Discover Khe Coc Island & Chau Son Monastery: Ninh Binh's New Attractions

28/07/2024

Ninh Binh is a must-visit destination in the North of Vietnam. It’s famous for Trang An World Heritage Sites, Tam Coc rice field, historic temples and caves…With natural beauty and historical value, it has become a favourite place for international tourists. Recently, there are 2 new interesting places in Ninh Binh that you can add to your travel plan. They are Dan Vien (an old cathedral) and Khe Coc Island. Let’s discover what makes 2 new sites attract many tourists.

Khe Coc Island - Trang An

Where is Khe Coc Island - Ninh Binh

Khe Coc Island is located in the Trang An scenic area, in Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province. Conveniently situated near Trang An boat station, next to Kong Island (where the movie "Kong: Skull Island" was filmed), Khe Coc Island is very accessible and has become a unique cultural tourism product of Ninh Binh.

Check Google Map HERE

What to do and see in Khe Coc Island

Khe Coc Island is a tourist destination that recreates the cultural space of the ancient Trang An people. To honour and spread the precious natural, cultural, and historical values of Trang An and Ninh Binh, Khe Coc Island promises to offer visitors new and exciting experiences.

Thirty thousand years ago, Trang An was already inhabited by people. When you visit Khe Coc Island, you will have the opportunity to learn about the cultural space of the ancient Trang An people with their unique lifestyle.

You can learn about Trang An culture and enjoy artistic performances, along with various experiential activities such as printing dragon and phoenix motifs, blindfolded duck catching, transforming into indigenous people, indigenous dancing, and harvesting as indigenous people followed by exchanging gifts.

In addition, when visiting Khe Coc Island in Trang An, Ninh Binh, tourists can admire the magnificent natural scenery. The towering mountains are intertwined with long, winding rivers. Khe Coc Island recreates aspects of the cultural life of prehistoric people after the Ice Age melted, where the indigenous people had to find new ways of living to adapt to the completely different natural environment.

The terrain in the Trang An area is also very distinctive, with jagged mountains formed during the ice melt creating a space isolated from the outside world. These two factors made the prehistoric inhabitants of this area distinct from others, creating a unique environment.

Khe Coc Island Entrance Tickets

The entrance fee for Khe Coc Island in Trang An, Ninh Binh is 20,000 VND (~1 USD) per person. Visitors who purchase tickets can explore all the points of interest in the Bich Dong area and Khe Coc Island. Most activities on display are included in the ticket price.

Additionally, if you use personal vehicles, you should budget for parking fees, which range from 5,000 VND to 20,000 VND depending on the type of vehicle.

Chau Son Monastery - Ninh Binh

Chau Son Monastery Location

About 35 km from the centre of Ninh Binh city, the Chau Son Monastery is located in Hamlet 4, Phu Son Commune, Nho Quan District.

Check Google Map HERE

Check Chau Son's Official Website

Why Visit Chau Son Monastery in Ninh Binh

Chau Son Monastery in Ninh Binh, built in 1939, is a contemplative monastery designed in Gothic architecture. Its unique architecture will make you feel like you've entered a new land.

The monastery's grounds are home to hundreds of types of trees and colourful flowers, all carefully tended and artistically pruned. As you go around the area, you'll encounter elaborate decorations, including rock gardens, greenery, intricate sculptures, and statues of saints. Additionally, tourists can explore the artificial stone egg garden or the laterite well. This place is affectionately known as the "fairy tale garden" by many.

Architecture of Chau Son Monastery

Chau Son Monastery was constructed on February 18, 1939, situated in a quiet mountainous area, oriented along the west-east axis, and designed in the Gothic style. The surrounding wall is up to 0.6 meters thick, and in places with columns, it is 1.2 meters thick, providing warmth in winter and coolness in summer. From the sides, the highlight along the 64-meter length is the columns designed into small, symmetrical towers. The walls are harmoniously decorated with windows divided into upper and lower tiers, with wooden glass windows inside and intricate "carved-through" paintings of saints, people carrying crosses, and praying on the outside.

A distinctive feature of Chau Son Monastery is its Gothic architectural style using unplastered red bricks, giving it a unique, characteristic, authentic, and warm appearance.

Inside the monastery, natural light filters through the large windows into the wide corridors, illuminating the round columns, decorative details, and highly abstract reliefs. The white dome, 21 meters high, represents the pinnacle of architectural art within the chapel.

Overall, Ninh Binh is an appealing destination, it has things to offer for everyone. If you are looking for a new and unique experience on your Ninh Binh Trip, don’t forget to visit 2 new attractions. You can stay more than 1 day in Ninh Binh and combine Chau Son Monastery and Khe Coc Island with other attractive sites.