Dam Da - A new land waiting for exploration of tourists in Vietnam travel

Meanwhile such names as Hoa Tien grotto, Tien Phi grotto, Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant on the Da River are tourist highlights, Dam Da located in Phu Lao commune, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province seems to be an obscure historical site.

This is a vast complex of temples, pagodas and caves, including Trinh temple (also known as Quan Trinh), Mau temple, Tien pagoda and others. Dam Da hosts annual festival in the fourth month of the lunar year, attracting many pilgrims from the province and neighboring regions.

In the complex, Tien Pagoda has been recognized as a national historical cultural site which attracts many visitors joining tours in Vietnam to come here for sightseeing or worship. Nguoi Xua Cave (including Tien Cave and Ho Cave) is renowned as a national archaeological location with many vestiges of ancient Vietnamese people, contributing a great deal to the study of Vietnam’s history.

Scattered around the complex are temples and pagodas such as Trinh Temple, Mau Temple and Tien Pagoda, which are dedicated to worship legendary characters such as Au Co Mother, Lac Long Quan Father, Hoang Bay Mandarin and Tam Toa Thanh Mau.

Besides its cultural and historical values, Dam Da is marked by its natural spectacular caves. It also has over 20 mysterious caves including Tam Toa, Thuy Tien, Cung Tien, Hoang Muoi and Co Chin, etc. In the caves, stalactites in diverse colors and shapes hang. As the caves’ entrances are situated halfway up the mountains, tourists in Vietnam travel have to trek to reach them. One will find it extremely difficult to list all the caves here. Travelers will be totally taken by surprised at the gigantic and illusory stalagmites and stalactites when coming into each cave.

During spring, particularly from January to March, Dam Da-Hoa Binh is most crowded when there is Chua Tien festival. Conveniently, tourists can combine a trip to visiting Perfume pagoda nearby – a famous attraction in My Duc district, Ha Tay province (now part of Hanoi.)