Bac Giang Province - Visitor Attractions

Visitor Attractions

Bắc Giang has many locations of interest to visitors. It has several monuments such as the Khe Rỗ Primitive Forest, Xương Giang, the Ancient Citadel, Cấm Sơn Lake, Đức La Pagoda and Thọ Hà Communal House.

Khe Rỗ Primitive forest

Khe Rỗ Primitive Forest, a virgin primitive forest is located in An Lạc commune, Sơn Động District. The forest is a protected and covers an area of 7,153 hectares (17,680 acres). The forest has rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. 236 species of trees, 255 tubers of valuable medical plants, 37 mammals, 73 species of birds and 18 species of reptiles (7 are considered rare and valuable) have been recorded in the forest. Many streams flow through the forest area.

Đức La Pagoda

The Đức La pagoda, located in the Trí Yên commune of Yên Dung district, was built in the 12th century and is well preserved. It was then the centre of the "Truc Lam Trinity" (King Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa and Huyen Quang monks) who established a school of Buddhist preaching and founded the Truc Lam religious sect. The pagoda is set in the backdrop of the Co Tien Mountain range at the Phuong Nhon confluence. The pagoda is surrounded by an expanse of rice-fields, amidst villages and hamlets around green bamboo groves. The "99 Nham Bien Mountain range" is seen at a distance. The pagoda is built on a south-west axis and has four principal zones. The first zone has the Ho and Thieu Huong Buddhist pagodas. There are two Thap Dien niches where very large statues of Thien Wong, Dia Tang and Long Than are installed. The Thien Huong Palace, adjacent to this, is an exquisite structure, which has three horizontal panels and a gilded door. The first chamber of Buddha is the architectural legacy of the Lê Dynasty. The second zone is separated from the first zone by a brick yard. Within this zone is a simple building built with wooden planks and decorated with natural scenes of sky and clouds. It is the first ancestral shrine, and a panel here has the inscription "Truc Lam ho thuong" (A rendezvous of the Truc Lam Trinity) in Chinese characters. This inscription is engraved above the three statues of the Truc Lam Trinity. The third zone has the two-roofed bell tower. The fourth zone is another ancestral shrine with two statues made in the architectural style of the Nguyên Dynasty. The Đức La pagoda is also an important training centre of Buddhism. The pagoda also has wooden printing blocks of Buddhist sutras.

Tho Ha Communal House

The Tho Ha Communal House, located in Tho Ha village, Việt Yên district, was built during the rule of King Lê Hy Tong. It was built in the form of the Chinese character cong and it is known as "the praise-giving house". It is built over a raised ground and is 27 metres (89 ft) long and 16 metres (52 ft) wide and approached from all sides by three grey stone steps. The roofs of the Communal House has an ancient crescent-shaped tiled roof that curves up like a scimitar sword blade. At the four corners, decorated with purple-burned glazed terra-cotta creatures of lion cubs are depicted. It has 22 levels engraved with dragons, clouds, and lion cubs. The communal house has 7 rooms built on 48 ironwood pillars. The roof frame is decorated with engravings of "ladies in long dresses wearing their hair in buns or turbans, riding phoenixes and dragons or dancing over the floating clouds". Polished blue stones decorate the floor of the house. It has a wooden entrance engraved and painted in gold which gives it an ancient ambience. There is also an inscription on a stone, which says that the Tho Ha Communal House was built out of contributions from local villagers.

ATK2

ATK is an abbreviation of "An Toan Khu", which means "safe zone". It was primarily built by the Việt Cộng guerrillas during the war, in the period 1965-1972, against the Americans. This zone consists of a network of underground tunnels as defense works against any army attacks by bombs and guns. This has now been developed as a historical monument.

Other sights

Other sights of interest in the province are: The Museum dedicated to Hoàng Hoa Thám and Đồn Phồn Xương in Yên Thế District; the Dinh Hương Tomb at Hiệp Hòa, burial place of La Quý Hầu, a Le Dynasty noble and army officer; the historical region of Suối Mỡ and Đền Suối Mỡ in Lục Nam district; the Đức La Temple in Yên Dũng; the ancient fort of Xương Giang; and the Cây Dã tree, believed to be more than 1000 years old, located in Tiên Lục commune, Lạng Giang district. Eight people are required to hold hands to span this tree's circumference.