Ninh Binh: in need of a more international approach to spiritual tourism

NINH BINH - The Province of Ninh Binh – a roughly two-hour car drive south of Hanoi- is well known among Vietnamese. According to the head of the provincial Statistics Office Dinh The Thap, Ninh Binh welcomed around 4.18 million visitors until the end of October, posting a year-on-year increase of 20.8%.

The Province offers a wealth of attractions. The first capital of the kingdom of Northern Vietnam was located in Ninh Binh thousand years ago in Hoa Lu, today one of the most visited cities in the country.

Ninh Binh is also famed for its beautiful natural caves and stone formations. Cuc Phuong National Park is one of the country’s first national park and Vietnam’s largest nature reserve. The Trang An complex is also a beautiful serene area, with stone and cave formations set on a large water reserve of 1,500 hectares which were still used as rice fields a decade ago.

But Ninh Binh is also famed for its historical and religious sites. Hoa Lu is one of Vietnam’s most historical cities as it used to be an ancient capital to the northwest. The most impressive is Bai Dinh Pagoda, a gigantic complex of temples and pagodas set up on the Bai Dinh Mountain. Bai Dinh pagoda is currently considered as the largest and most beautiful pagoda in Vietnam. It covers an area of 107 ha and has the biggest copper Buddha statue in Southeast Asia, weighting 100 tons as well as a monastery where any Vietnamese can become a monk. All the pagodas, all exquisitely sculpted in teak wood are just amazing. Despite its venerable alike structure, Bai Dinh pagoda is however only ten years old.

It also proves that Communist Vietnam has now a soother relation to Buddhism compared to the past. “This is in fact not a work done by the State but by a private Vietnamese construction company. This did not conflict at all with the Government, which has today adopted a more relaxed approach to religion”, explains one of the guides. Granting the construction of the pagoda to Xuan Truong Construction Company is even perceived as beneficial to the region. Ninh Binh is regularly flooded by pilgrims during official religious celebrations. And Xuan Truong is now looking at building a new highway from Hanoi direct to Bai Dinh, which will also help shortening the travel time from Vietnam’s capital to the province.

Another famous religious site is Phat Diem stone church. The strange architecture of the religious catholic monument -a mix of Asian and European medieval styles with a touch of Art Nouveau - makes it one of the most attractive churches in Southeast Asia. Built in stone and wood during 34 years, the gothic church foundations were started in 1865 to be achieved only in 1899. It was modeled after Vietnam’s imperial palace of Hue with five chapels, a bell tower and two gates, all surrounding the main cathedral. The building is very popular among both local visitors and international travellers.
But more could be done to turn both religious sites into Despite their interesting architecture and spiritual value, they are until now more visited by locals than foreigners. Probably because Vietnam’s secondary destinations did not totally embrace a concept of international tourism. Walking at both Bai Dinh Pagoda and Phat Diem Cathedrale, they are no explanation signage in foreign languages such as English, French or Chinese, no proper guides speaking at least English and no brochure available.

Emphasizing international spiritual tourism in Ninh Binh is certainly a good idea, as it helps to spread tourism benefits to new areas in Vietnam. But the province must also invest a minimum in tourism “soft infrastructure”: the learning of foreign languages, the training of proper guides, international signage with a detailed description of the monument at the province main sightseings. These are little steps but they are likely to create the difference.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews