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Thai Binh
Area: 1,546.5 sq. km.
Population: 1,865.4 thousand habitants (2006)
Capital: Thai Binh City.
Districts: Hung Ha, Quynh Phu, Thai Thuy, Dong Hung, Vu Thu, Kien Xuong, Tien Hai.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Thai, Tay, Ra Glai.
Introduction: Geography, Tourism, Transportation.
Attraction:
- Historical & Cultural Vestiges: Dong Xam Temple, Keo Pagoda.
- Scenic Landscapes: Dong Chau Beach.
- Cultural Travel: Am Pagoda Festival, An Co Festival, An Co Village Festival, Ba Thon Temple Festival, Bo Pagoda Festival, Bong Dien Festival, Con Giang Festival, Dia Temple Festival, Dinh Voi Market Festival, Dong Bang Festival, Quang Lang Festival, Sao Den Festival, Thuong Liet Festival, Tien La Temple Festival, To Xuyen Village Festival, Tu Cac Festival, Vu Lang Festival.
- Ecological Travel: Bach Thuan Garden Village.
Geography
 Belongs to the Red River Delta, Thai Binh is a granary of North Vietnam. The province is surrounded by Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City on the north, Ha Nam and Hung Yen provinces on the west, East Sea on the east and Nam Dinh Province on the south.
Three faces of Thai Binh are Red, Luoc and Hoa rivers, and one face is 53km seaside and no any mountain.
The subsequent fertile soil was excellent for growing grains, especially rice. Thai Binh rice is acknowledged as the best strain in the North of Vietnam. There are 200 types of aquaculture and 2,500 kinds of rare birds, too.
Climate: On monsoon tropical region, Thai Binh has cold winter (from November to April) and hot summer (from May to October). Annual average temperature is 23.5ºC, the lowest temperature is 4?C and the highest one is 38ºC. Average rainfall is from 1.400mm to 1.800mm.
Tourism
Due to its richness of aquatic products and grains, locals here have created a number of local specialties from  their natural materials; among of these the most famous are Canh Ca Quynh Coi (Quynh Coi fish soup) and cay cake.
Coming to Thai Binh, tourists enjoy visiting inshore sandbanks where rare birds stops, seeing natural beauty in mangrove forest, swimming in Dong Chau Beach, and joining interesting traditional festivals. Well-known culture constructions are Dong Bang, Tien La temples, and Keo Pagoda. There are many valuable votive objects and beautiful three-storey bell tower in Keo Pagoda. Various flowers and fruits in Bach Thuan Garden Village also attract many visitors every year.
This province is rich of traditional handicraft villages like weave fabric in Phuong La, mat weave in Hoi, silver carve in Dong Xam, copper casting in An Long, lace embroider in Minh Lang, cay cake making in Nguyen Xa.
Visitors are able to enjoy many folk songs, festival games in traditional festivals such as water puppet in Nguyen Xa, cheo song in Khuoc, fish and duck catching, rice cooking competition and squib contests.
Transportation
Thai Binh City is 110km from Hanoi, 70km from Haiphong, 18km from Nam Dinh. There are Tan De, Thai Binh, and Trieu Duong bridges. National Highway No.10 connects Thai Binh, Haiphong and Nam Dinh and National Highway No.39 links the province to Hung Yen.
Attraction
1) Historical & Cultural Vestiges
Location: Dong Xam Temple is situated in Hong Thai Commune, Kien Xuong District, Thai Binh Province.
Characteristics: The temple covers an area of 1,000m2, dedicated to Nguyen Kim Lau – the founder of silver engraving work.
It consists of a number of the magnificent and beautiful architecture works such as Vong Lau, Thuy Toa, Hoanh Ma, worshipping yard, Front House...
Vong Lau is a house used for viewing the landscape.
Thuy Toa is a hexagonal house comprising 6 curve doors, which turn to different directions. From this house, tourists can view the whole scene of the worshipping yard and the boat races on the river when Festivals are held.
The Font House of the temple is a great temple with the height of 13m and consists of 5 large partitions. It is the large size and magnificent architecture that make it different from others.
The Back House of the temple is structured into two linked parts: a 5-partition temple and a Kham partition (to place the statutes in). The front of the back house is harmoniously decorated with big Chinese words, the parallel sentences, letter scrolls and carved wooden gates.
