Hoa Binh Travel Attractions
Hoa Binh Travel Tips
Geography
+ Capital: Hoa Binh
+ Location: North Western
+ Area: 4,662.5 km2
Demographics
+ Population: 803,300
+ Density: 172.3/km2
+ Ethnicities: Kinh, Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao.
Districts:
Da Bac, Mai Chau, Ky Son, Cao Phong, Luong Son, Kim Boi, Tan Lac, Lac Son, Lac Thuy, Yen Thuy.
General Information :
Hoa Binh Province is a mountainous province in north western Vietnam. It borders Phu Tho Province and Son La Province to the northwest, Ha Tay Province to the north and northeast, Ha Nam Province to the east, Ninh Binh Province to the south and Thanh Hoa Province to the south. The topography is combined by mountains and narrow valleys.
History:
The province of Hoa Binh was created in June 22, 1886 following the decree of Tonkin with the name Muong Province, splitting Muong majority areas from Hung Hoa Province, Son Tay Province, Ha Noi Province and Ninh Binh Province. The province was administered from Cho Bo (in Da Bac) hence it was also known as Cho Bo Province, until it November of the same year, it was relocated to Phuong Lam district (today in Bat B?t district, Ha Tay province). In April 1888 it was renamed to Phuong Lam Province, by the French colonial authorities. On March 18, 1891 the Governor-General of French Indochina decreed that the name of the province would change to Hoa Binh Province with six districts: Luong Son, Ky Son, L?c Son, L?c Thuy, Mai Chau and Da Bac.
Tourism
The culture of Hoa Binh combines several ethnic groups with their own languages, traditional literature, and festivals.Tourists especially enjoy the ethnic specialty dishes including rice cooked in bamboo and grilled meat. At night, visitors can stay in stilt houses at Lac Village in Mai Chau Valley, enjoy watching traditional dancing, music performances (bronze drums, gongs), and Thai minority singing and dancing. The remote Muong, Dao, Tay minority villages draw visitors who like study the life of ethnic groups. Beautiful brocade and forest products are interesting souvenirs.
Mountainous terrain with Thac Bo, Hoa Tien grottoes, Ret Cave, Pu Nooc Primitive forest and many clean springs are suitable for swimming, climbing, walking, and hunting. Visitors are also fascinated by superb beauty of Hoa Binh Hydroelectric Power Plant, the largest one in Vietnam. Boating on Da River is an enjoyable feeling.
Apart of these, scientific tests have shown that the mineral water at Kim Boi Hot Spring is good for drinking, bathing and treatment.
Festivals
Vua Ba Temple Festival
Time: 8th day of the first lunar month.
Location: Lac Thinh Commune, Yen Thuy District, Hoa Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Au Co, who has the merit of teaching people to sing and shoot.
Activities: Offer birds meat, meat of wild beast. Popular opera performance, and mask dance.
Harvest Festival
Time: The tenth lunar month.
Location: Muong Bi Commune, Tan Lac District, Hoa Binh Province.
Activities: Harvest Festival is held after harvesting bumper crop in the 10th lunar month. During the Harvest Festival, the Muong also worship parents, ancestors.
Transportation
Road and water transportation are convenient. There is National Highway No. 6 from Hanoi vie Ha Tay to Hoa Binh, Son La, National Highway No. 15 from Mai Chau to Thanh Hoa, National Highway No. 12B from Hoa Binh to Nho Quan (Ninh Binh).
Hoa Binh Town is 82km from Hanoi. Da River is 5km from Hoa Binh City.