Ninh Binh is a small town about 100km south of Hanoi, which is
surrounded by a number of lesser known interesting sites. Hoa Lu
was the first capital of the independent Vietnam, under the Dinh
dynasty and the early Le Dynasty (968-1009). There are two sanctuaries,
each of them devoted to the emperors of one of these two dynasties.
They are set into a landscape of limestone mountains reminiscent
of some the better known sites of South China. In Tam Coc, you can
take a boat tour on a river which tunnels several times into the
same type of mountains. The river is actually used by local villagers
to access their rice fields. The nearby Ken Ga canal provides the
opportunity to observe river life in the North, and contrast it
with what you can see in the Mekong Delta. The whole area was an
important center of catholicism, and you will be surprised to see
churches among the rice fields. Phat Diem has a vast cathedral which
has a unique Sino-Vietnamese architecture.
