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Hai Phong - Cat Ba Island
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Brief Introduction
 Haiphong is a large city with an important seaport of Vietnam. Haiphong is near Quang Ninh Province to the north, Hai Duong Province to the west, and Thai Binh Province to the south.Because of the proximity to the East Sea, Haiphong’s weather is affected by inter-tropical monsoons. The annual average temperature varies between 23ºC and 24ºC.Haiphong has many temples, pagodas, mausoleums and shrines such as ancient Du Hang Pagoda, Nghe Temple, Hang Kenh Communal House... Haiphong has famous historical Bach Dang River, where the national heroes defeated three Chinese feudal invasions. The third victory over the Yuan-Mongolians was known all over the world. Many of the teakwood pointed spikes have been discovered in this river. Haiphong is on tourism route:  Hanoi - Haiphong - Halong Bay. Do Son Beach, located 20km from Haiphong, is a sand strip for bathing. However, during the monsoon season, the Red River’s alluvial sands cause the water to turn yellow. From Do Son, tourists can visit Cat Ba National Park, and continue to Bai Tu Long Bay and Halong Bay (Quang Ninh Province). Haiphong is also famous for many festivals, of which Choi Trau Festival (Do Son Buffalo-fighting festival) in Do Son Town is unique.Haiphong is served by an important transportation network of sea routes, roads, railways, and airlines.
Road: The National Highway No. 10 links Haiphong to the provinces of Quang Ninh, Thai Binh and Thanh Hoa. Haiphong is 102km from Hanoi.
Airlines: There are connecting daily flights with Ho Chi Minh City from Cat Bi Airport.
Railway: There are trains from Hanoi to Haiphong and vice versa.
Boat: Daily ferries from the dock on Ben Binh St. for other destinations.The ferry runs from Haiphong to Cat Ba Island several times a day. The hydrofoil boats run between Haiphong - Cat Ba and Haiphong - Hon Gai. The high-speed air-condition Thong Nhat Boat leave daily from Haiphong to Cat Ba.
Highlights
 Cat Ba Island is situated in Cat Hai District, Haiphong City.Cat Ba Island is a tourist spot, attractive for its natural beauty and wonders endowed by nature.Taking a ride on a car or train for two hours from Hanoi to Haiphong, then on a high-speed vessel for another hour, visitors will arrive at Cat Ba Island, the biggest island (100km²) out of the 366 islands on the Lan Ha Bay.
Right from the moment visitors foot on Cat Ba gangway,  looking afar to contemplate the enchanting scenery of immense sky and magnificent mountains and breathing the fresh air from the sea, visitors will feel comfortable and their tiredness after a long trip will disappear. Surely, visitors want to go on with their journey at once. Visitors should hire a Minsk motorbike, out of 400 motorbikes and cars here, to ride to any place visitors want to visit. First of all, visitors should rent a room in a hotel, becathe hotels on this island are often overcrowded due to the ever-increasing number of visitors to Cat Ba Island, although more hotels and hostels are being built. It is very pleasant to stay in a hotel, whose back leans against the mountain and its face looks towards the sea, and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery around.
 Visiting the large beaches of Cat Co and Cat Dua, which are separated by a small range of mountain, visitors can swim in the blue and warm water, so clear that visitors can see the golden sand beneath.If visitors do not want to swim at this crowded place, visitors can hire a motor boat to sail to the small islets, where there are calm and clean beaches, such as the Cat Trai Gai, Duong Gianh and Hien Hao. The mountain adjacent to Cat Co Beach has a tunnel and fascinating caves and grottoes, such as Hang Luon, Khe Sau, Trung Trang, Gia Luan and Kim Cuong. Visiting these caves and grottoes you will get the feeling of the explorers, discovering the wonders and mysteries endowed by nature. Do Son Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Viet nam situated in Do Son Dist., 20km from the southwest of Haiphong City, about 120km from Hanoi.
Do Son is a small peninsula located between the Lach Tray and Van Uc Rivers. Do Son beaches are shaded by thousands of sandalwood trees and surrounded by mountains and Pine Hills. Immediately upon setting foot in Haiphong, the French turned Do Son into a summer resort for their expatriate community and the Vietnamese upper class. Today, Do Son is alive with tourists from all over the world. They mainly come here to spend time on the beach, relax, and hike.
Du Hang Pagoda is located at 121 Du Hang Street, Du  Hang Kenh Ward, Le Chan District, Hai Phong. The pagoda was built under the Ly Dynasty and is considered an ancient architectural relic of the city. It was later renovated in the 17th century by Nguyen Dinh Sach, an officer of the imperial guard who resigned and became a Buddhist monk. In 1899, during the reign of King Thanh Thai, a monk by the name of Thong Hanh expanded the pagoda and built a bell tower. The existing pagoda resulted from the repair work carried out during that time. Inside the pagoda are several statues that are intricately engraved in the style of the Nguyen Dynasty. Valuable relics, such as bronze tripods and gongs, are also kept in the pagoda.
 Hang Kenh Communal House, also referred to as Nhan Tho Communal Hoin Sino-Vietnamese is famous for its valuable wooden sculptures.. Built in 1717, Hang Kenh Communal House later expanded in 1905. The main front hall, also called “dai dinh”, connects to the back part through a tiled roof bridge.There are lots of valuable items in t he communal house, of which there are 156 pieces with a dragon as the main theme. Altogether, there are 308 dragons of different shapes and sizes. The pagoda also houses a statue of Ngo Quyen and a palanquin. Every year from the 16th to 18th of the second lunar month, ritual ceremonies, festivals, traditional games and performances of “cheo”, “tuong” and other folk songs are held at the communal house, attracting large crowds.
Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival(Hai Phong City) is officially held every year on the 9th  day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. There are, in fact, two rounds of elimination before the middle of the fifth month and 8th day of the sixth lunar month. The preparation for this festival is very elaborate. Fighting buffaloes must be carefully common buffaloes.The beginning of the worshipping ceremony lasts until lunch time. A typical procession begins with an octet and a big procession chair, carried by six strong young men. The six  clean buffaloes that are part of the ceremony are covered with red cloths and bound with reddish bands on their horns. There are 24 young men who dance and wave flags as two teams of troops start fighting. After this event, a pair of buffaloes are led to opposite sides of the festival grounds and are made to stand near two flags called Ngu Phung. When the right signal is released, the two buffaloes are moved to within 20m of each other. At the next signal, the two leaders release the ropes that are attached to the noses of the buffaloes. The  two buffaloes then rush into each other with well practiced movements. The spectators then shout and urge the fighting along.
At the completion of the fight, the spectacle of "receiving the buffaloes" is very interesting as the leaders must then catch the winning buffalo to it its reward.
The Buffalo Fight in Do Son is a traditional festival that is attached to a Water God worshipping ceremony and the "Hien Sinh" custom. The most typical reason for the ceremony is to express the martial spirit of the local people in Do Son, Haiphong. |
