Visit Kim Hy Nature Reserve in Bac Kan Province

Kim Hy Nature Reserve is located in Vu Muon, Cao Son communes in Bach Thong District and Luong Thuong, An Tinh, Con Minh communes in Na Ri District, Bac Kan Province.

Covering an area of over 14,000ha, the nature reserve has hundreds of rare flora and fauna species which must been managed and protected closely.

Kim Hy Nature Reserve- Bac Kan Province

It is assessed as the reserve of primeval nature by Vietnamese and foreign scientists with hundreds of rare flora and fauna species. Among them Presbytis francoisi francoisi, squirrel, monkey are endangered species all over the world. Specially, in Vietnam tourism, visiting Kim Hy Nature Reserve, you will see diversity of bat species reputed most species in Vietnam. In addition, the natural reserve is large valuable wood-store of Bac Kan Province with hundreds of thousands of nghien, lat, dinh trees, mountain pine, etc.

Kim Hy is also home to endangered flora species such as stone-pine (thiet san gia) which is only present at 4 mountainous provinces of North Vietnam and two provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi (China). Besides diversified fauna and flora, the Kim Hy Natural Reserve is abundant in minerals, especially gold.

Visit Puong Cave in Ba Be National Park

Puong Cave (Động Puông) - a large cave with 30m high, 300m long, is an interesting place in Ba Be National Park that tourists in Vietnam travel should visit.

Puong Cave located on the Nang River, 5km from the town of Ba Be District, Bac Kan province, was created by the rivers current as it flowed next to the base of the Lung Nham Mountain, which is a chain of Limestone Mountains.

Looking into the cave, you will see that it is inhabited by a population of thousand of bats belonging to 18 species. After exploring the cave, you will note that Nang River flows at the foot of the limestone mountain, goes through Puong Cave to reach Ba Be Lake and consists of a series of spectacular cascades between perpendicular walls of rock.

Thach Long Pagoda or Stone Dragon Pagoda

Thach Long Pagoda (or Stone Dragon) locates inside a large stone grotto of Thach Long Mountain lying parallel with High Way 3. Driving from Bac Kan city to Thai Nguyen for 19-20 kilometers, tourists in Vietnam travel will see the gate of Thach Long Pagoda on the right.

No one can know when the pagoda began worshipping Buddha, Saint and the Holy Mother. Elders say that it has been for a long time when the people of Vi Huong commune took statues to their pagoda called Hoa Son, they found a beautiful natural grotto inside Thach Long Mountain. They immediately took the statutes to the grotto and worshipped them here. Yet not until the 19th century, Thach Long Pagoda was officially worshipped by the people. Because the pagoda has special structure and it is also a secrete place, the Ly Dynasty selected the pagoda as a fortress to defeat the Tong enemy.

In the war against French colonialism, the pagoda became a weapon producing place and storage and the people stopped worshipping the pagoda. In 1949-1950, Great President Ho Chi Minh visited the pagoda three times and in 1950 he stayed here for one night. In 1954, the pagoda became the Bac Thai Weapon Transport Station. Peace was re-established, the pagoda was given back to the locality and native people re-established the pagoda.

Ao Tien (The Fairy Pond)-Bac Kan Vietnam

Ao Tien is a small pond with the total width of about 3 hectares. The pond locates at the middle of Limestone Mountain and it is surrounded by green trees. Water of the pond is always clear.

Ao Tien (The Fairy Pond)- Bac Kan Province

Sitting on the bank of the pond, tourists in Vietnam travel can see fishes and shrimps swimming. On brushwood, monkeys are lying. The pond is also surrounded with primary forests. On rainy days, water in the pond has brown and muddy, leading to change water of Ba Be Lake. Ao Tien impresses tourists by its unique secret beauty. Climate there is very cool and temperate.

Joining tours in Vietnam and coming to Ao Tien, visitors are often well impressed by its unique secret beauty.

Tham Temple to Worship a Brave Woman

Tham Temple- Cho Moi- Bac Kan Province

Tham Temple is 600 meters northwest of Cho Moi town. The temple bases on the foot of Quan Thung Mountain. The temple worships a woman general named Tham, who tremendously contributed to the war against Co Den enemy in the second half of the 19th century? The temple complex consists of main temple, Co Tham (Ms Tham) shrine and Son Than (mountain god) shrine. The temple has three rooms. Previously, the temple worshipped Son Than and Thuy Than (water-nymph). The temple was not repaired until the second half of the 19th century.

