Nam Dinh Overview

Area: 1,641.3 sq. km.
Population: 1,947,100 habitants (2004)
Capital: Nam Dinh City.
Districts: Vu Ban, My Loc, Y Yen, Nam Truc, Truc Ninh, Xuan Truong, Giao Thuy, Nghia Hung, Hai Hau.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Tay, Muong, Hoa...

August is the death anniversary of Father and March is that of Mother"- the phrase dedicated to festivals of Den Tran and Phu Giay (Nam Dinh) has become a memory in not only Nam Ding residents but also several other people throughout the country for so long. Yearly, dozen thousands of people inside and outside the country have made visits to such famous festivals to enjoy their tour. In couple with traditional cultural values, Nam Dinh is furthermore famous for its local-based national park of Xuan Thuy, beaches of Thinh Long and Quat Lam. Such tourism potentials are displayed by the local residents for the development of the tourism industry - one of crucial economic sectors for the local economic growth.

"Supernatural land of celebrities"

Nam Dinh could be referred to in that way, it is considered one of the cradles of national celebrities. It is the place that the Tran dynasty - one of the most prosperous feudal regimes of Vietnam was given a rise. There are 1,655 historical, cultural, and revolutionary relics, including 123 nation-ranked ones in the province. Of them, Tran temple, pagodas of Thap Pho Minh, Co Le, Keo Hanh Thien, Phu Giay, house in commemoration of the late General Secretary Truong Chinh are found exemplary in Nam Dinh. In accompany with such splendid architectural relic complex are traditional festivals filled with typical identities derived from paddy rice civilisation in the Red River delta, which lure domestic and overseas tourists. Simultaneously, there are over 87 craft villages producing hundreds of traditional articles popular with the former people such as carved-wood articles, La Xuyen inlay, Cat Dang lacquer, Tong Xa bronze moulding, Vinh Hao bamboo and rattan works, Co Chat silk reeling and weaving, Vi Khe ornamental plants, etc. The relevant plentiful and diverse potentialities offer favourable conditions for Nam Dinh tourism to rise.

Statue of Tran Hung Dao – a magnetic place to domestic and overseas tourists.

Along with the humanitarian tourism potentials, Nam Dinh is endowed with natural tourism potentials suitable for eco-tourism development, which is regarded as the priority in the national tourism development strategy. They are rich fields, villages and large rivers as well as specific lifestyle matching the "visiting and contemplating the countryside". There is additionally 72 km of coastline partially constructed into fascinating marine tourism sites such as beaches of Thinh Long (Hai Hau district) and Quat Lam (Giao Thuy district). Especially, the Xuan Thuy National Park - the submerged land at the Red river estuary flowing into the Tonkin Sea - is the ecosystem with mangrove forests of high biodiversity, abundant fauna and flora with close to 200 bird species. There are nearly 100 species of migratory birds, 48 species of water-birds, 09 species listed in the Red Book such as pelicans, black-faced spoonbills and black-headed seagulls, etc. It was also the first to join the RAMSAR International Agreement in Vietnam as well as the Southeast Asia in January 1989. Consequently, it has become an attractive eco-tourism site to for near anf far tourists, and scientists.
To get to the place and learn about humanity values as well as contemplate natural magnificent landscapes, travellers could take various means of transport including railways, roads, and waterways linking regions in the country altogether. In which, the trans-Viet railway and National Road No.10 have been improved connecting Nam Dinh with the frontier area in the Northeast, Halong-the principal tourism site in Quang Ninh, and Cat Ba Island (Hai Phong) as well as the Central and Southern regions. Furthermore, the waterway on the Red River joining Hanoi capital with the provinces in the South of the North delta is the route with profound potentials to launch various tourism types in Nam Dinh.

Nam Dinh Geography

Situated on Red River Delta, Nam Dinh is contiguous to Ha Nam, Thai Binh provinces on the north, Ninh Binh Province on the west and the East Sea on the east with 72km seaside. Nam Dinh is not only a granary of midland in the North but also a center of textile industry in Vietnam.

Nam Dinh Tourism

Nam Dinh is proud of Tran Royal Remains on Tuc Mac Village, the native land of the Tran Kings and national hero Tran Hung Dao, comprising Thien Truong and Co Trach temples and Pho Minh Pagoda and Tower. The province is also famous for Phu Day Remains on Vu Ban District. These remains including Phu Tien Huong (the Tien Huong Temple), the Van Cat Temple and the tomb of Goddess Lieu Hanh have high value of architecture.
Coming to Xuan Thuy National Park, tourists enjoy observing many of special birds, 9 types of which are listed in the world’s Red Book. From November to April, it is a gathering place for tens of thousands of birds migrating from the North. Beside that, tourists are interested in admiring varieties of orchids, camellias and roses in Vi Khe Ornamental Plant Village, swimming in Thinh Long Beach.
Every year, Nam Dinh held special traditional events like Vieng Fair, Phu Day, Co Le, Dai Bi, Keo Hanh Thien, Vong Cung pagodas, Tran Temple festivals. Cheo, van, xam songs, puppet showing and boat racing are preserved here.

Nam Dinh Transportation

Nam Dinh is 90km from Hanoi. Reunification Express Train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City stops in Nam Dinh. National Highway No.21 links National Highway No.1A to center of Nam Dinh. National Highway No.10 from Ninh Binh Town to Thai Binh, Haiphong, Quang Ninh provinces via Nam Dinh.