Ninh Binh overview

Area: 1,392.4 sq. km.
Population: 922.6 thousand habitants (2006)
Capital: Ninh Binh City
Administrative divisions:
- Town: Tam Diep.
- Districts: Nho Quan, Gia Vien, A Hoa Lu, Yen Mo, Yen Khanh, Kim Son.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Muong, Thai, Tay.

Ninh Binh is about 90 km away from Ha Noi to the south. Ninh Binh is located on Red river delta with geographical co-orrdinate from 19050' to 20027' at Northern latitude and from 105032' to 106033' at Eastern longitude. Ninh Binh shares the administative border with Ha Nam in the North, Nam Dinh in the East, the East Sea in the Southeast, Thanh Hoa in the West and Southwest, and Hoa Binh in the Northwest.

With over 1,400km2 of natural area, Ninh Binh has forests, sea and a diverse system of fauna and flora. Ninh Binh topography encompasses plains and the mountains of the Vietnam northwest mountain range. Ninh Binh also keeps a strategic position for military security and social development. Here, troops were usually rallied on their way to the north or south of Vietnam, creating famous victories in Vietnamese national history.

Ninh Binh is endowed with many places of particular interest which have been welknown inside and outside Vietnam such as Tam Coc – Bich Dong, Cuc Phuong National Park, Trang An Grottoes and Van Long Nature Reserves. There are also many historical relics, for instances Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Bich Dong Pagoda, Thai Vi Temple, Phat Diem Stone Cathedral, Tam Diep Defense Line.... All of them are attractive to both Vietnamese and foreign tourists. Ninh Binh is the charming land of myth and unique landscapes.

Ninh binh’s topography comprises three different types of landscapes: wetlands, coastal delta, hills and mountains. With such a variety of landscapes, Ninh Binh offers many tourist attactions as primitive rain forest, mountains, hills, river delta and the coastal delta. Furthermore, Ninh Binh is endowed with numerous historical relics dating back to the Dinh, Early Le, Ly and Tran dynasties from the 10th-13th century. Anually, Ninh Binh has many traditional festivals reflecting the cultural identites of Red river delta villages.

With a deeply rooted history and cultural tradition, the people of Ninh Binh are traditionally very industrious, hard working, studious, kind, patriotic and particularly hospitable.

Most tourist attractions are situated within a radius of 50km from the provincial city of Ninh Binh and the linking with all major transport systems as the national highway No 1A and the South – North railway.... Therefore, long distance busses and trains from Hanoi to Hue, Ho Chi Minh city and vice versa stop here making Ninh Binh an ideal place to spend several days relaxing.

Geography

Situated on the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh separates the North and the Central Vietnam by Tam Diep Mountain Range. It is surrounded by Hoa Binh, Ha Nam provinces on the north, Nam Dinh Province on the east and Thanh Hoa on the west and the south.

Ninh Binh's topography is divided clearly into 3 parts: the mountainous area in the west and northwest; the delta and coastal area in the east and south. Ninh Binh has Day, Van Sang rivers, and Non Nuoc, Canh Dieu mountains. Annual average temperature is 23.4°C

Sightseeings

In Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital (in Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District now) was chosen as the first capital of Vietnam feudal centralism regime and the Dai Co Viet's political, economic and cultural centre with the name of Kings Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Dai Hanh and Ly Thai To in 10th century. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long (Hanoi now), opening a new era for Vietnamese people.

Ninh Binh owns beautiful Tam Coc, Bich Dong, Dich Long, Hoa Son, Tien caves, Van Trinh Grotto and other special landscapes following:

Cuc Phuong National Park is home of varies of strange flora and fauna. Especially it is enjoyable to touch the thousand-year-old cho xanh (parashrea stellata) and sau (Dracontomelum Duperranum or Dancorra Edulis) trees, 50-70m high. The park is also suitable to watch birds, butterflies and orchid flowers.

Phat Diem Cathedral is a solemn and interesting architectural complex, reflecting the skilful and excellent stone carving art of the Vietnamese workers.

Ninh Binh's people have created such famous and traditional products as Kim Son's fine arts, Hoa Lu's high-class embroidery, hanger products and rocky sculpture products for export, Gia Vien's rattan and bamboo knitting products, etc.

Transportation

Located 90km far from Hanoi, Ninh Binh has convenient waterway and road networks of transportation. The Reunification Express Train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh city stops at Ninh Binh Town. National Highway No.10 connects to Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa provinces and National Highway No.12B links to Hoa Binh Province.

