Located in the Northwest of Vietnam, Bac Giang province borders the provinces of Bac Ninh and Hai Duong to the South, Lang Son to the North, Quang Ninh to the East, Thai Nguyen to the West, and Hanoi capital city to the Southwest. With a natural area of 3,851.4km2, the province comprises 10 administrative units: Bac Giang city and 9 districts, of which has 6 mountainous districts (Luc Ngan, Luc Nam, Yen The, Lang Giang, Yen Dung, and Tan Yen), 1 district in highland (Son Dong) and 2 districts in midland and plain (Hiep Hoa and Viet Yen).
I - Top best tourist spots in Bac Giang province
1 - Tho Ha craft village in Bac Giang Vietnam
Tho Ha village - Source: doanhnhanplus
Tho Ha craft village is famous for its long-standing pottery, making rice noodles and rice paper as well as many ancient sites and relics dated back hundreds of years ago such as communal houses, pagodas, shrines of the village, ancient well, the gate or even narrow winding mossy alleys made of baked bricks or ceramics, etc. All of these factors contribute to the incredibly rustic yet unique beauty of the village, bearing the typical imprint of a traditional village in the Northern Delta and in Bac Giang province.
One of the most well-known sites in the village is Tho Ha communal house, boasting extremely special architecture and preserving many valuable artifacts. Thanks to its historical and aesthetic values, the communal house was proudly recognized as a National Relics on January 13, 1964 by the Ministry of Culture and Information. Strolling around the ancient village with hundred-year-old houses and picturesque scenes of “banyan trees - the boat wharf - communal house”, you are overwhelmed by the extremely peaceful atmosphere of a craft village in Bac Giang province.
The special feature is that all along the village seems to be covered by white rice paper and sesame dry pancakes (bánh đa), the eminent speciality of the village. Don’t hesitate to pay a visit to a local’s house in order to observe the procedures to make Bánh đa and enjoy the crunchy, freshy and fatty taste of sesame, coconut and peanuts served with a cup of hot green tea, which is surely an unforgettable experience.
- Location: Tho Ha village, Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district
2 - Bo Da pagoda in Bac Giang province
Bo Da pagoda - Source: vanhoavagiaitri
Bo Da pagoda is said to have been constructed in the 11th century and until now, it is one of the rare pagodas throughout the country that have still retained the traditional architecture of the ancient Vietnamese ones. The site consists of many constructions, of which the four main ones are Cao pagoda, Tam Duc shrine, Tu An pagoda, and the tower garden.
The main pagoda - Tu An comprises 16 buildings in different scales with 92 compartments in total. Many steles, bronze bells, diaphragms, couplets and 39 wooden statues are preserved at this pagoda in Bac Giang province. The statues in the “Tam Bao compartment” are placed according to the position of “tiền Thánh - hậu Phật” (the God worshiping place is set in front of the Buddhist worshiping place and in a larger space), totally different from the rest of pagodas in Vietnam.
Located in the campus of pagoda, with an area of nearly 8,000m2, the Tower Garden is the largest ancient one across Vietnam, constructed with the main materials of rock, solid bricks and clay. It features around 100 towers, home to more than 1,000 monks and nuns. These towers feature 3 to 4 floors with a height of 3-5m, built according to the strict rules of the Bo Da pagoda in Bac Giang province.
Particularly, the top of the towers of the monks has the lotus flowers and the top of the towers buried with the bone-ashes of the nuns feature the lotus buds. The set of wooden precious sutras in the pagoda is regarded as a valuable National treasure, which represents the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism as well as the ideas of Vietnamese Buddhism. With its unique and high values in many different aspects, Bo Da pagoda was ranked as the National Relic in 1992 and a Special National historical - architectural - artistic relic by the Prime Minister in 2016.
- Location: Tien Lat Thuong and Tien Lat Ha villages, Tien Son commune, Viet Yen district.
3 - Vinh Nghiem - one of the oldest pagoda in Bac Giang province
Vinh Nghiem pagoda, also known as Duc La pagoda, used to be the largest Buddhist center under the Tran dynasty, closely associated with the advent and thriving of the Truc Lam Monastery. The pagoda has a superficial architecture, consisting of many auxiliary traditional constructions, making it the most special and unique ancient Buddhist pagoda in Vietnam.
