Tam Coc - Bich Dong during the new rice season.

Often referred to as "Ha Long Bay on land," Tam Coc-Bich Dong is a popular destination attracting many foreign tourists .

The beauty of the Ngo Dong River during the rice harvest season. (Photo: An Binh)

One day at the end of May, we sailed down the Ngo Dong River with a boatwoman named Thu, heading towards Tam Coc-Bich Dong. The small boat glided smoothly along the river, which resembled a soft silk ribbon, winding past majestic cliffs and caves, along with the vast golden expanse of ripening rice fields.

It's no coincidence that Forbes magazine in the US selected Ninh Binh as one of the 23 best travel destinations of 2023, and it was also ranked seventh in the top 10 friendliest destinations in the world by Booking.com's 11th annual Traveller Review Awards.

As part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014, Tam Coc-Bich Dong is the perfect destination for those who want to fully explore the beauty of the landscape, along with its impressive system of limestone caves and peaceful rural scenery.

Here, each season has its own unique beauty, but perhaps the most breathtaking season, and one that shouldn't be missed, is the rice harvest season.

Each year, the locals have only one harvest season, from around mid-May to the end of June, resulting in golden, fragrant rice fields stretching along the banks of the Ngo Dong River…

Enhancing the value of agriculture

Although it wasn't my first time here, after many years returning to this place, I clearly felt a new vibrancy of the golden season in Tam Coc-Bich Dong, along with the impressive transformation of Ninh Binh tourism.

This year, to welcome the first visitors to experience the golden season, the rice fields have been artistically shaped to depict the painting "Carp Gazing at the Moon," aiming to elevate the value of agriculture through the image of rice plants and conveying wishes for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, and a bountiful harvest.

At the same time, the painting also conveys the message that farmers should work together with the government to preserve cultural and natural values ​​in order to develop community tourism.

For those unfamiliar with the name Tam Coc, it simply means "three caves": Cave One, Cave Two, and Cave Three. All three caves were formed by the Ngo Dong River cutting through the mountains, featuring numerous strangely shaped stalactites and stalagmites.

Planted along the waterway from Hang Ca-Hang Hai-Hang Ba, the rice fields are sown from the end of January to the beginning of June for harvest.

The boatwoman told us that during the harvest season, tourists who come here have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the harvest, witnessing firsthand the authentic scenes of farmers rowing boats, harvesting rice, transporting rice, and threshing rice.

The rice harvest season lasts for two weeks, which is also the busiest time on the Ngo Dong River. Boats transport tourists for sightseeing, while others carry the joys of a bountiful harvest.

Besides boat trips on the Ngo Dong River, a visit to Tam Coc-Bich Dong also allows you to explore Mua Cave – offering panoramic views of Tam Coc – or cycle around the golden rice paddies. Furthermore, from May to June is the time when the lotus ponds near Tam Coc bloom brilliantly amidst the majestic mountain scenery.

Lost in historical stories

One of the most fascinating aspects of our Tam Coc - Bich Dong exploration was being transported to a space steeped in ancient stories, such as at Thai Vi Temple, a place of worship for the kings and generals of the Tran Dynasty in Tam Coc Bich Dong.

Previously, the Trang An-Tam Coc mountain region was the location chosen by the Tran dynasty's king and his court to build the Vu Lam Royal Palace military base to consolidate forces during the second resistance war against the Mongol invaders.

Nestled peacefully on the slopes of Dong Vo Mountain, Thien Huong Cave is also a popular destination, boasting a height of nearly 60m, a length of 40m, and a width of 20m, with a vaulted ceiling resembling a large bell.

Thien Huong Cave has a wide top, so people often call it the "Heavenly Cave". Notably, inside the cave is a shrine dedicated to Mrs. Tran Thi Dung, the wife of King Ly Hue Tong, who taught the people of Ninh Hai commune the art of lace embroidery. People built a shrine to her to express their gratitude.

Located about 2km from Tam Coc boat dock, Bich Dong is a dry cave situated halfway up a mountain. It was named in 1773 by Prime Minister Nguyen Khiem, father of the great poet Nguyen Du. This place is affectionately called "Nam Thien De Nhi Dong," meaning the second most beautiful cave in Southern Vietnam, second only to Huong Tich Cave.

When visiting this place, you shouldn't miss Tien Cave—a system of three large caves with magical stalactite formations resembling fairy trees, rice plants, old and young fairies, elephants, lions, tigers, monitor lizards, dragons, eagles, and multicolored clouds…

Experience rowing a boat at Tam Coc-Bich Dong. (Photo: An Binh)

Professional and friendly

It is evident that the development of tourism has transformed the lives of the people in Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province, including their traditional boat rowing occupation.

The boat-rowing team here comprises all the households in the commune, from men and women to young people and the elderly... To row boats on the Ngo Dong River, they must have a local household registration, build their own boats, and be assigned a number by the Management Board. In turn, all families in the commune take turns rowing boats to serve tourists.

While rowing her boat, Ms. Thu explained that she works as a factory worker on weekdays, and only has the opportunity to ferry tourists when it's her family's turn or on her days off.

If there are many customers, she usually manages about three trips a month, earning around 150,000 VND per trip. The income isn't much, but it brings her and other locals joy and provides them with some extra income to make ends meet during the off-season.

Interestingly, when visiting Tam Coc, you'll see locals skillfully rowing boats with their feet. From navigating against the current to navigating rocky rapids and passing through treacherous caves, they can effortlessly control the boat with their feet.

When asked about this skill, the boatwoman shared: "The total distance for the round trip is nearly 20km. Rowing only with our hands would be very tiring, so we occasionally use our feet to make it less strenuous."

Besides their rowing skills, the people of Tam Coc - Bich Dong are also skilled in photography on the river. Those who offer photography services in the tourist area must register and will be allowed to take photos by the hour or by the day, depending on the number of visitors.

To avoid competition for customers, the tourism management board has divided the area into several designated spots for people to take photos on the Ngo Dong River. Each spot typically has two to three photographers who travel around in boats, inviting visitors to take pictures.

According to regulations, when approaching boats, photographers are only allowed to take pictures with the tourists' consent. Any soliciting or coercion will be severely punished. Therefore, along the Ngo Dong River, even though there are five to seven photo spots, everyone operates very professionally and friendly.

Bidding farewell to this place, often referred to as "Ha Long Bay on land," with a rather satisfying photo given to us right at the boat dock by a photographer, each of us felt happy and had special impressions of this place and the warmth and hospitality of the local people...

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tam-coc-bich-dong-vao-mua-lua-moi-231077.html