Ninh Binh Climate

Ninh Binh lies in the intertropical monsoon zone. There are four seasons, including spring, summer, autumn and winter. It is often cold in the winter because of the influence by coastal climate, forests and mountains with a relatively dry weather by early winter and wet weather in the second half of winter.
The mean annual temperature is about 23 oC with lowest temperature ranging from 13 oC to 15 oC in January and with highest temperature of 28.5 oC in July. The total hours of sunshine are more than 1,100 annually. Ninh Binh’s weather is determined by two monsoons. The winter monsoon lasts from November to March while the summer monsoon starts in May and ends in September

Ninh Binh Culture

Swampland Van Long - Ha Long bay on land in Ninh Binh

The swampland area lies in Gia Vân commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province, at about 100km far from Ha Noi in the South. Nearly 3,500ha large, Vân Long swampland is home to thousands of fauna, flora and aquatic life, on rocks, in land or underwarter.
As sources of statistics, Vân Long has 457 species of high grade botany, 8 of which are listed in Vietnam’s redbook, 39 species of animals, 32 species of amphibian reptiles, 44 fish species, 39 aquatic varieties, 79 insects, especially there are 12 animal species considered rare and precious: 72 units of whiteshort Voọc (one of five in monkey family seen as endangered species), 9 reptiles listed in Vietnam redbook : Ho chua (poisonous snakes), kỳ đà, trăn đất, rắn ráo trâu, tắc kè...). In dry season, Vân Long become winter habitat to many bird species: cò, mòng két, vạc... In May, july, visitors can find nests of lễ hội bird and their eggs in grass.
There are 32 caves and grottoes in Vân Long. Some of them are very ideal for tourists: Cá, Bóng, Rùa... that are from 100 – 250m long. These are mutually linked caves with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. We can take a ride on boat in early morning when it’s still dewy. In a quiet and tranquil atmosphere sometimes, birds are suddenly seen soaring up. We arrive in Kẽm Trăm lake, a boundless lake in the mountain area, it’s really picture square. Cá grotto is the largest and we have to ride across the grasslands, small ponds. Story has it that, one upon a time, there was a man who caught such a big fish that it could only be brought by few men. So the cave was named “fish or Cá”. In the cave, there are varieties of fish: trê, rô, chuối... The cave is about 250m long, half underwater, half on land. It’s said to be millions- year- old and there are lots of stalactites and stalagmites. Vân Long is beautified by ist many high mountains: Mèo Cào, Nghiên, Hòm Sách, Đá Bàn...
Please don’t forget to have a look at 600- year- old fig tree or cay thị and many pagodas: Chi Le, Mai Trung, temple of Nguyen lord, Đich Long and the temples of king Đinh Tiên Hoàng, temples to worship Thánh Nguyễn and 4 ladies (4 woman- generals of Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị).

Water pupetry Vietnam in Ninh Binh

Water pupetry is Vietnam age-old traditional culture with its own indenties. The stage is the water surface, the closed-door house or puppets’s house or Thuy Dinh (pagoda on water) is built in the middle of the pond or lake that looks like a communal house in Vietnam countyside.
The items to be played depict people’s dailylife activities or customs and habits. To have a finished puppet, it needs time and patience for chiseling. fitting, painting, decorating and dressing. The well-prepared puppets, the easier for controlling and the more interesting the performance is. Normally, puppets are made of sycamore wood because it’s light and tough. Finished puppets are vitalized by artists in harmony with characters in the play. Water puppets are traditional wooden carving, they are both realistic, poetic and romantic in roles of fishermen, fairies or musicians... Each puppet consists two parts: the body and the base. The underwater part for controlling. Most important is the control-board attached in the base and cuccess lies in the movements, the action of puppets. Well-experienced artists have created for life, for younger generations variety of puppets and the control-boards. Puppets are controlled and directed by artists in the puppets’ house by pulling, pushing strings.
In water puppetry, music plays the vital part. With outdoor stage on water and no-word play except few poems or saying, music is inseparable, it’s to make merry the performance, to personify the characters, and to direct the acting.
Water-puppetry is a cultural tradition of the red river delta farming people. It helps the locals to preserve their villages’ identities, the nature of the farmers who are vety hard-working and high-spirit in fighting against the enemy.