My parents were in town a few weeks ago, and we decided to get out of the city for something a little different. We headed southward to Ninh Binh, less than 100 km away, for a weekend getaway. It was truly the perfect place to take pause from the noise and smog of Hanoi.
Ninh Binh is most known for its scenery, which has garnered the province its nickname as the "inland Halong Bay". Instead of rising out of the sea though, the limestone formations tower over land and rivers. A popular activity is taking a boat ride down the winding river, through lotus paddies and caves. You see flocks of white cranes fishing, women neck-deep in the water searching for snails, pink pigs snuffling for food around a quiet pagoda. If you arrive early enough, before the tour groups arrive, all of this can be enjoyed in serenity. The only sound are the oars slapping the water, as your boatman rows you onward with his callused feet.
Back on land, the views are just as interesting. Always in sight, a distant chain of peaks appears to follow the curves of a sleeping dragon's back. In the foreground, smaller limestone forms appear, their white-grey rock face exposed. Standing next to these are cement plants that appear to be the size of a spacecraft launch pad. The juxtaposition of these towering structures, one made by man, the other by Mother Nature, is telling about the current situation Vietnam is in. In Vietnam's struggle to regain her earlier pace of economic growth, she recognizes there must be sacrifices. In Ninh Binh, they are ground into dust.
"We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness"
- Thich Nhat Hanh, Paper Lanterns
beautiful writing and photography:)
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