TamCoc means three caves, which takes about two hours driving from Hanoi (110km) to the South, and visitors may say that distance is not a matter afterseating in a boat rowed by one or two local persons in Hoang Long river and seethe first limestone mountains, which will run along their riverway for severalkilometers.

The boat will be rowed, through three caves on the river, all created by windand water from a legend time, while the sea had occupied this area. Thetide-mark is still on the rock about 2m above the water, and in highermountainwall the erosion have carved some strange shapes that now filled ofgreen grass, delicious foods of the goats that local people breed everywhere. Ifyou are lucky, sometimes you can see mischievous monkeys. The river trip is wonderful forphoto hunters, especially when local people come to harvest the water riceplanted along the river, or when they transplant some seedling for the nextcrops. The tourists often compare the place with Guilin – China, or moreclosely, to the limestone islets of HalongBay in the Tonkin Gulf for their similar geological structures and shapes.Thus TamCoc is also called Halong-Bay-On-Land.

HoaLu is very near to Tam Coc, is the relics of the ancient capital HoaLu – the remains are the temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le, the twoheroes who lived in 10th century and chose Hoa Lu to build the citadel of thecapital city. From time to time, archaeologists have excavated buried parts ofthis citadel with rusty weapons and ceramics. The temples are said to be builton the old foundation of their original palaces in 11-12th centuries andrestored in 17th century. Though the temples are not maintained entirely someprecious antiques are still preserved well like the whole-stone dragon thrones,wooden bas-relieves and lacquered statues of King Dinh, Kinh Le, Queen Duong VanNga who in turn got married both of the kings, and the princes of the twodynastie.