Bac Ninh is a small province to the northeast of Hanoi. Bac Ninh provincial capital city is 30km from Hanoi. Small it may be yet the province is enormously rich with historical and cultural legacy. Let us explore Bac Ninh in a day and find out how much you learn from this amazing land.
The weather in Bac Ninh
The weather of Bac Ninh is similar to Hanoi so you can get Bac Ninh any time of the year. However, if you want to visit the traditional festivals in Bac Ninh, you should visit it in spring from Jan – March.
How to get Bac Ninh?
The distance between Hanoi and Bac Ninh is very short, therefore you can get the province by bus, motorbike and even cycle. Please note that, all attractions of Bac Ninh are not closed each other so it seems inconvenient if you transfer by bus. You should travel by private car or motorbike to move easier.
Top attractions in Bac Ninh:
1. Dong Ho painting Village: Dong Ho painting village is famous for folk paintings, located in Song Ho commune, Thuan Thanh district, 35 km from Hanoi. Coming to Dong Ho village, you will have a chance to learn about the process to make a painting, visit some families making Dong Ho paintings and buy it as souvenir. It takes about 3-4 hours – half day – to visit Dong Ho village and the entrance fee is free.
2. Phu Lang pottery village: the village locates in Phu Lang commune, Que Vo district, 60km from Hanoi. However, we often offer tourists a small trip to visit the village in 1 or 2 hours on the way from Halong to Hanoi, after they enjoy Halong Bay overnight cruise. The local people here are also very friendly, they smile and welcome you to visit their family to see their daily activities to make pottery.
3. Dinh Bang village: the village is well-known as the birthplace of Ly Cong Uan King who first chose Hanoi as the capital instead of Ninh Binh in 1010. Dinh Bang village nowadays still remains many relics from Ly dynasty, especially many ancient temples. Coming to Dinh Bang village, you can visit Do temple - The temple was established to commemorate the 8 kings of Ly Dynasty: Ly Cong Uan, Ly Thai Tong, Ly Thanh Tong, Ly Thai To, Ly Nhan Tong, Ly Than Tong, Ly Cao Tong, Ly Anh Tong, and Ly Hue Tong.
4. But Thap pagoda: locates near the dyke of the Duong River, Thuan Thanh District, 25 km from Hanoi. It’s not far from Hanoi so many people prefer riding a cycle to get the pagoda. But Thap pagoda is one of the most famous and ancient pagoda in Vietnam.
5. Dau Pagoda: Dau Pagoda is also a beautiful pagoda located in Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province. According to many research, this is the oldest Buddhist pagoda in Vietnam. The festival of Dau pagoda is one of the biggest Buddhism festivals in the North of Vietnam, start on April 8th in lunar calendar.
Accommodation:
Bac Ninh is not suitable for overnight because it is very near from Hanoi while Hanoi is a great place for night life. Therefore, you definitely stay at hotels in Hanoi then visit Bac Ninh by car or motorbike the next day.
Source: Internet.
