Thanks to the Van Don – Mong Cai Expressway, which was put into operation on September 1, it now takes just over three hours for visitors from Hanoi to reach the Tra Co tourist destination in Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh Province, to enjoy attractive experiences on the weekend, instead of taking six hours as before.
Vinh Thuc island in Mong Cai City (Photo courtesy of the collaborator)
According to statistics by the Quang Ninh provincial authorities, Mong Cai welcomed 150,400 visitors during the four days of the recent National Day (September 2) holiday, a record number.
Specifically, the number of tourists to Mong Cai accounted for more than 60% of the total 250,000 visitors to Quang Ninh and was nearly 3 times higher than the visitors to Ha Long Bay. The more than 3,000 rooms in the border gate city were almost completely full and famous destinations such as Sa Vi Cape, Tra Co Beach and the central market were all crowded with tourists.
Secretary of the Mong Cai City Party Committee Hoang Ba Nam said: “Mong Cai was tasked with welcoming about 600,000 tourists this year, but we have welcomed more than 500,000 guests as of August. I believe that when Van Don – Mong Cai Expressway opens to traffic and if the immigration door is opened at the border gate, Mong Cai will attract large numbers of visitors in the near future”.
A part of Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway from above (Photo courtesy of the collaborator)
Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway is not simply a road but also acts as an attractive tourist product for many tourists. It has awakened the tourism industry in the border city while making travel faster and more convenient. Visitors will have especially great experiences when crossing the beautiful road which is likened to a soft silk strip crossing the straits, rivers and mountains.
From this route, visitors can pass mangrove forests, lakes, dams and mountains in a wonderful natural picture as well as admire the overwhelming beauty of Ha Long Bay, Van Don or the magnificent scenery of the border area.
After hours of watching the beauty of nature on the "silk road", visitors come to impressive destinations in the northern top of the country.
Tra Co beach (Photo courtesy of the collaborator)
Visitors can catch the sunrise at Mang Dune, enjoy the tranquility of Tra Co Beach along with pristine sands and immense green poplar forests, experience activities like coastal fishing, and watch the beautiful sunset at Ngoc Cape. At Sa Vi Cape, the starting point of the proud S-shaped map of the country, visitors can admire the soft crescent-shaped Tra Co coast.
For tourists who are passionate about indigenous culture, Tra Co Communal House, one of the largest ancient of this kind in Vietnam, is an ideal destination for them to admire the unique architecture and traditional folk festivals.
To fully feel the magnificent beauty of the headland of the country, visitors should come to Dau Tan Mountain and climb to the Vinh Thuc international lighthouse, which is the first of 92 lighthouses stretching along the coast and on the islands and archipelagoes of Vietnam. From the lighthouse with its French architectural style, visitors can fully capture the vast sea of the country.
Meanwhile, for shopaholics, Mong Cai is a shopping "mecca" with numerous border gate markets featuring thousands of stalls with a wide variety of products, ranging from fashion to electronics to culinary specialties.
Vinh Thuc lighthouse (Photo: mongcai.gov.vn)
In addition to interesting experiences amidst the poetic and lyrical natural scenery, the journey to Mong Cai aims to discover the unique indigenous cultural features, from the brilliant traditional brocade costumes of Thai, Dao and Muong ethnic minority people to the culinary world of the northeastern mountainous region.
Wonderful experiences will definitely make visitors want to return to Mong Cai. In addition to the familiar venues, Mong Cai s also a mystery with many pristine destinations such as Pa Nai Mountain, Vinh Thuc Island, the 72-step waterfall, Trang Vinh Lake, and Quat Dong Lake. Young people who are passionate about eco-tourism and families who love open picnic spaces will surely fall in love with this locality.
T.Linh - Translated by NDO