Boasting a majestic landscape with 47 large and small islands, which spread across five districts and cities in the province and attractive destinations, Hoa Binh Lake tourist site is bustling with tourists in Spring.
Tourists take boat trip for sightseeing and attend Bo temple festival on Hoa Binh Lake tourist site
Since the beginning of the lunar new year, the highlight of visitors’ journey is to check in with the dragon mascot at Hoa Binh Square in Hoa Binh city and visit Hoa Binh Lake tourist site. Currently, there are two main wharves that are available for visitors to tour the site in the Spring, namely Bich Ha Wharf in Hoa Binh city and Thung Nai Wharf in Cao Phong district.
Nguyen Thi Hang, a tourist from Hanoi said this is the first time she has come to Hoa Binh and also her first trip of the new year. Taking a boat ride on Hoa Binh Lake makes her feel pleasant as the scenery is so beautiful, Hang said, adding that the undulating large and small islands remind her of Ha Long Bay.
Hang said that she loves the atmosphere here and she will invite her friends and colleagues to the tourism site with her to have more wonderful experience in the coming time. In addition to the spiritual tourist attractions of Chua Thac Bo Temple, Co Temple and Cau Temple, community-based tourism villages and eco-resorts on Hoa Binh Lake tourist site also lured a lot of visitors. A number of items at Chua Thac Bo Temple have recently been upgraded to create a venue for tourists to worship and sight-seeing, leaving a good impression on visitors.
According to Bui Van Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the Thung Nai communal People's Committee (Cao Phong district), many visitors have arrived at Bo Temple since the first day of the lunar new year. Nearly 100 boats in Thung Nai wharf area operate throughout the day to meet the demand of tourists.
In addition to visiting the Bo temple festival, many tourist delegations book boats to explore Tien Cave, Ngoi Hoa Bay (Tan Lac), Sung island (Da Bac), Ngoc island (Cao Phong), Xoan Retreat, Maida Logde (Da Bac), Mai Chau Hideaway and Ba Khan Village Resort (Mai Chau).
Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Bui Xuan Truong said Hoa Binh Lake tourist site is one of the attractive destinations of the locality and the northwest region, elaborating that it has met three out of five criteria of a national tourist site.
Along with the waterway on the Da River that runs through Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces, Hoa Binh has opened routes for trekking and cycling along the river in Tan Lac, Mai Chau and Da Bac districts and built a vacation programme with many interesting activities.
The province also strengthens the connection between Hoa Binh Lake tourist site and other destinations in the locality and the northwest route. Apart from tours around Hoa Binh Lake associated with exploring some destinations in Hoa Binh city, the Hoa Binh lake - Bo waterfall – Mieng cave tourist route which connects Hoa Binh and Son La provinces, is also favoured by many tourists.
Spanning thousands of hectares and winding gracefully along mountain slopes, hillsides, and riverbanks, the terraced rice fields of Lac Son District present a stunning and captivating beauty. This region, renowned for its remarkable terraced landscapes, is also the centre of Hoa Binh Culture known for numerous archaeological sites.
The life of Mong people in Hang Kia and Pa Co communes of Mai Chau district has improved much thanks to tourism development.
The man-made Hoa Binh Lake, with a water surface area of approximately 9,000 hectares and a capacity of 9.45 billion cubic meters, stretches over 200 kilometers from Hoa Binh to Son La provinces. With the goal of developing into a national tourism area, the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area is expected to not only become the largest tourism centre in the province but also one of the 12 key tourist destinations in the northern midland and mountainous region of Vietnam.
Da Bia hamlet, now Duc Phong, in Tien Phong commune, Da Bac district, was once almost isolated from the outside as the only way to the hamlet was to get a boat ride across the Hoa Binh reservoir. However, as its tourism potential has been unleashed, the hamlet has established itself as one of the most attractive destinations on the tourism map. It has even received the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Awards in 2019.
In the first 9 months of 2024, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province welcomed over 684 thousand visitors to visit and relax. In which, over 516 thousand domestic visitors and more than 168 thousand international visitors. Total revenue from tourism is estimated at over 821 billion VND.
Da Bac district, bestowed with stunning landscapes, is developing ecological and resort tourism offerings. Several tourist sites, put into operation this year, has attracted throngs of high-spending and young domestic visitors.