Around Hung Yen

Hung Yen is a delta province in the North, having a favorable road, waterway and railway system for social, cultural and economic exchanges and development. The eastern gate of Hanoi, Hung Yen has 23km of the 5A National Highway and over 20km of the Hanoi- Hai Phong railway route. Hung Yen is also the place that celebrities including great famous physician Hai Thuong Lan Ong and general Phom Ngu Lao rose up originally...Visit Hung Yen, you can go to Pho Hien, Da Hoa, Da Trach relics correlating with Chu DongTu - Tien Dung legend…

Pho Hien, Hung Yen town cultural and historic vestige zone
Include relics in Hung Yen town and some parts of Tien Lu and Kim Dong districts; this relic group is located on the bank of Red river, being a political, economic and cultural centre of old and now Hung Yen. Having beautiful landscapes, the diverse cultural and historic relics of Pho Hien are formed by the diverse traditions of Chinese, Japanese and European people. Pho Hien was famous and now is more famous whenever mentioning Van Mieu, Pho pagoda, Chuong pagoda, Tran temple, Mau temple and May temple.

Hien pagoda: there is one ancestor Logan tree at the pagoda. Legend has it that fruits of the Logan tree were picked and offered to the Buddha and worshipped God and used by mandarins to offer to the King. The pagoda is considered as the symbol of Hung Yen.

Chuong pagoda: is located in Nhan Duc, Hien Nam ward, Hung Yen town. One special characteristic of the pagoda that must be mentioned is the stone stele of 165 cm high, no cm wide. The stele was built in year New Cat. (Tan Mao) and decorated with the dragon attending to the sun.

Mau Temple: one of the most beautiful sceneries of Pho Hien is situated in Quang Trung ward, Hung Yen town. Right beside Mau Temple is Ban Nguyet (Semicircle) Lake and it is also nearby Ben Da (Stone Wharf) on Hong River. Ben Da used to be a wharf in former Pho Hien for commercial boats. Mau Temple is dedicated to Queen Duong Quy Phi of the Sung imperial dynasty (China), who was praised as the Exemplary Mother of the Country. The legend has it that, in the 13th century, when the Yuan troop invaded the Sung imperial city, the Sung king and royal family sailed to run away to the south. The Sung king and some royal members jumped into the sea to express their resistance spirit against the Yuan enemy's oppression. Queen Duong Quy Phi's body was drifted to the estuary area of Pho Hien and was carefully buried by local people. A servant of the Sung imperial court - Eunuch Du - escaped from the disturbance and then went to Pho Hien. With the help of local people, the servant called on Chinese expatriates in Pho Hien to contribute money to build a temple worshipping Quy Phi and set up Hoa Duong Village. When the eunuch died, Villagers raised him to the God of the Village. His tomb has been in Hien Temple's area until now.

Van Mieu (Temple of Literature): There is provincial Van Mieu and also called as Van Mieu Xich Dang. Van Mieu is located on a high land area and about 4000m2 wide in Xich Dang Village, Lam Son precinct. The most precious relics of Van Mieu are nine steles writing laureates of the former competition-examinations. Van Mieu is the vestige demonstrating the traditional fondness for learning of Hung Yen people. Passing through many ups and downs and changes, the old Pho Hien is only recorded in legends and in some relics. If Pho Hien is invested and restored, the area will become a very attractive historic and cultural tour Sights for domestic and foreign visitors including road and waterway tours to visit and take part in festivals as well as to research.

Da hoa - Da Trach, Ham Tu - Bai Say vestige zones
Most areas of this tour zone are located near Red river, having beautiful landscapes and fresh air. The Chu Dong Tu - Tien Dung legend and festival is a part of this vestige zone, which is ranked by the State as one of national important cultural and historic vestiges. Tourists can Visit rural ecological landscapes including Red river plain, garden Village, and Xuan Quan pottery and china trade Village.

Hai Thuong Lan Ong - Pho Noi Vestige Zone
This zone is typified with the great famous physician Le Huu Trac vestige and many unique architectural temples and pagodas including Lang pagoda in Nhu Lang village, Minh Hai, Van Lam; pagoda in Thai Lac Village, Lac Hong, Van Lam district, temple worshipping famous general Ly Thuong Kiet in Yen My district, Ung temple in An Thi district, Da Nguu temple in Van Giang district and commemoration place of General Party Secretary. The vestige is located close to Hanoi, on the National Route no. 5, linking tourism centers Hanoi - Pho Noi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh. In addition to temples and pagodas, tourists can visit trade Villages of copper casting, silver carving, medicinal plants and crude soy sauce.

Specialty and Food Culture: Hung Yen People are endowed by the nature, land and river with precious specialties having rich local characteristics, of which are fruits and unique dishes including:

Pho Hien Logan: Logan is the God's gift for Pho Hien. Hung Yen is famous throughout the country for its Logan. It is amazing that on Red river delta plain, only Pho Hien Logan is considered as the king of Logan species. Currently, around Hung Yen town and surrounding areas, many households have planted transplanted and grafted Logan trees in plantations, which honey-bee keeping activities are integrated under the tree shade - a precious medicine. The area is endowed with interminable Logan farms. Tourists to Hung Yen usually visit the tribute Logan tree (usually called as ancestor Logan) that is hundreds of years old in front of Hien pagoda.

Bun thang (noodle in chicken soup): Hung Yen people usually go to the foot of fig tree to have a bowl of "bun thang" of The Ky cafe whenever they come to visit the homeland. The cafe is nameless; regular customers call the cafe by the name of the owner. Hung Yen people call the owner as "bun thang" which is a colorful art work: the white color of Van Tieu noodle as the background, yellow of eel and chicken; the picture is enhanced with pericardia, prawn sauce and in particular the soup. It is not difficult but not easy to cook 'bun thang'; materials are made in Hung Yen and medium-cooked, not two rare and not too well-done. Eel is burned before being slaughtered in order not to lose blood. 'Bun thang' is a nutritious dish and is also nostalgia of Hung Yen.

Crude soy sauce (tuong Ban): "Soy sauce and egg-plant are family basics". Soy sauce is a community food. Crude soy sauce is famous because it is made from large-grain sticky rice, small-grain soy bean, and in particular dinged-well water to make the sauce. There is only one well in Ban Village to supply the water to make the soy sauce, which is not used for shower and other activities. Sauce making is an art. Soy beans must be roasted with soil; the bean is brown and then fermented with sweet potatoes and lotus leaves; mould is formed; the form must be spongy and light; the jar must be clean and soaked in water for several times; the sauce must be fermented in sunny days; then a stick (the stick type is always used for stirring the soy) is used to stir well from top to bottom of the jar for several times then the jar is covered with a china bucket; sunlight not heat is prevented; the longer the soy sauce is ripen, the better it is.