When talking about Vietnam, international tourists often envision colourful local markets or the spectacular scenery of the\u00a0remote regions of\u00a0Sapa, Bac Ha or the Dong Van Rock Plateau, which have been made famous in\u00a0recent years through a series of documentaries and feature films.\u00a0Most visitors, however, are not aware that only a short drive from\u00a0the centre of\u00a0Hanoi exists a spectacular area known to Vietnamese people as a highly significant spiritual site\u00a0\u2013 the sacred Ba Vi Mountain.<\/p>\n
Here, on the highest of the three mountain peaks (Ba Vi), about 1,296 metres above sea level, you\u2019ll find beautiful temples dedicated to\u00a0worshipping Tan Vien, the highest ranking saint of the four immortals in the Vietnamese Pantheon. With spectacular scenery and\u00a0lush countryside spreading out from the base of the\u00a0mountain, the area used to be an attractive French hill station in the early 1940s complete with a Catholic Church and holiday villas. The hill station could not stand the war and destruction of time, however, and fell\u00a0into ruins. In recent years, the area has\u00a0inspired tourism authorities and developers in bringing back the good old days and, now part of the Ba Vi National\u00a0Park, it has been\u00a0declared a special national tourism site. Green resorts have been built around the mountain base along with a 5-star\u00a0property, Melia Ba Vi Mountain Retreat.<\/p>\n
Covering a large area, Ba Vi has a lot to offer. Within a 20-kilometre radius, visitors can find plenty of historical relics and craft villages.\u00a0Recently, the special Ho Chi Minh\u00a0memorial complex, K9, opened to share with visitors the journey of the\u00a0late president\u2019s remains since his death until the final settlement in the\u00a0mausoleum in Hanoi. Nearby\u00a0ethnic minority villages are also in the area. The\u00a0Man Tapan (Dzao) now specialise in processing traditional herbs and medicines in Ba Vi Commune, the Muongs specialise in\u00a0cultivating\u00a0green tea in Ba Trai Commune and agricultural farms are open for tourists who want to experience traditional farming life.<\/p>\n
At Diethelm Travel Vietnam, we have created half-day and full-day excursions to this area for clients staying at the city hotels or\u00a0Melia Ba Vi Mountain Retreat,\u00a0taping into the area\u2019s rich potential for cultural and agricultural experience. Half-day tours include visits\u00a0to the former Ba Vi hill station in the national park and either the\u00a0ethnic Dzao village or Muong\u00a0village. Full-day tours include agricultural\u00a0experiences such as farming and fishing.<\/p>\n