The pagoda is set in a 1ha campus, surrounded by the lush bamboo groves. It includes many constructions such as the three-entrance gate, upper hall, front hall, ancestral house, and the bell tower, etc., each of which was restored according to ancient architecture to preserve the cultural identity thousands of years ago. Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Bac Giang province features many statues of Buddhas, monks, and Dharma protectors, etc.
Specifically, there are the sets of woodblocks of Buddhist scriptures carved on ancient wood dated back around 700 years ago and 34 old books with 3,000 engravings featuring delicate Chinese characters. Because of its critical values in terms of architecture and valuable artifacts, Vinh Nghiem pagoda was recognized as the National Historical - Cultural relic in 1964. In addition, every lunar February 14th the festival is held in the pagoda with many impressive ceremonies and activities.
- Location: Duc La village, Tri Yen commune, Yen Dung district
4 - Suoi Mo relic site - hot place in Bac Giang province
Suoi Mo relic site - Source: vntrip
Suoi Mo is a name of a winding stream belonging to the Huyen Dinh - Yen Tu valley. At the tourist site, there are three pagodas dating back to the Le Dynasty (the 15th - 16th century), namely Thuong pagoda, Trung pagoda and Ha pagoda.
The Thuong pagoda, located on the hillside, still features rustic architecture, surrounded by high cliffs and large rock blocks. The Trung pagoda is situated in a large area, surrounded by lush greenery and charming waterfalls. It leans against Ba Bo mountain and overlooks Giong Khe hill & green pine trees.
At the Suoi Mo relic site in Bac Giang province, you can find a semicircular bridge on campus that seems to make guests clearly feel the extraordinary scenery. The pagoda is dedicated to the Que My Nuong princess - Thuong Ngan Thanh Mau. The Ha pagoda has the largest area in the Suoi Mo tourist site, famous for being home to many hundreds-year-old trees and three majestic, precious bronze statues.
You can gain a myriad of exhilarating experiences such as camping, bathing in the stream, hiking, or discovering the wild natural beauty of Rong Khe mountain peak, Thum Thum waterfall, or Suoi Mo waterfall, etc.
If visiting Bac Giang province on lunar March 30th or lunar April 1st every year, you are able to join in the festival with solemn ceremonies and appealing festivals.
- Location: Nghia Phuong commune, Luc Nam district
5 - Cam Son lake in Bac Giang Vietnam
With a total water surface area of more than 2,600ha, Cam Son lake features a very broad bed. The lake is surrounded by the spectacular mountains, and villages of ethnic minorities of the Nung and Tay people.
Boat is the commuter mode to take tourists around the Cam Son lake for sightseeing. The most ideal time in a day to admire the utmost beauty of this famous lake of Bac Giang province is in the early morning when the veil of mist and smog mysteriously covers the water surface and the very first sun rays of a new day starts to spark through the silvery tiny waves on the lake. Just being immersed in the unspoiled, picturesque nature and breathing in the cool, fresh air absolutely makes you incredibly relaxed.
If traveling to Cam Son in June or July, you can have a chance to admire the glorious Luc Ngan hills dyed in the red color of lychees. In addition, don’t forget to savor the rustic yet mouth-watering local food during the sightseeing tour of Cam Son lake such as grill fresh shrimp, boiled hill chicken with lemon leaves, boiled bamboo shoot dipped in salt and red chili or simply take a sip a cup of Kien Thanh wine, etc.
- Location: Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province
6 - Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve
Tay Yen Tu nature reserve - Source: bacgiang
Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve is located on the west side of the Yen Tu mountain in the Northwest of the province. Situated around 300 - 1,000m above the sea level, the nature reserve has a total area of 13,022.6ha of forest, home to a diversity of precious fauna and flora, typical of the Northwest of Vietnam. Besides the rich and diverbiosity, on these mountains are a number of well-known sites, namely Am Vai, Suoi Mo - Ho Bac, Huyen Son, Kham Lang, and Hon Thap - Yen Ma, etc., most of which dated back from the Ly - Tran Dynasties (the 11th - 14th centuries).
When visiting this famous religious site in Bac Giang province, you can not miss top 4 main tourist routes are being exploited to bring about the most comprehensive and wonderful experience to visitors, namely the route Dong Thong eco-tourist site - Dong pagoda; the route of visiting Ba Tia waterfall, Bieng village - Vung Tron lake - Khe Ro; and Nuoc Vang ecotourist site - Giot waterfall (Luc Son - Luc Nam). These routes not only take you closer to the pristine nature of the huge reserve but also broaden your horizon about the customs, traditions of the local people.
