Tam Coc – Bich Dong
Tam Coc-Bich Dong is also called “Ha Long Bay on land”, or the “Vietnam’s second nicest grotto” (to Huong Tich) for its poetic and inspirational natural scenery. Located in the Ngu Nhac Son Mountains, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province, it is a grandiose complex of Bich Dong pagoda and Tam Coc grotto which is one among the 21 crucial tourism destinations of Vietnam.
General information:
Tam Coc-Bich Dong is also called “Ha Long Bay on land”, or the “Vietnam’s second nicest grotto” for its poetic and inspirational natural scenery. Located in the Ngu Nhac Son Mountains, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province, it is a grandiose complex of Bich Dong pagoda and Tam Coc grotto which is one among the 21 crucial tourism destinations of Vietnam.
Its pristine natural beauty together with a simple but nice countryside landscape, and a sacred spiritual life have converged into a fascinating and attractive Tam Coc – Bich Dong to numerous tourists. No one could deny that Tam Coc – Bich Dong has become a legend of rivers and mountains, a green, pure, and safe destination for every traveler.
Weather:
The zone is featured with a tropical climate, with 2 seasons. The cold and rainy season lasts from May to October, and the dry and hot season from November to April. Its annual average temperature is 23.50C. As it is situated at the base side of the Red River Delta Triangle, it is a half-mountain half-plain area, with a coastline of 18 kilometers
Historical name
Bich Dong is a beautiful pagoda on the nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain dated to 1428 under the Le Dynasty. In 1773, Mr. Nguyen Nghiem (the father of the great writer Nguyen Du) visited this cave. He was much impressed by the whole magnificent scenery of mountains, waterways, fields, and sky covered in green mist. Thus he gave it a very beautiful and romantic name, Bich Dong, which literally means “Green Pearl Grotto”. This picturesque landscape is added by Tam Coc portion. It derives its name from the fact that it consists of 3 caves (Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba); “Tam” means 3, “Coc” means cave. Tam Coc or “Three Caves” portion is of great enchanting charm and mystery, inviting tourists to come and explore!
To begin the journey, tourists have to queue at Tam Coc Wharf to take a boat to travel along rivers. The pier is crowded with tourists from morning till afternoon. People coming here share the same pleasant feeling about such a nice picture with the classical communal house, ancient banyan tree, mossgrown well, marble rock, and friendly locals.
Tam Coc is just 2km from Bich Dong pagoda. Tam Coc is 3 kilometers from Van Lam Wharf. From Van Lam Wharf, take a boat to reach the Tam Coc Grotto, which consists of the Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba caves. It takes 3 hours on small boat along the Ngo Dong river, beginning at the village of Van Lam and proceeding through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst towers to visit 3 caves. Among them, Hang Ca is considered the most picturesque one since it is the longest and contains most fascinating natural arts deep inside. It is around 127m long, with a cave mouth of 20m wide. Hang Hai is nearly 1 kilometer far from Hang Ca. This cave is about 60m long. The last but not least cave is Hang Ba, just nearby, is about 50m long, with lower ceiling than the above two, looking like a plutonic cupola. If moving further 4 kilometers, there comes “Fairy Stream”, a pure mirror-like stream where you can even see through to the stream-bed to contemplate flocks of fish swimming and looming in the moss layers. It is said in a fairy tale that fairies used to land on here to swim, thus it was named “Fairy Stream”.
Bich Dong Grotto
Bich Dong pagoda which means “Green Grotto” or “Pearl Grotto” is situated at the grandiose Ngu Nhac Mountain. The Pagoda is divided into three levels: Ha Pagoda (lower pagoda), Trung Pagoda (middle pagoda), and Thuong Pagoda (upper pagoda). On the mountain peak stands the statue of a scholar Mandarin looking at the horizon with the hope of viewing the spectacular landscapes of Hoa Lu.
From the upper pagoda, one has the most magnificent view of Bich Dong, which is romantically charming in terms of architecture and history. The location for this pagoda was chosen in 1428 after two monks were charmed by the view of the river and the mountains. Later, King Le Canh Hung wrote a poem in honor of the beautiful pagoda and landscape.
”Sun Valley” – attractive ecological tourism
After visiting Tam Con – Bich Dong, tourists can visit Sun Valley” (Thung Nang), an ideal ecological tourism spot for lovers of nature by a wooden boat. Inside the valley, there is an ancient limestone temple with rock-style architecture shown in delicate carvings.
