Nghe An Travel Guide
Attractions in Nghe An
Song Ngu island
Song Ngu, a low mountain in the
Nghe An Province which had long attracted great poets, writers, artists such as Phan Huy Chu and Bui Duong Lich. Song Ngu is described as “two fish swim on the wave when seen from a far distance”.
In the past, King Le Thanh Tong often anchored his boat by the island to view the beauty of the island, the sky, the cloud and waters and got inspiration to write poems.
Having set foot on the island, tourists are fond of viewing strange pebbles shore, stretching kilometres. If tourists want to swim, they can swim on the “Fairy” bathing beach in transparent waters.
There is a big pagoda on the island. The pagoda was built in the Tran dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries. Princess Huyen Tran, who was saved and taken to Thang Long by general Tran Khat Chan, once was on the island and burnt incenses in the pagoda.
The old bell in the pagoda was cast in the Tran dynasty. On the pagoda’s yard, tourists can sit under shadow of centuries-old trees and view transparent water of
Fairy Well.
The well water is used to distil very delicious steam rice alcohol, which
is very famous in the central province of Nghe An.
Pu Mat National Park
The Pu Mat National Park is located in the southwest of Nghe An Province, about 130km from Vinh City.
The park, formerly known as Pu Mat National Reserve, covers three districts – Anh Son, Con Cuong and Tuong Duong – with an area of over 91,000ha.
Pu Mat, home to diverse flora and fauna, has 896 flora species, 241 mammal species, 137 bird species, 25 reptiles and 15 amphibians. Many scientists also see Pu Mat as Vietnam’s great museum of animal gene pool.
Significantly, Pu Mat is one of Vietnam’s rare forests such as Quang Nam,
Danang, Ha Tinh and
Thua Thien-Hue where sao la (long-horned bovid or scientific name Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) can be found. Sao la is one of the animals facing extinction, according to the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Endangered Species. A mature sao la can weight up to 100kg and groups of scientists, natural reserve managers and foreign experts are discussing ways to protect the animal.
Together with many unique animals, the primitive forest also has many beautiful landscapes. Among the favourite destinations are the 150m Kem Waterfall, Giang River and ethnic minority villages in the forest such as Thai, Tho, Dan Lai and H’Mong.
As such, Nghe An Service of Tourism is hoping to promote the park as the best ecological tourist destination in
central Vietnam. The province will be preserved and the forest and surrounding areas developed to attract visitors, who come to Pu Mat for research or to experience adventure tours.
So far, the trekking tours, where travellers have an opportunity to explore the jungle and unique villages, are among the top choices for visitors of Pu Mat. These tours also allow visitors to speak to ethnic minorities and learn about their arts and culture, visit villages making brocades or tho cam and enjoy special food such as com lam (rice in bamboo cylinders).
Currently, Pu Mat welcomes over one thousand guests a year. Late last year, the provincial tourism service organised a familiarisation trip for photographers, guiding them to Dan Lai Village, Kem Waterfall and rowing on the Giang River, so they can take beautiful photos of Pu Mat to promote to tourists.
Cua Lo beach
Located 20 km from Vinh in Nghe An province. Cua Lo Beach is
7 km long and joins Nghi Huong to Nghi Hai; it is one of the
nicest beaches in north and central
Vietnam with its white sand and
clear blue water. Not far from the beach are three islands:
Hon Ngu, Hong Chu, and Hon Mat.Once in Cua Lo, tourists can visit the islands by boat, climb the mountains, dive, and visit historical and literary sites, such as the temple in honor of Nguyen Xi in Nghi Hop commune, the Trung Kien Pagoda in Nghi Thiet commune, and the Hoang Van family altar in Cua Lo.
Cua Lo is an attractive sea point with beautiful white sand stretched 10 km long to Ngu and Mat Islands, Lan Chau Island at the coastal beach is a sketchy line of a Chinese ink drawing picture. All to make Cua Lo be an attractive place for visitors to come.
Sen Village
Sen Village, located in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province approximately 20 km west of Vinh, was the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh’s father. Like other rural villages throughout the nation,
Sen village is surrounded by bamboo trees, water wells, Banyan trees, communal houses, vast rice fields, and mountains.
Next to Sen Village is Chua, the homeland of Uncle Ho’s mother where President Ho Chi Minh was born. Areca trees border the path leading to the house where Uncle Ho spent his childhood. The local people built the house as a present for Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac, Uncle Ho’s father. He received this house after he successfully passed the national examination and obtained the second rank in 1901. Inside the cottage are some facilities that reflect the life of a poor Confucian scholar’s family such as a wooden board, a writing desk, chairs, a wooden tray and other artifacts. President Ho Chi Minh used to listen to the literary and political discussions of his father and his fellows Mr. Phan Boi Chau and Confucian scholar Mr. Vuong Thuc Quy.
The house is situated under a row of bamboo trees, with an orchard in the front yard and a garden at the side. In 1957, President Ho Chi Minh went back to Sen after 50 years.
