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Vietnam's much
vaunted landscape is epitomized by rocky crags,
in a watery expanse east of Hanoi at UNESCO
world heritage listed Halong Bay. Several areas within
Ha Son Binh Province, especially Tam Coc (Three
Caves) and Huang Son, have become increasingly
popular adventure destinations since part of the
1992 French movie Indochine was filmed in what
is now commonly referred to by travelers as
Inland Halong and this travel destination in
Asia is also one of the most famous tourist
attractions in North Vietnam.
The bulk of the
scenic sections of Indochine was shot at Tam Coc,
9 kilometers outside the town of Ninh Binh which is
about 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, a stop on the
Unification Express rail line linking Hanoi with
Ho Chi Minh City. Here, the breathtaking scenery
of huge rock formations jutting out of the rice
paddies has a striking resemblance to Guilin and
Yangshuo, both major attractions in China. At Tam Coc, dark
tunnel caves (the longest 127 meters) in the
limestone hills through which the Ngo Dong River
flows have barely sufficient clearance in places
for a sampan's scenic river trip. Ducking down
as the boat scrapes under low bridges and
through the dripping caves is all part of the
spectacular vista which has become one of the
most famous places of interest in Inland Halong.
 Huong Son
commune in
My Duc district in the province of Ha Tay in the
Red River Delta Region, about 70 kilometers southwest of
Hanoi, has one of the country's most beautiful
inland landscapes and has attracted thousands of
tourists every month. It is a region of limestone
mountains covering 30 square kilometers called Huong Tich
(Mountains of the Fragrant Traces). Since the
15th century many Buddhist monks have resided in
or near the Huong Tich caves that stretch for 6
kilometers along the Yen River. The complex of pagodas
and Buddhist shrines built into these limestone
cliffs has been famous to the people of north
Vietnam as a holy place for hundred of years and
the locals come here to offer their prayers
annually.
Buddhist shrines built into limestone cliffs
The area is referred to as Perfume Pagoda after
its main site, Huong Tich Chu (Pagoda of the
Perfume Vestige), and attracts over 30,000
pilgrims each spring. The most compelling
reason to venture here lies in the journey and
not the destination. Apart from the sublime
scenery, the Huong Tich mountain range is also
well known to the Vietnamese for its apricot
trees that took root hundreds of years ago in
the dense forest valleys bordering the limestone
mountains, flanking springs and footpaths. Each
spring the forest brightens with small blossoms
exuding a fragrance that gives Huong Tich its
name besides making this area one of the most
famous tourist attractions in Inland Halong.
During Tet (the
Vietnamese Lunar New Year corresponding to the
Chinese New Year), it is customary to display
flowers and floral ornaments, especially Huong
Tich apricot blossoms, in homes. In addition to
cultivating rice and making Vietnamese conical
hats, the locals collect apricots which ripen in
May and soak them in jars of sticky-rice wine,
which are then kept closed for one year. Wine
distilled from these apricots is famous in
Vietnam and a favored party drink. The serene landscape
and its religious significance have over the
centuries embedded the mountains in the hearts
and minds of the north Vietnamese. Since the
18th century, poets have composed masterpieces
of verse and prose depicting its essence, as
well as that of the Perfume Pagoda which
celebrates an annual festival.
The Perfume Pagoda
Festival is Vietnam's longest and most crowded
event and this is the best time to visit.
Lasting from the first lunar month (Tet) to the
third, it begins on the sixth day, which is the
day for paying homage to the forest. The main
festival day is on the 19th day of the second
lunar month. According to legend, the day was
the birthday of a princess called Ba who led a
monastic life for nine years before becoming the
Bodhisattva Quan Am, better known in the rest of
Asia as Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.
The best part of the
journey begins at the Yen River boat station in
Duc Khe village. The 3 hour round-trip boat ride
among scores of other boats, each deftly and
tirelessly rowed by women, is a tranquil and
relaxing prelude, and a prologue to an optional
arduous mountain climb in-between. Rowboats,
behind and in front, drift along the shallow
winding stream as a gradually melting early fog
reveals the rugged face of mountains. Passengers greet
others with 'Nam mo a di da phai' (Praise to
Amitabha Buddha). Along the way it is
traditional to pause at the 17th century Trinh
Temple (Self-preservation Temple). The river ends at
Thein Tru (Kitchen of Heaven) wharf where a path
leads to the first temple, Chua Then Chu (Pagoda
Leading to Heaven) in which Quan Am takes pride
and place on the main altar. According to
legends, the original bronze effigy was stolen
by rebels in the 1770s and melted down for
cannon balls. Monks were trained here in the
15th century and the area once had hundreds of
lodgings until they were destroyed by wars in
the 18th century.
To the right of the
temple, a path leads to what seemed like over
one thousand pain-inducing, uneven stone steps,
winding for 3 kilometers up into the mountains to the
Pagoda of the Perfume Vestige. The effort of the
climb is greatly rewarded not only by its end,
but also by a gaping cavern. Perfume Pagoda is
actually not a pagoda as such but a spectacular
grotto or cave over 50 meters high with its main
shrine dedicated to Quan Am. High up on the
wall, five large Chinese characters proclaim,
'Supreme cave under the southern sky'.
Kenh Ga (Chicken
Canal), 21 kilometers by road northwest from Ninh Binh,
offers yet another spectacular river journey of
about 4 hours on the Hoang Long River among
towering rock formations. The 10 kilometers journey is
the best place in Vietnam to see river life
outside the Mekong Delta and has the added bonus
of a stunning mountain backdrop. The locals
spend most of their lives living on water and
their children commute to school by boat.
Visitors often stopped briefly in Kenh Ga
village for a hot spring indulgence. It is not difficult
to be won over by the elemental mysticism of
either Tam Coc, Hong Son or Kenh Ga. Inland
Halong's vistas draw on the aesthetic
sensibilities, making it difficult to resist a
deep sense of immersion and elation. Once in a
sampan drifting in a river wrapped in sublime
topography, any unpleasant feelings quickly melt
away, successfully erasing life's daily
stresses.
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