A List of Interesting Tourist Attractions to Visit in Vietnam
Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia that has many interesting tourist spots to visit. However, during this pandemic, many tourist attractions are closed for the common good. Since the pandemic is still not over, it wouldn't hurt for you to know information about tourist spots in Vietnam before actually visiting them.
Tourist Attractions in Vietnam
There are quite a number of interesting tourist attractions in Vietnam, ranging from architectural sites to natural beauty. Here are the details.
Thien Mu Pagoda
Although Vietnam is not a country known as the Land of a Thousand Pagodas, it doesn't mean that Vietnam doesn't have pagodas. One of them is the Thien Mu Pagoda.
The Thien Mu Pagoda was built in 1601 under the orders of Governor Nguyen Hoang. The term Thien Mu literally means "celestial woman." The naming of Thien Mu for this pagoda originated from a local legend that an old woman predicted that a king would build a pagoda at that location.
The old woman disappeared after making the prediction. This inspired Nguyen Hoang to build the pagoda at that site and name it Thien Mu.
Looking at the year it was established, this pagoda is indeed very historic.
Jade Emperor Pagoda
In addition to Thien Mu Pagoda, you can visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda. This pagoda was established by the Cantonese community and was completed in 1909. Just so you know, this pagoda was part of President Barack Obama's itinerary during his visit to Vietnam in 2016.
St. Joseph's Cathedral
Another historical site in Vietnam is St. Joseph's Cathedral, which was built in 1886 by the French colonial government. This cathedral is the oldest church in Hanoi. St. Joseph's Cathedral is visited by many people, and it is not uncommon for people to spill out onto the streets during Sunday mass.
Vietnam National Museum
In Vietnam, you can also visit the national museum. The Vietnam National Museum was established in 1910 by the French colonialists. The museum was redesigned in 1926 and 1932 by architect Ernest Hebrard.
In this national museum, you can see various ancient artifacts from Vietnam. You can find axe heads, statues of Quan Am (Goddess Kwan Im) with a thousand eyes and arms, dresses, and other antiques. The collection in this national museum reaches 200,000 items.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is a protected national park since 1986 and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This national park has caves that are the largest in the world. This park also has a new species of lizard that is colorful.
Hue Monument Complex
One of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam is the Hue Monument Complex. This complex has hundreds of monuments and ruins, including: the Imperial City, royal tombs, flag towers, pagodas, temples, libraries, museums, and the Forbidden Purple City. Hue city was once the capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945.
Hoi An Ancient Town
If you love history, you will feel transported to the past when visiting Hoi An Ancient Town. In this town, you will be treated to views of an old village. There, you cannot use any transportation other than bicycles. This ancient town is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Xeo Quyt Forest
An interesting tourist spot in Vietnam is Xeo Quyt Forest. This forest has a natural forest concept. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery in Xeo Quyt using a canoe. The cost for renting a canoe is also quite cheap, around 10,000 rupiah (if converted to rupiah).
Mekong River
This river is the longest river in Southeast Asia. It flows from China to Vietnam. If you visit the Mekong River, you will see a brownish color. This is because the river contains river mud.
If you happen to stay there for a while and encounter rising water, you will see glowing orbs rising to the surface. According to local legend, these are the fireballs of the Mekong Dragon. However, scientists predict that the glowing orbs are due to giant eels that are 7 meters long and were once found in Laos and Cambodia in 1968.
Hoan Kiem Lake
Hoan Kiem Lake is located in the center of Hanoi. The name Hoan Kiem means "Returned Sword." This refers to the legend of the divine sword given to Emperor Le Loi. Le Loi then fought against China to free Vietnam. After the liberation, Le Loi returned the sword to the turtle god.
You can see a turtle tower in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. This turtle tower was built to commemorate that legend.
Ha Long Bay
In addition to Hoan Kiem Lake, you can visit Ha Long Bay. This bay covers an area of about 1,500 square kilometers with a coastline of 120 kilometers. Ha Long itself means "Descending Dragon."
Ha Long Bay is one of several UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam. In this bay, you can see large rocks (islands) that rise to the surface of the water. Inside these large rocks, there are several caves. These caves include Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave, Sung Sot Cave, and Tam Cung Cave.
Phu Quoc Island
Phu Quoc Island is the largest island in Vietnam. There are many beautiful beach views that you can enjoy there. You can also go snorkeling to enjoy the beauty of the coral reefs around.
You can also have an adventure around Phu Quoc Island by renting a motorcycle. The rental cost for a motorcycle ranges from 75,000 to 150,000 rupiah (if converted to rupiah). Additionally, you can see some remnants of colonial French prisons for Vietnamese people and museums on this island.
Marble Mountains
You can also enjoy the beauty of nature by visiting the Marble Mountains in Vietnam. These mountains have entrances in the form of caves and several tunnels. To reach the peak of these mountains, you can pass through tunnels or caves. The peak of the Marble Mountains is called Thuy Son.
At Thuy Son, besides enjoying the surrounding views, you can see pillars decorated with dragon mosaics and other beautiful marble carvings. Additionally, in some caves in these mountains, there are sacred places for Hindus, Buddhists, the Tam Thai pagoda, and the Pho Dong tower.
Author: Iskael
