Mua Cave - a must-see destination in Ninh Binh

The site surpassed other renowned spots in Ninh Binh like Trang An, Tam Coc - Bich Dong or Bai Dinh pagoda to be is listed among top five must-see destinations in the province by international tourism website TripAdvisor.

The Mua Cave Complex - an area composed of intricate cave systems and limestone mountains - is located at the foot of Mua mountain within the eco-tourism area of Ninh Xuan commune in Hoa Lu district.

In the centre of the complex is a crystal moss-green coloured human-made lake, surrounded by rows of trees.

Legend has it that the Tran Kings used to visit the area to watch the imperial maids sing and dance, giving the area its name, Mua or 'dancing'.

There is a rocky hill dotted with nearly 500 steps leading to the top. A winding road running around the mountain leads to the top, which is covered in towers, making it look like a miniature Great Wall. Two sides of the road are decorated with sophisticated stone statues of dragons and phoenixes that were built in the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400)'s artistic style.

Mua cave itself is not impressive, but panoramic views from the peak above. With absolute greenery on all the sides, visitors can see the rocky hills grouped leading up to the horizon, with the river navigating in between. They will feel so tranquil when they sit on a rock at the top.

Tourists to this place often try to conquer the peak of the mountain from where it could bring them up to the one of the most iconic views in Vietnam - an panoramic view of scenic limestone mountain ranges and paddy fields. In particular, to the west is the Ngo Dong river winding through Tam Coc, the other sides afford a view of lush rice fields.

Visitors should not miss Mua cave when visiting Tam Coc - Bich Dong. Climbing to the top of the mountain, they will see the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, which is solid and beautiful, and will understand why this place was chosen as the capital of the ancient Vietnam.

Ninh Binh was listed as one of the 50 best spots to visit in 2018 by US travel site Insider.

The province is striving to turn tourism into a spearhead industry of the local economy by 2030. This is the goal of the province's master plan on tourism development until 2025, with a vision to 2030.

Ninh Binh province is more than 90km south of capital Hanoi. Mentioning Ninh Binh province, tourists not only think of a historic relic but also an alluring tourism destination. Ninh Binh has numerous valuable cultural and historical heritage sites such as Hoa Lu ancient capital, Phat Diem stone church, Bich Dong pagoda, Bai Dinh pagoda, Thai Vi temple, and various intangible cultural heritage elements such as festivals, folk singing and culinary culture.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy