When mentioned Ha Noi, most people would think about the Old Quarter, Lake Hoan Kiem, the Temple of Literature, etc. These are famous tourist attractions that have great value both in history and culture. However, there are other things to see in Ha Noi, the Outskirts of Ha Noi, to be exact. Many tourists have come to Ha Noi and missed out on these destinations. This article should remind you some famous tourist attractions on the outskirts of Ha Noi that you must see with your own eyes.
Bat Trang Pottery Village
Bat Trang, the seven-century-old pottery village, is an interesting attraction in Hanoi that should not be ignored.
Bat Trang ceramics is produced for daily household use (bow, cup, plates, pot, bottle, etc), for worship or decoration purposes. Nowadays, the pottery artists bring about numerous innovations in production techniques and creativity in products’ features. Therefore, many new products have been created, and even daily household items may have the beauty of decors.
Visiting Bat Trang, tourists can walk or ride buffaloes for sightseeing and shopping. Besides many ceramic shops along the road in the village, tourists should visit Bat Trang Porcelain and Pottery Market where they can get some hands-on experience and make pottery products themselves. Many youngsters and foreign tourists are interested in in this making potteries and spending a whole day in the market to make gifts for friends and families.
The best way to get to Bat Trang is by taking the bus 47A (47B will drop you off 1.5km away the Village) from Long Bien Bus Station and stay till the last stop, which is the Bat Trang Village.
Co Loa Citadel
Co Loa Citadel was the capital of Au Lac (Vietnam from 257 BC to 179 BC). At one point, it was destroyed and became a historical relic. Nowadays, an annual festival is held to commemorate the ruling dynasty of King An Duong Vuong, who had ordered the construction Co Loa Citadel.
Today in Co Loa, there are many traces of the legends. For hundreds of years, the Co Loa Citadel Festival has been held annually to commemorate and worship King An Duong Vuong.
There are many ways to get to Co Loa. Take the bus can allow you to save money and protect the environment. You can take bus 17 or 15 from Long Bien Bus Station or 46 from My Dinh Bus Station. Or if you prefer to ride your own motorcycle, it’s best to head up to Nhat Tan bridge and follow the sign to Co Loa.
Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong)
Located about 60km from Ha Noi’s center, Perfume Pagoda is considered one of the most unique and famous religious sites in Ha Noi. Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong) is a vast complex of Buddhist temples and shrines built into the limestone on Huong Tich mountain. Around 60 kilometers southwest of Hanoi, Perfume Pagoda is one of the largest and unique religious sites in Huong Son Commune, near the bank of Day river.
From January to March (lunar calendar) is not a good time to visit Chua Huong due to the crowd you will run into here. But besides that, the Perfume Pagoda is always beautiful.
The best way to get to Perfume Pagoda is by motorcycle. You can choose to take the bus, but that would require multiple connecting buses, and not that many locals know how to get to Chua Huong by bus. You can get to Te Tieu by taking bus 211, 78, or 75. You can find these buses in My Dinh, Ha Dong or Yen Nghia bus stations. From Te Tieu, it should be a 15-minute walk before you reach Perfume Pagoda.
Ba Vi national park
Located in Ba Vi district, Ha Noi, Ba Vi National Park is the idyllic place for relaxation with the majestic mountains, exotic lifeforms, and various entertainment activities.
Ba Vi National Park is a sacred land, people considered this place to be the resting place of the Mountain God Tan Vien – one of the Four immortals of Vietnamese folklore.
Ba Vi National Park has pleasant climate with many spectacular natural landscapes. The land contains various streams and waterfalls with water flowing all year round. The cultural and historic relics also attract visitors to Ba Vi. All of these things make Ba Vi an ideal destination.
Ba Vi National Park is 60km away from Ha Noi town center. Taking the bus or going by motorcycle is both okay. Buses 77 from Yen Nghia Bus Station or 71 or 74 from My Dinh Bus Station can take you directly to the park. On the way to Ba Vi you will come across Duong Lam, so this is how you can also get there.
Duong Lam Ancient Village
Duong Lam ancient village is known as a lateritic exhibition with around 300 houses built with lateritic bricks since 3 or 4 centuries ago. The village has also been described as the last stronghold of the wet rice farming culture in the northern of Vietnam.
A journey to Duong Lam is tracing back to the origin of the Vietnamese culture and tradition. This is also a great opportunity to explore the architecture of the ancient houses and visit the temples dedicated to the two hometown national heroes: Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung. In addition, tourists can visit old and nice Mia Pagoda, which is the other hamlet in Duong Lam village built in the 15th century, admire 287 statues of all sizes, and famous sculptures such as the statue of Buddha in Himalayas and the Eight Viagra Deities. On the trip, visitors will discover the daily life of the Vietnamese farmers in the past and now.