Kham partition in the back house is considered as a masterpiece of the traditional occupation village. It is covered with the sheets of copper carved with such subjects as four animals (dragon, unicorn, tortoise, and phoenix), four plants (pine, apricot, chrysanthemum, and bamboo), etc. The statues of King Trieu Vu and Queen Trinh Thi placed in Kham partition are casted in copper and gilded.
In conclusion, both the architecture and things remained in Dong Xam Temple create a great collection of carved wooden, stone, metal articles in Vietnam from Nguyen Dynasty.
Location: Keo Pagoda is located at Dung Nhue Hamlet, Duy Nhat Commune, Vu Thu District, Thai Binh Province.
Characteristics: The pagoda was built during 1133-1154 by Monk Duong Khong Lo on an area of 7,200m2
Monk Duong Khong Lo is a monk and famous doctor who successfully treated King Ly Than Tong (1133-1138) from a serious disease. He was then honoured by the King with the title of Quoc Su (Prince's Master), and provided with money and land to build the pagoda.
Passing a large area and a lake, visitors will see a three-entrance gate opening; shrines of Buddha and his disciples. Then the temple comes into view, it is dedicated to Duong Khong Lo, and included several shrines such as the Gia Roi, Thien Huong Phuc Quoc and Thuong Dien. The two passages, which separate the pagoda and temple areas, have curved roofs that join together at the bell tower. The pagoda has got 17 structures composed of 128 compartments. The three-storey bell tower is 11.06m in height and has got 12 roofs with 12 charming curved corners. This is an original architectural work, evoking a freshly boomed lotus rising by the straight high areca trees. The pagoda displays the artistic features of wood installation. On the first storey of the bell tower, a 1.87m wide musical  stone instrument (khanh) is hung over. On the second storey, there is a bell cast in 1686, and on the third and the highest storeys are bells cast in 1796.
The offerings in the temple are carved or engraved with elaborate designs. Some designs of four centimeters diameter contain nine engraved dragons. The Keo Pagoda, with a total of 120 chambers, has the appearance of a blooming lotus. It is now a tourist attraction and a pride and joy for the Vietnamese architects.
At present, the pagoda preserves many valuable votive objects. At its back sanctuary, there is a statue of a zen master made of aloe wood, a bell cast in the Le Dynasty, and khanh and porcelain. The Keo Pagoda festival (held on the fifteen of the ninth lunar) is a big cultural event, which attracts many pilgrims and tourists.
2) Scenic Landscapes
Location: Dong Chau Beach is located in Dong Minh Commune, Tien Hai District, 30km far from Thai Binh City along National Road 39B, and 145km from Hanoi.
Characteristics: The beach lies 5km in length and has reserved much of a wild beauty.
Several hotels and guesthouses have been built to accommodate visitors in coconut groves and huge gardens. From Dong Chau Beach, tourists can take a boat to visit Thu and Vanh Islets, which also offer good beaches. Lying 7km from the coastlines, Thu and Vanh Islets look like two green waves emerging from a 5 ha islet, which lures people for its lush forest, green casuarinas-trees, small but picturesque and quiet beaches.
The best of Dong Chau Beach is pure air, soft winds and good climate, which are good conditions for relaxation and convalescing. Seafood is good to taste and reasonably price.
3) Cultural Travel
Time: The 2nd day of the ninth lunar month.
Place: Vu Tay Commune, Kien Xuong District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Nguyen Minh Khong - the teacher of the prince who had merit of treating King Ly Than Tong of hoa ho (behaviour and action of a tiger) disease.
Characteristics: Procession, incense - offering ceremony, praying, boat racing (tell the old tale of Nguyen Minh Khong).
Time: The 10th day of the second lunar month.
Place: An Co Hamlet, Thuy An Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Pham Hai (Nam Hai Royal Highest).
Characteristics: God procession, worshipping, wrestling, Chinese chess, cheo singing.
Time: The 15th day of the eleventh lunar month.
Place: Thuy An Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Village's tutelary god - Nam Hai Dai Vuong - Pham Hai who had merit of encouraging people produce, protecting crops, excluding natural calamity, epidemic diseases.
Characteristics: Procession of tutelary god, sacrifices-offering ceremony (24 worshipping people wear felt hats, mandarin's boots, armour with specific ceremonies), chess playing, wrestling and cheo singing in the yard of communal house.
Time: 12th day of the seventh lunar month.
Place: Thuy Hai Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Nguyen Cang.
Characteristics: Water procession at sea.