II - Tourist information about Bac Giang province
1 - Weather in Bac Giang & ideal time for visiting
Cam Son lake - Source: vov
The province of Bac Giang is located in the tropical monsoon climate in the Northeast Vietnam with 4 distinct seasons in a year. The winter is dry and cold, whereas it is hot and humid during summer. The average annual temperature is around 22 - 23°C. The average rainfall in a year is around 1,533mm with the largest amount in the period from April to September.
The best time to travel to Bac Giang province is from June to July, the harvest season when you can freely enjoy the most scrumptious fruits in the orchards, and August to September when the weather is really favorable, not too hot during day and a bit chilly at night, which is really suitable for sightseeing and discovering the nature.
2 - Specialities in Bac Giang Vietnam
Luc Ngan lychee
Lychee in Bac Giiang - Source: bacgiang.gov
When taking a trip to Vietnam, you have a chance to try a number of tropical fruits, in which lychee with sweet tasye is a must-try. Lychee is a very famous fruit in Luc Ngan district. The ripe lychee has a bright red skin, small seeds, thick and sweet flesh, rich in nutrients. The Bac Giang province lychee harvested season starts from the beginning of June and lasts for around 1 month.
Tho Ha sesame dry pancakes (Bánh đa)
The main ingredient to make this pancake is pure plain rice well ground into smooth rice liquid dough, then spread with two layers, finally sprinkled with sesame, shredded coconut and peanuts. Bánh đa is dried under the sun and then grilled on the charcoal until ready for usage. The final products have the yellow-orange color, impressive crescent shape. The crispy dry pancakes, one of the most famous specialties of Bac Giang province. are attractive with the fragrant aroma of sesame and peanuts, the fat flavor of shredded coconut and the milky aroma of coconut milk in the liquid dough.
Chu rice noodles
Ảnh 8: Món mỳ Chu - Source: dulichbacgiang
The secret to create the reputation of Chu rice noodles is the material of the special kind of rice of the Luc Ngan, the pure source of water, and the unique traditional techniques as well as the meticulousness in each step to make the noodles. There are no preservatives in Chu noodles but the noodles are still flexible, chewy and tasty. Chu rice noodles can be cooked with various ingredients such as stir-fried beef, fried celery, fried asparagus or chicken.
3 - Hotels in Bac Giang province
Muong Thanh Grand Bac Giang
The 4-star hotel features 195 well-appointed rooms and suites with panoramic views of Bac Giang city. It consists of a modern conference, banquet system as well as various services such as a swimming pool, fitness center, spa & massage, and karaoke.
- Address: 3/2 Square, Hoang Van Thu street, Ngo Quyen ward, Bac Giang city
- Rate: 570,000 VND/ room/ night ($24.8)
- Contact: 0204 3542 888
SOJO Hotel Bac Giang
The hotel features 120 rooms and suites providing stunning views of Bac Giang city. The design of the SOJO hotel in Bac Giang province is the harmonious combination of the new, unique architecture and the typical architecture of the locality. The hotel consists of a pub bar, gyms, and a reading room for entertainment.
- Address: No.08 Nguyen Van Cu street, Tran Phu ward, Bac Giang city
- Rate: 620,000VND/ room/ night ($27)
- Contact: 0204 383 8333
Apec Mandala Hotel & Suites Bac Giang
The architecture of the 5-star hotel in Bac Giang province is inspired by the plentiful landscape and pristine nature. It is the combination of traditional indigenous culture and modern, contemporary design. There are different types of spacious, well-equipped rooms and you freely enjoy high-class services and facilities including a sky bar, four-season pool, and steam bath.
- Address: No.55 Nguyen Van Cu street, Ngo Quyen ward, Bac Giang city
- Rate: from 2,230,000 VND/ room/ night ($100)
- Contact: 0204 386 8866
4 - Map of Bac Giang province
The combination of charming natural landscape, long-standing traditions and customs together with numerous famous historical and cultural relic sites makes Bac Giang Vietnam an attractive destination that is absolutely worth a visit. For more details about traveling in Vietnam, let’s visit our website Local Travel Idea and enjoy the amazing virtual tours waiting for you ahead
