Travel to Dam Da - Hoa Binh - Vietnam

Dam Da - Hoa Binh 

Dam Da is a favourite destination in Hoa Binh for tourists in Vietnam travel. This is actually a vast complex of temples, pagodas and caves in the district, including Trinh temple (also known as Quan Trinh), Mau temple, Tien pagoda and etc. The temples and pagodas here are closely related to legendary characters in Viet Nam’s history such as Au Co mother, Lac Long Quan Father, Hoang Bay Mandarin and Tam Toa Thanh Mau

While such names as Hoa Tien grotto, Tien Phi grotto, Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh hydroelectric dam are tourists highlights, Dam Da seem to be an obscure historical site. Dam Da is located in Phu Lao commune, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province.  

Dam Da is actually a vast complex of temples, pagodas and caves in the district, including Trinh temple (also known as Quan Trinh), Mau temple, Tien pagoda and etc. The temples and pagodas here are closely related to legendary characters in Viet Nam’s history such as Au Co mother, Lac Long Quan Father, Hoang Bay Mandarin and Tam Toa Thanh Mau. In Tien cave and Ho cave(other name: Nguoi xua cave), archaeologists have found traces of ancient people, contributing a great deal to the historical study. Now Tien pagoda has received national recognition as a historical cultural site and it is attracting many visitors to come here for sightseeing or worship.

Apart from historical and cultural values, Dam Da is marked by its natural spectacular caves. There are Tam Toa cave, Thuy Tien cave, Cung Tien cave, Hoang Muoi cave, Co Chin cave etc. One will find it extremely difficult to list all the caves here. When coming into each cave, tourists will be totally taken by surprised at the gigantic and illusory stalagmites and stalactites.  

Dam Da is most crowded in spring, particularly from January to March when there is Chua Tien festival. It is also convenient for tourists to visit Huong pagoda nearby – a famous attraction in My Duc district, Hanoi.

Hoa Binh Dam

Hoa Binh Dam used for Hoa Binh hydro-electronic power plant in Vietnam

Hoa Binh Dam used for hydro-electric purposes is regarded the most famous feature of Hoa Binh province. It was constructed in November 1979 and took nearly 10 years to complete. The dam, with the height of 128 meters and the length of 970 meters, is now one of the largest and most important dams in Viet Nam. Power is generated by utilizing eight turbines with a capacity of 240 MW, making up the total capacity to about 1,920 MW. The annual power is approximately 8,160 GWh. The reservoir which was formed when the Da river was dammed runs through Hoa Binh's center. Right here 168 workers died during the construction of the Dam and there is now a monument to their memory at the dam site.

The Dam plays an indispensable part in flood prevention, electricity production, irrigation and transportation. This is a meaningful construction to the process of industrialization and modernization of the country. It is the symbol of unshakable friendship between Soviet Union and Viet Nam, too.

In addition, Hoa Binh Dam is a source of Vietnam tourism. Annually it attracts a quite great number of visitors joining tours in Vietnam because of the majesty and grandeur of the architecture, the surface area of which is so large that it creates an impressive complex of architecture, culture and society.

If you have a chance to visit Hoa Binh, you should pay a visit to Hoa Binh Dam- an attractive destination in the province.

Dam Da- A new land

Dam Da- A new land waiting for exploration of tourists in Vietnam travel

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Meanwhile such names as Hoa Tien grotto, Tien Phi grotto, Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant on the Da River are tourist highlights, Dam Da located in Phu Lao commune, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province seems to be an obscure historical site.

This is a vast complex of temples, pagodas and caves, including Trinh temple (also known as Quan Trinh), Mau temple, Tien pagoda and others. Dam Da hosts annual festival in the fourth month of the lunar year, attracting many pilgrims from the province and neighboring regions.

In the complex, Tien Pagoda has been recognized as a national historical cultural site which attracts many visitors joining tours in Vietnam to come here for sightseeing or worship. Nguoi Xua Cave (including Tien Cave and Ho Cave) is renowned as a national archaeological location with many vestiges of ancient Vietnamese people, contributing a great deal to the study of Vietnam’s history.

Scattered around the complex are temples and pagodas such as Trinh Temple, Mau Temple and Tien Pagoda, which are dedicated to worship legendary characters such as Au Co Mother, Lac Long Quan Father, Hoang Bay Mandarin and Tam Toa Thanh Mau.

Besides its cultural and historical values, Dam Da is marked by its natural spectacular caves. It also has over 20 mysterious caves including Tam Toa, Thuy Tien, Cung Tien, Hoang Muoi and Co Chin, etc. In the caves, stalactites in diverse colors and shapes hang. As the caves’ entrances are situated halfway up the mountains, tourists in Vietnam travel have to trek to reach them. One will find it extremely difficult to list all the caves here. Travelers will be totally taken by surprised at the gigantic and illusory stalagmites and stalactites when coming into each cave.

During spring, particularly from January to March, Dam Da-Hoa Binh is most crowded when there is Chua Tien festival. Conveniently, tourists can combine a trip to visiting Perfume pagoda nearby – a famous attraction in My Duc district, Ha Tay province (now part of Hanoi.)

Lac Hamlet

Lac Hamlet – interesting destination for Home-stay tour

Lac Hamlet located in Hoa Binh Province, approximately 135km from Hanoi and 60km from Hoa Binh City. The town is situated between tall cliffs and is surrounded by bright-green paddies, making it a sight to behold; the beauty of the place is enough reason for many tourists to stay longer than expected.

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At sunset, it was slightly cold and tourists took a stroll on the path in the hamlet to enjoy the sweet scent from the paddy fields and buy some goods from the Thai people. In front of each stilt house, people put some small tables for displaying their brocaded products, such as purses, handbags and Pieu scarves (a traditional scarf of the Thai people).

They also hung an abundance of long cloth rolls and Ao com (a short traditional shirt of the Thai People) with distinctive patterns. In addition, unique products like wooden bells for buffalos, bamboo flutes, bows and cross-bows and knives were also displayed for sale. All the products were hand made by the Thai people.

Drumbeats can be heard during the night as the hamlet’s band and many families organise a bamboo pole-dance performance. A dancing team often includesbeautiful girls who have learned dancing, singing and even a foreign language to receive tourists. Each performance often ends with a bamboo dance. The girls often invite guests to drink ruou can (wine drunk from a jar through pipes).

After the party ends, tourists curl up in a sui blanket made from the bark of an Antiarias tree to have a good sleep on the floor of the stilt house.

Currently, Lac Hamlet has 25 stilt houses for tourism that are built in a chessboard architectural style. An overnight stay in a stilt house costs VND50,000-70,000 per person.