Quan Son lake, inland Ha Long Bay

Posted by admin on October 27, 2010 under Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty | Be the First to Comment

Traveling to Quan Son Lake in My Duc, Hanoi, tourists will be impressed with scenery of wild nature of the lotus lake with the mountains mirroring on the water.

The lake, about 50 kilometers southeast of Hanoi, consists of nearly 100 limestone mountains with diverse plants and historical and cultural sites. It looks like miniature of Ha Long Bay, a world attraction to tourists.

The lake, on the route to Perfume Pagoda and Kim Boi mineral stream, is an ideal place for rest, recreation and convalescence. Nature lovers can enjoy the pleasure of sightseeing, yacht cruising, island discovery and fishing.

The first destination is the ferry of Giang Noi lake, one of the three big lakes in Quan Son. Standing on the bank, tourists can see the limestone mountain ranges reflecting on the surface of the lake.

Quan Son tourist site has a surface of nearly 3,000 hectares and includes the communes of Hop Tien, Tuy Lai, Hong Son and Thuong Lam.

Visitors to Quan Son can go yachting on the 850-hectare lake which contains historical relics from the period of Vietnam’s resistance against the French.

If they prefer mountain climbing, they can take a boat to some of Quan Son’s most famous limestone mountains: Independence, Fruit and Flower Mountain, Trau Bac (Silver Buffalo), Hon Me (Fascinating Mountain), Da Bac (Silver Rock), Nui Ban Co (Chess Mountain) and Nui Chim (Bird Mountain).

On Hoa Qua Son (Mountain of Fruit and Flowers) they will have the opportunity to explore dense forests of orange, lime and mango trees and, if they come in Spring, they can even enjoy the breathtaking view of a whole plum forest in full bloom.

At Thung Mo in Hop Tien Village and Thung Cong in Hong Son, there is even a biology garden for visitors who are interested in rare medicinal plants and herbs and also bonsai plants.

The most striking cultural trait of Quan Son tourist site is its ability to keep its traditional village life almost intact, with their various cultural customs and festivities.

Pagodas are another spiritual aspect of life in Quan Son as proven by numerous pagodas scattered around the area. Among them Ham Long, Linh Son, Ngoc Linh Ban Long and Thung Phat pagodas are the most well-known.

In Quan Son tourists can also enjoy good food with dishes prepared from freshly caught fish, shrimps, crabs and a specialty of the area: mountain snails.

To serve tourists Quan Son is having 80 iron boats, one motorized boat, five residences and authorities in My Duc District are now focusing on developing better systems of communication and of electricity and water supplies, to make Quan Son one of the most attractive tourist sites in Vietnam.

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Bai Dinh Pagoda

Posted by admin on under Vietnam architecture, Vietnam beauty | Be the First to Comment

The largest pagoda complex in Vietnam, Bai Dinh Pagoda, is located at Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien District in the northern province of Ninh Binh, 95 kilometers south of Hanoi. Even though it is still under construction, with expected date of completion in 2010 to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long or Hanoi, it is still attracting a large number of pilgrims and tourists.

The biggest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam
This bronze statue is 100 tons in weight. The Buddha holds a lotus flower in his hand.

The pagoda complex is being built in a hilly region near the ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda which was established by monk Nguyen Minh Khong (1065-1141) who turned the caves of the 200-meter high Bai Dinh Mountain into the pagoda. According to feng-shui theory, the pagoda, with its back leaning on Bai Dinh Mountain and its front looking down the Hoang Long River, has a very good location. Moreover, with the location site being far from any residential area in a hilly region covered with green old trees attracting nesting birds, the new pagoda has a quiet and peaceful atmosphere and gives visitors a tranquil feeling.

The pagoda complex stretches over 100 hectares with three temples (past, present, future), Tam The, Phap Chu and the temple to honor the goddess of mercy, and one bell tower. The length from the gate to the highest temple of Tam The is 800 meters. Running from low to high are two corridors of houses, placing 500 arahats at a height of over two meters.

Bai Dinh is also famous for its record-breaking works, such as the three statues of Buddha in the past, present and future weighing 50 tons per statue in Tam The temple, a Buddha statue weighing 100 tons in Phap Chu temple and two bells weighing 36 tons and 27 tons.

The pagoda, which is only five kilometers away from two popular tourism destinations of co do Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam from 968 to 1010 and the Trang An cave area, could become the center for tourism of Ninh Binh Province when it is completed.

Pictures at the Bai Dinh pagoda

Three-door gate at Bai Dinh Pagoda

The astonishing one is the “collection” of 500 Arhat statues on the hill in the right of Dharma Temple. The 500 Arhat statues with the height of 2.3m

Bronze bell-tower where hanging the Vietnam’s biggest bell with the weight 36 tones, 3,5m width, 5,5m high.

Sanctuary and Bodhisattva Kwan Yin statue

Dharma Temple where having the Great Buddha Sakyamuni statue with 10m high and weighs 100 tons

The most important emphasizing point of these great religion works are still Tam The Temple

Three bronze Tam The statues, each statue of Tam The weighs 50 tons, 12m high

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