Hoa Lu Old Town, including Ky Lan Lake Park, Silver Pagodas @ Ninh Binh in Vietnam

This wasn't included in the written itinerary of our Ninh Binh day trip but since we had to go with the flow before going back to Hanoi, we dutifully alighted from the coach.

Ky Lan Lake Park - you had to admit that the shimmering oriental structure on an artificial island drew attention. And yes, time was given for us to explore the area although 45 minutes were not sufficient at all!  

Ticket that cost zero dong; so what's the point of having it? Anyway, this Hoa Lu Old Town attraction was built in 2022, "with the aim of promoting Ninh Binh tourism", tapping into its heritage as the ancient capital of Vietnam. 

Let's go past the bridge to start our free and easy journey. What are the visual icons you can think of when it comes to Vietnam? Aside from Non La (the leaf hat), I personally think that the lanterns, differing from Chinese and Japanese lanterns, are another one.

For the practical Singaporean, whose country is renowned for being hot and wet, my primary concern is how often do they need to maintain the lanterns, especially those hanging on trees! 

So scenic with the pagoda overlooking the gigantic lotus flowers floating in the center of the lake, and the numerous limestone cliffs right in front. With the cool temperature, I bet my dad would enjoy just relaxing in the area. 

Mau Temple at the foot of the hill - said to honor a princess who was sacrificed for unicorn-like beast that resided in the hill. The information was actually taken from the internet.

The paper horse and paper figurines in the temple; for the local Singaporean context, we would presume they would be burnt as part of the offerings even though for us, it's more common to burn such paper effigies during funerals or the seventh lunar month, also known as the ghost month.

While everyone was making their way to the pagodas and the old town, Lock and I were keen to climb the Ky Lan mountain! It's like the climb we undertook earlier the day at Mua Caves wasn't sufficient! 

Finding the path. 

Documenting our journey! The climb was much easier than Mua Caves and to call this a mountain was pushing it a bit too far! For more photographs, kindly refer to my separate posting here. 

Proceeding to check out the silver pagoda! Why is it called silver when the color was more towards the golden hue? Don't ask me as it could be the way things are translated from Vietnamese.

Entering from the side door and I was literally impressed with the volcanic stone carvings that depicted local scenes and stories taken from Buddhism. Gosh, I wonder if they would accumulate a lot of dust; a housekeeping torture it they do. 

Building was tall at 25 meters. yet it was hollow within, resulting in surprising visitors who assumed it would be your typical temple with boring altars and stairs going up to the upper levels. 

A fantastic photo spot right?! There were indeed two pagodas and this one, on the artificial island, was the one we saw at the entrance upon disembarkation from the coach. 

Let's walk over! 

Strangely, entering from the side again. 

Interestingly, the "patron deity" was a modern woman who was simply dressed. My curiosity was piqued; was this lady a spiritual leader in the area? Or was it a deliberated move to modernize the princess who sacrificed herself? 

Wall carvings heavily featured her too. 

Recognized the structure on the left?

I think it's the temple of literature! 

Again, the majestic, three floor high ceiling, capped with a gold emblem. Honestly, this was one of the unique Buddhist structures I have been too, and the pagoda's exterior illumination made them stand out, resulting in a prefect combination of traditional architectural design assisted by modern technology. 

View in front of us. 

Walking back the initial silver pagoda; I was rushing a bit as we only had less than an area to explore and I had yet to check out the purpose built Hoa Lu Old Town.

I saw something that I thought should be banned around the world; helium balloons! It's rare to find me reacting so strongly to a topic and actually came about after my trip to Hanoi. Read more here. 

Be mindful when you walk across the bridge separating the two pagodas; I am not surprised if there would be people falling into the water, especially if there is a huge crowd and you have friends horsing around. 

This looked like another pathway up Ky Lan mountain, different from the one we took. It was said that there were five caves in the mountain and it's a pity that I didn't see any. 

Lanterns over your heads; this would have been stunning at night! Frankly, if you have time, spend a few nights in Ninh Binh as it would be less rushed. 

Such a relaxing promenade reminded me of old towns in China. 

Shops alongside the promenade; again, what's another visual icon of Vietnam? Obviously, the ao dai and it's a common enough attire for locals to wear them for daily activities and not necessarily only for special occasions.

Boating experience; I am guessing this would be operational at night when it's more pretty with the lanterns lighted up while the boatman navigated in the lake.

Given its prominent location, I bet it's a matter of time before the branch breaks. Many tourists, especially those bigger groups, would attempt to sit on the branch for photos! 

Even though the old street was recently built, it was said that some shops would have traditional trades. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to explore the area as it's too close a timing for us to meet up with our tour guide.

I didn't even manage to explore the main street! 

Map of the area for your reference. There's actually a hotel nearby, which I would make a mental note of, since I am actually keen to bring my parents for a trip there. Anyone has recommendations for a freelance tour guide who speaks mandarin?! 

Ending the post with a humongous statue of the smiling buddha. The lotus seat was a bit tall and made it hard for most visitors to give a tummy a rub, which is quite common for other statues of the smiling buddha! 

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Address

Tràng An, Tân Thành, 

Ninh Bình, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Click here for my Week-Long Itinerary to Hanoi - City of Lakes @ Vietnam