Half Day Tour: Co Loa Citadel - Soc SonTemples -Thanh Chuong Palace
Half Day Tour: Co Loa Citadel - Soc SonTemples -Thanh Chuong Palace
This half day trip takes you to discover the lush countryside of Hanoi, the historic Co Loa Citadel, Soc Son Temple (honoring Saint Giong) and the amazing Thanh Chuong Palace.
At 8:30 am you will be picked up at your hotel in Hanoi and driven to Co Loa Citadel. Co Loa Citadel is a fortress in the Red River Delta, about 20 km north of Hanoi. The fortress is spiral-shaped, and it is composed of the outer walls and the citadel. Archaeologists revealed some fragments of Dong Son pottery and a large number of bronze objects. In Co Loa Citadel, there are also two remaining temples.
You will then drive to Soc Son Temple, which was built around 980 and restored thirteen times, but still keepingits traditional architectural style. If you climb up to the pagoda on the top of the mountain, you can see the bronze Buddha statue, weighing 20 tons and standing 8.4 meters high. Also, on the side of pagoda, there is the Buddhism Institute.
Thanh Chuong's Viet Phu (or Thanh ChuongPalace) sits on 3 hectares in the Hien Ninh Commune. Built in 2001, the estate incorporates a multitude of buildings reflecting the diversity of Vietnam's architectural heritage. Each of the buildings contains historic antiques and works of art. Throughout the buildings there are many Buddha statues and ceramic, pottery and stone objects, which Thanh Chuong has been collecting for the last 30 years. (closed on Mondays)
Home and studio to one of the most celebrated painters in Vietnam, Thanh Chuong Palace shines as an architectural gem showcasing traditional cultural objects, exquisite antiques and compelling structures. A living space as opposed to a museum, regardless of whether history and art are your prime interests, a visit here impresses both the novice and the expert.
When you book this trip, you will enjoy a leisurely tour to the countryside, its villages, rice fields, temples and pagodas. You will also have a chance to meet with a famous artist, and have a cup of tea in a unique place before continuing back to the capital at 12:30.