(VOVworld)- Located in the southeast of the Red River Delta, Nam Dinh province retains many traditions, customs, beliefs, festivals, traditional crafts, and historical and cultural relics. The province has become a popular tourist destination in recent years.

Co Le pagoda in Nam Dinh province

Nestled about 100 km to the south of Hanoi, Nam Dinh is easily accessible by train, car, and motorbike thanks to very good roads from Hanoi. The province has nearly 4,000 historical and cultural relics including Phu Day temple, and Co Le, Keo, and Luong pagodas and Ngoi bridge and the Nam Dinh flag pole which carries rich cultural value. Many local relics are closely associated with famous Vietnamese figures including Nguyen Hien, Luong The Vinh, poets Tu Xuong and Nguyen Binh and former Party leader Truong Chinh. There are more than 70 craft villages involved in woodcarving, lacquer, rattan weaving, and ornamental tree plantations. More than 100 traditional festivals take place in the province every year attracting thousands of visitors. The Phu Day temple, Tran temple, Vieng market, and the seal-opening festivals are among the most popular. Do Vu Loi of the National Architecture Institute says: “Its cultural heritage and religious establishments are advantages for Nam Dinh in developing its tourism. Cultural relics and their significant values date back to the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties. Many studies on the value of this heritage has been carried out. Tapping this heritage could bring major cultural and social benefits to the province”.

Xuan Thuy National Park in Nam Dinh province

Historical and cultural relics from the Tran dynasty have enabled Nam Dinh to develop a form of spiritual tourism. Festival and craft villages have also been promoted for tourists. Nguyen Cong Khuong is Head of the Tourism Section of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism: “Nam Dinh is the homeland of the Tran dynasty. 750 years ago, the Dynasty was established and flourished here. Thus, the province has rich cultural resources. There are many traditional festivals that are closely associated with the local relics, many of them are spring and village festivals. The wet rice culture is well reflected in local festivals and the arts such as water puppetry art and the duck catching festival. Craft villages are also one of our tourist attractions”.

Siu Chau peanut candy, a specialty of Nam Dinh

Nam Dinh province has a coastline of 72 km along which many marine tourist sites were set up including Thinh Long tourist site in Hai Hau district and Quat Lam in Giao Thuy district. In particular, the Xuan Thuy National Park with an ecosystem of mangrove forests is a destination for migrant birds. It is the first Ramsar site in Vietnam and Southeast Asia and also a favorite destination for visitors. Nguyen Phuc Hoi is Vice Director of Xuan Thuy National Park: “Xuan Thuy National Park is a submerged land located on the estuary. Its typical ecosystem is the submerged ecological system representing northern Vietnam’s sea and includes mangrove forests, lagoons, and sand banks. The park still retains the ecological system of the Red River mouth region”.

Local rural villages with their customs and traditions typical of the Red River Delta civilization are ideal for tours. Local specialties such as beef noodle, the wet rice paper spring rolls of Khe village, and Siu Chau peanut candies are among many attractions of Nam Dinh province.