The Red River is the “mother river” of the Northern Delta, with a dense system of relics, heritages, and craft villages in harmony with the natural landscape on both banks, especially the 160 km long section flowing through Ha Noi. However, the exploitation and development of Red River tourism is not commensurate with its potential.
The infrastructure of the river wharfs is still rudimentary, which is a major obstacle to Red River tourism.
The entire Red River route flowing through Ha Noi, connecting with other localities such as Bac Ninh and Hung Yen, currently has only one enterprise exploiting it. The limitations of the existing infrastructure is one of the biggest barriers.
Unique river tour
From Chuong Duong Do Wharf (Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi), the Red River cruise of Thang Long GTC JSC slowly leaves the wharf, leaving behind the noisy streets.
The journey to explore the Red River takes tourists to Ninh So land (Thuong Tin District) with rich cultural traditions and a long history. Located here are the national relics of Dai Lo Temple, Cong Minh Pagoda, Mau Cuu Trung Thien Temple, and Dam Temple. Leaving Dai Lo Wharf, it takes only about 30 minutes for tourists to continue to Da Hoa Temple (Binh Minh Commune, Khoai Chau District, Hung Yen Province).
This is the place to worship Saint Chu Dong Tu - one of the "Four Immortals" of the Vietnamese people. Leaving Da Hoa Temple, the boat takes tourists to Bat Trang Pottery Village (Gia Lam District, Ha Noi).
This is also the last sightseeing spot of the journey. The main highlight in Bat Trang Pottery Village is visiting the Centre of Vietnamese Craft Village Essence - an impressive architectural work bearing the typical marks of a craft village with a history of more than 1,000 years.
In addition to admiring the sophisticated ceramic products, visitors can also learn about the unique art of light sculpture to see the inner creativity of Bat Trang people. Nguyen Linh Tam said: "The feeling of exploring relics and craft villages by river is very different. Visitors can immerse themselves in nature and breathe fresh air."
Responding to the government's policy of developing the night-time economy, the Red River Tourism Investment and Development Enterprise (Thang Long GTC JSC) has been operating the "Happy Bridges" programme since March 2024.
The journey begins at sunset and ends after three hours of experience. Visitors can enjoy the scenery on both sides of the Red River in the late afternoon, passing under the Chuong Duong and Long Bien bridges.
The cruise will anchor for tourists to admire Nhat Tan Bridge and enjoy dinner on the cruise. During the journey, tourists can enjoy music and cultural exchanges. The cool weather is the ideal time for tourists to have experiences on the river when night falls.
The Red River is the mother river of the Northern Delta. Of which, the section flowing through Ha Noi alone is about 160 km long, passing through 15 districts. Along both sides of the Red River, there are many historical and cultural relics and craft villages. These include Chem Communal House (Bac Tu Liem District); Ghenh Temple and Rung Temple (Long Bien District); Bat Trang Pottery Village (Gia Lam District); and Dam Temple and Dai Lo Temple (Thuong Tin District).
This provides favourable conditions for the formation of the Red River tourism route. After nearly 30 years of operation, the Red River Tourism Investment and Development Enterprise, from the initial route named "Red River Impression", now has a further five programmes setting off from Ha Noi to the provinces of Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, and Ha Nam with many famous tourist attractions.
In addition, there are programmes along the river designed specifically according to customer needs. In October 2023, the enterprise invested in the Thang Long Victory cruise ship with the most modern infrastructure system in Ha Noi today.
Tourists are excited to experience tourism on Red River.
Removing barriers
Most of the major rivers flowing through the city are exploited for tourism. In Vietnam, famous river tours include those on Huong River (Thua Thien Hue) and Han River (Da Nang).
In 2019, the Daily Mail (UK) voted Vietnam's Red River among the eight unmissable river trips worldwide. From the tourist route along the Red River, it is easy to connect with other river tourist routes through Duong River and Day River.
However, it is regrettable that in Ha Noi, there is only one business exploiting tourism on Red River. Even more regrettable, among the tourist routes of this business, only the "Impression of Red River" route is regularly operated, the remaining tours are only carried out at customers’ request.
Previously, A Class Cruises Group Company operated a luxury cruise named Jade of River on Red River. However, the exploitation of tourism on Red River has not brought about the desired results.
The infrastructure at the tourist wharf is considered the biggest obstacle to tourism on Red River today.
The wastewater drainage system flowing through the wharf and dumping indiscriminately is also one of the reasons why tourist boats on Red River are not attractive to tourists.
Nguyen Thi Hong Minh, Director of the Red River Tourism Investment and Development Enterprise, said that it is necessary to build more entertainment areas on the river such as kayaking and camping; build an agricultural experience area along the river; and develop a community tourism model associated with experiencing the cultural life of the Red River Delta, experiencing traditional occupations in craft villages.
Attractive activities with the participation of local people will attract tourists, especially international tourists; prolong their stay and increase their spending.
Nguyen Tien Dat, General Director of AZA Tourism Company Limited, proposed: “It is necessary to invest in and upgrade the quality of ships in parallel with improving the quality of service and qualifications of the tourist service team. It is possible to invite bands to play on the ship for tourists to enjoy the art. In addition, ship units need to increase their capacity to welcome guests through introducing products to each customer group; connect with local authorities and travel businesses to jointly build products and attract tourists.”
The Department of Tourism has surveyed the Red River tourism route and will continue to research and consult with departments, branches, and experts to advise and propose to the City People's Committee on the exploitation and development of the Red River tourism route according to regulations, whereby priority is given to investment, construction and management of inland waterway wharves; improving the landscape and environment; ensuring security and safety for tourists; and improving product quality by enhancing the experience for tourists - Deputy Director of Ha Noi Department of Tourism Tran Trung Hieu
Giang Nam - Translated by NDO
