Beaches in Vietnam - Tra Co beach

Vietnam's 3,000 - kilometers coastline stretches from Tra Co Beach in the northern province of Quang Ninh to Ca Mau Cape in Vietnam's southern-most province of Ca Mau and includes islands, bays, and beaches that range from the secluded and romantic to the popular and sporty. The favorite beaches are: Tra Co, Ha Long, Bai Chay, Do Son, Canh Duong, Lang Co, Non Nuoc, Đai Lanh, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Hon Rom, and Vung Tau.

This post will introduce you the beach of Tra Co. These other beaches, the islands; bays will be introduced in the later posts in the series "Beaches in Vietnam", "Islands in Vietnam", and "Bays in Vietnam"

 

Tra Co Beach

Tra Co, a small peninsula in Quang Ninh province, is just eight kilometers from Chinese border. Its seventeen kilometers of beaches stretch from Got cape to Hon Ngoc (Pearl cape), with with sand dunes measuring up to four meters in height and forest of sea pines and mangroves. Residents of the small villages dotting the peninsula earn their incomes from fishing. Tra Co accommodates tens of thousands of visitors who flock there for relaxation and recuperation. The area also boasts tourist sights, including Linh Khanh pagoda and one of the oldest Christian churches in Viet Nam.

Linh Khanh pagoda, also known as the Tra Co or the Nam Tho pagoda, was erected in 1775 during the reign of King Le Hien Tong to worship Goddess Lieu Hanh. This site of  5000 square metres in a peacefull setting beneath ancient tress has sixty-three statues that include Buddha, Quan Am Thi Kinh and Di Lac as bronze bells which were added in 1843.

The Tra Co communal house (Dinh Tra Co) is delicated to the six gods who established the village. Built in 1550, it has two wings, each with seven rooms. Each of the rooms has wooden floors and celling. Forty-eight wooden pillars, each over five meters tall, support roof timbers with intricate carvings. Both wings have carvings of for mythical figures: dragon, unicorns, turtles and phoenixes.

Dinh Tra Co

The mother Goddess temple, also known as Tra Co temple, was buuilt in 1550. The temple is dedicated to a Queen Mother whose statue was washed ashore from the open sea according to local legend. The temple is a scared site for Vietnamese, who flock there on the twenty-third day of the third lunar month for the annual festival honoring the mother Goddess. The temple was originally only a small hut in the forest. Today, it stands next to a huge, 700 – year – old banyan tree.

Tra Co also boasts a shrine delicated to Nguyen Huu Cau, a leader of an eighteen-century peasants’ insurrection, as well as a Christian church dating from 1880. The church, which was renovated in 1995, features  murals and a bell that is over eighty years old.

Tra Co’s average annual temperature of 22.7°C, its seculed location away from the bustle of ports and its unspoiled natural beauty make it a promising site for development. The area is 195 kilometres from Ha Long town and 206 kilometres by water from Hai Phong city. It’s very interesting when enjoy anything at here, it’s a beautiful memory when discover here.

- Beaches in Vietnam -