.
A unique feature when pilgrimage to Loi Am Tu is that visitors arbitrarily carry a pair of red bricks that have been placed at the foot of the hill for the merit of restoring and rebuilding the pagoda. Although the trail is bumpy and rocky, everyone feels light-hearted every step of the way because the two sides of the road are green pine forests and immense pineapple gardens.
The journey to visit will start from Loi Am Pagoda located on a large, flat land, surrounded by luxuriant and quiet trees.
Following the small path to the right of the pagoda will lead to the altar of Mother Goddess, continuing through the hillside is Hang Cau towards Yen Lap lake.
Cai Lan Temple – Long Tien Pagoda – Temple of Mr. Tran Quoc Nghien
These are three famous spiritual spots of Ha Long city, located quite close to each other. Cai Lan Temple consists of the old temple and the new temple located at the foot of Bai Chay bridge, worshiping Mother Thoai. Meanwhile, the temple of Monsignor Tran Quoc Nghien (second son of Tran Hung Dao), is located at the foot of Bai Tho mountain.
Built in 1941, Long Tien Pagoda is located near Ha Long market, worshiping Buddha, generals of the Tran Dynasty and Tam Phu Thanh Mau. The pagoda is in the architectural and sculptural style of the Nguyen Dynasty.
In the festival season in Quang Ninh, people call Long Tien pagoda Trinh pagoda, because everyone wants to go to Long Tien pagoda to offer incense first and then continue on pilgrimage to Yen Tu, to Cua Ong temple festival…
Cua Ong Temple – Pair Tien Temple
These are two famous temples located in Cua Ong ward, Cam Pha city, only about a kilometer apart. In particular, Cua Ong temple worshiping Hung Nhuong Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tang (son of Tran Hung Dao) is located on a hill, overlooking Bai Tu Long Bay. Pair Tien Temple (first worshiping Tran Quoc Toan’s daughter, then worshiping a chief official in the region) is equally beautiful with its back leaning against the mountain, facing the sea.
Festival
Yen Tu Festival: January 10 to the end of March of the lunar calendar.
Tra Co Communal House: June 1 of the lunar calendar.
Bach Dang Festival: 7th to 9th of the third lunar month.
Cua Ong Temple Festival: 3rd and 4th of the 3rd lunar month.
Ba Men Temple Festival: 19th and 20th January of the lunar calendar.
My Son Communal House Festival: January 16 of the lunar calendar.
Quan Lan Festival: June 18 – June 20 of the lunar calendar.
Festival of the Cross Nine Fairy Congres: 7th day of the first lunar month.
Specialties
Eat what
Ha Long squid cake : famous specialty of Ha Long, you can buy it at Hon Gai market, Ha Long night market or seafood shops in Ha Long. This dish is served with rolls or white sticky rice.
Steamed squid with guava : Using guava leaves as an ingredient makes this dish have a characteristic acrid taste, adding a slight sourness from tamarind juice, suitable for eating with rice or dipping with ginger chili sauce. Some suggested addresses include Bai Chay tourist area, Vuon Dao, Cai Dam market, Ben Doan…
Sam Ha Long : you can buy fresh or enjoy delicious dishes made from sam at Hon Gai market or some seafood shops in Ha Long.
Hoanh Bo Hole Shrimp : Similar to octopus but smaller, steamed with mulberry leaves, served with shrimp paste mixed with lemon.
Tu comei : a specialty of Van Don district; You can buy it at seafood stores or enjoy delicious dishes made from Tu comei at restaurants in Ha Long, Quang Ninh.
Cu Ky: also known as thunder crab, rock crab or shackles…, is a species of crab usually found only in the waters of Quang Ninh. According to the people here, the tick looks a lot like a crab but has a larger part and a smaller body. The tick has only the meat on the sides and the body is spongy. The flesh in the body is not much but the bricks are delicious. In addition to steamed rice noodles, you should try Cu Ky vermicelli .
Sa Sung : a specialty of Quang Ninh sea, especially Quan Lan, you can find and buy it at Ha Long market . A kilogram of fresh wormwood if delivered at the yard costs 250,000-300,000 VND per kilogram; Dried wormwood is about 3.5-4 million VND per kg.
The most delicious is the fresh fried sage with garlic, water spinach or sweet and sour fried, crispy but soft, fragrant but sweet. Roasted dried sago with chili sauce, adding a few tops of herbs, lettuce and beer brings a culinary delight of its own. Or the traditional medicine stew is also considered a “panacea” for men.
Tien Yen hill chicken: free-range chicken or jogging chicken in Tien Yen – a town about 70km from Ha Long, the chicken is very firm, the meat is fragrant and tender. You can buy it in Tien Yen, or enjoy it right at the restaurants here or restaurants in Ha Long, or in Tien Yen.
Quang Yen spring rolls : delicious and typical of Quang Yen. Nem chua is best when eaten with fig leaves, apricot leaves or clove leaves.
You can buy it when passing through Quang Yen town (a reputable address has a spring rolls shop Huy Tung, Nguyen Thi Nu…) or you can also buy it at Ha Long market.
Mint bread: quite delicious according to the French way of making bread. Mao Khe mine is said to be the first place to make mine bread. In the 90s of the last century, other mines began to learn, build a bakery and turn mine bread into a mid-shift dish, convenient for miners, helping them compensate for their labor after working hours. hard. You can find them at bakeries in Ha Long or Cam Pha.
Dong Trieu rue: the most in October of the lunar calendar because it is the season of worms, the best when enjoying delicious dishes from Dong Trieu but you can also enjoy it at restaurants in Ha Long.
Binh Lieu stir -fried pho: a typical stir-fried noodle dish of ethnic minorities such as Dao, Tay, and San Chi living in Binh Lieu. If you come to Binh Lieu and have the opportunity to visit Dong Van Binh Lieu market, you should not miss the opportunity to try this delicious dish.
Noodle salad : quite popular in Ha Long, you can enjoy it at restaurants serving seafood in Ha Long city or in the vicinity of Ha Long.
Alcohol : Yen Tu apricot wine, Hoanh Bo sticky rice wine, Ha Long bored wine, three-kid wine are famous specialties of Quang Ninh.What to buy as a gift
In addition to food or drinks, you can buy pearls, embroidery, pearl mosaics and souvenirs, handicrafts made from raw materials of the sea… These items are sold a lot in Vietnam. Ha Long market, Ha Long night market or Cam Pha market, souvenir shops in Cam Pha and Bai Chay…
Rest, stay
Hotels and resorts in Ha Long are very diverse in both segments and prices. You can freely choose according to your needs, finances and schedule. An experience to try is to spend the night on Ha Long Bay or Bai Tu Long, with highly rated cruise lines such as Paradise, Indochine, Scarlet Pearl, Stellar of the Seas, Dragon Legend, Bhaya, Emeraude… Prices from about 2,000,000 VND per person for a 2 day 1 night tour.
See more: Reasons not to miss Halong Bay Cruise