It is said that in the old days there was a beautiful girl who is a daughter of a poor fisherman. Her name was Tham. All young men in the region loved and wanted to get married with her. Unfortunately, a wicked feudal lord used his power to force her to become his wife. The lord was a henchman of the enemy. Ms Tham managed to get out of his house and called on a team of poor people to struggle against the enemy. Upon knowing that Ms Tham became a woman general, the feudal lord took enemy troops to fight her. A bloody batter occurred at the junction of Trang Co River. Ms Tham bravely directed her troop. Unfortunately, Ms Tham died by a toxic arrow. To commemorate a brave woman general, native peoples built a temple on the floor of her house to worship her. Since then, the temple has been called Tham.

On early days of the spring, Tham Temple opens a festival starting on the sixth of January on lunar calendar and closing on the sixth of April on lunar calendar. The festival attracts a large number of visitors.

Nang Tien Grotto (Fairy Grotto)

Fairy Grotto is a beautiful natural spot locating at the Phja Trang mountain range be- longing to Luong Ha commune, Na Ri district, Bac Kan Province.

The grotto is 5 km far from Yen Lac town. Fairy Grotto has appeared naturally for a long time. Legend says that once upon a time there were 7 fairies landing at the foot of Phja Trang Mountain to swim. They enjoyed so much that they did not know that the night came. They could no longer fly back to the heaven. God created a grotto for them to reside. Since then, the grotto has been called "Fairy Grotto". On 13 September 1999, the Ministry of Culture and Information signed decision on recognizing the Grotto as beauty spot at national level.

Coming to Phja Trang Mountain, tourists in Vietnam travel can take a rest in the Fairy Grotto, and enjoy the fresh air atmosphere.

ATK BAC KAN

Location and History

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"An Toan Khu", meaning "safe zone" - Constructed during the revolution against the French, ATK is a complex of underground tunnels and rooms emboldened by a missile defense system in Cho Don (Bac Kan). This unique and invincible complex was one of the most important venues of the Vietnam Army from 1946 to 1954, where President Ho Chi Minh and many other leaders gathered, discussed and made vital decision involving the destiny of the nation.  

A Historical Witness

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In the long and unending war against the French’s colonization, Cho Don was chosen to be the Safe Zone of the revolution. Since then, this land had welcomed and protected many Central Departments, as well as the most influential leaders of the Communist Party of Vietnam. In the time between 1947 and 1952, almost all of the Central Departments   had their headquarters in Cho Don. As a result, the underground tunnels were built in order to protect the prominent leaders and officers. Deep down under the ground, a whole complicated system of paths, tunnels, rooms were created. The whole construction was covered with a defense system that is able to withstand bombs and bullets of the enemy.

Coming to ATK in particular and Cho Don in general, tourists can not only visit many historical sites but also learn more about the lives of the local inhabitants, discovering their most beautiful cultural essences which can only be found there.

Pac Ngoi Village

Location

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Pac Ngoi Village has more than 40 traditional stilt houses locating on the slope of mountains which surround Ba Be Lake, emphasizing the beauty of this famous ecotourism destination. The village belongs to municipality of Bac Kan province.

Surprisingly, while the traditional stilt houses have almost been eradicated in many other provinces, the antique, unique and original houses of ethnic groups are still highly valued and preserved in Pac Ngoi despite the presence of modern architecture.

Historical and Cultural Importance

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According to the local government, it is not the lack of money that keeps the inhabitants from building new and convenient houses but the love for their ethnic heritage. They strive to preserve and protect those cultural values from disappearing forever, because without these beautiful stilt houses, Pac Ngoi Village is no longer Pac Ngoi village.  

Visitors coming to Pac Ngoi are not only entitled to witness with their naked eyes the most wonderful scenery of Northern Vietnam: a plethora of austere yet interesting stilt houses blending themselves with the glimmering mist and the shinning Ba Be Lakes, but also to stay in the rhythm of the Tay culture.

This claim can be easily proven by the fact that visitors have to remove their shoes once they step the very first steps on the staircase of a stilt house. Inside the house, ethnic people gather around the gleaming fireplace, forgetting themselves in the sophisticate stories about the economy or the politic.

They create a world that shares nothing in common with the big cities where electronic lights and high buildings are ubiquitous. They are just there, in their beautiful social center, waiting to share their most interesting stories about life with you.