Time: 7th to the 15th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Thai Binh City, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: The two Lady kings (Nhi vi Vua Ba), Princess Bat Nan (general of Hai Ba Trung), General Tran Lam.
Characteristics: Worshipping Buddha, incense offering.
Time: the 14th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Tan Lap Commune, Vu Thu District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: The god of farming.
Characteristics: Water procession, praying for rain, having a procession of Saint's palanquin.
Time: 9th day of the ninth lunar month.
Place: Thai Ha Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of honour: Quach Huu Nghiem, a famous cultural activist in Thai Binh during the 15th century.
Characteristics: Procession, worshipping, wrestling, martial art, cock fighting.
Time: 6th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Canh Tan Commune, Hung Ha District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: God of land.
Characteristics: Water procession, catching fish.
Time: The 2nd day of the first lunar month.
Place: Diep Nong Commune, Hung Ha District, Thai Binh Province.
Characteristics: wrestling, playing chess.
Time: 20th to the 26th day of the eighth lunar month.
Place: An Le Commune, Quynh Phu District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Tran Hung Dao.
Characteristics: Procession, worshipping god, boat race.
Time: The 14th day of the fourth lunar month and the 14th day of the sixth lunar month. The main festival day is on the 14th day of the fourth lunar month.
Place: Quang Lang Village, Thuy Hai Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Ong Dung, Ba Da, Ba Chua Muoi (Queen of Salt or Nguyet Anh) - the third imperial concubine of King Tran Anh Tong.
Characteristics: Ba Chua Muoi's death anniversary on the 14th day of the sixth lunar month includes incense offering ceremony, Ong Dung, Ba Da's effigies dancing, water puppetry, singing, vieing for effigies then put in salt field and fish boat. The procession of Ong Dung, Ba Da on the 14th day of the fourth lunar month.
Time: 24th to the 26th day of the third lunar month.
Place: An Lao Village, Song An Commune, Vu Thu District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Du vuong Ngo Tu and Lady Dinh thi Ngoc Ke, Lady Ngo Thi Ngoc Dao (mother of King Le Thanh Tong).
Characteristics: Contests of duck catching, chach (eels) catching, rice cooking, wrestling, flute-kite flying in many sizes, cheo performance, and lanterns procession.
Time: 11th to the 13th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Dong Tan Commune, Dong Hung District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Goddess Quy Minh (daughter of Tran Due Tong King).
Characteristics: Dances of flag, fan and unicorn, ca tru singing, drop lamps.
Time: 16th to the 18th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Doan Hung Commune, Hung Ha District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Bat Nan Vu Thi Thuc, lady general of Hai Ba Trung.
Characteristics: Saint procession, procession and worshipping (female), battle performance, skiff rowing race, sticks fighting, chess playing.
Time: 6th day of the first lunar month.
Place: An My Commune, Quynh Phu District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Hung Nghia marquis (prince consort of Tran Dynasty).
Characteristics: Spring festival, sell truncated-sun and moon-shaped cakes; play games: catching snakes, fighting tiger.
Time: The 10th day of the ninth lunar month.
Place: Thai Hoa Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of honour: Ly Nam De - King of Van Xuan (in the Early Ly Dynasty).
Characteristics: Celebrating the victory day of defeating Luong troop, establishing Van Xuan country. The festival involves a procession and pig offering, swinging, wrestling.
Time: The 10th day of the eighth lunar month.
Place: Vu Lang Commune, Tien Hai District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: Four tutelary gods.
Characteristics: Four tutelary gods procession, buffalo fighting: buffaloes drink wine, covered the eyes then taken to fighting arena (fighting arena is a pond of communal house which is dried up), dance of starting battle, human chess playing.
4) Ecological Travel
- Bach Thuan Garden Village
 Location: Bach Thuan is located in Vu Thu District, approximately 20km from Thai Binh City.
Characteristics: Flowers and fruits are specialties of this village where gardening has become an art.
It is a rich and populous garden village, the edge of which is an alluvial field, which serves for the cultivation of mulberry, banana and sugarcane. Inside the village are fruit tree and ornamental plant gardens. There are various flowers and fruits during all four seasons: apples, guavas, plums, lemons, longans, sapodillas, oranges, tangerines, bananas and jack fruits.
At times of high tide, Bach Thuan’s roads flood and become small rivers. From one house to another visitors and locals must take boats.
(Source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism) |
