Mong Cai - the eastern pole of Vietnam

Mong Cai is not only favored with many beauty spots and historical relics, but also rich in culture.

Mong Cai Town lies by the bank of the beautiful Ka Long river. It harbors the international Bac Luan Border Gate which connects Mong Cai with Guang Xi in China. Mong Cai Border Gate Market is where economic and trade activities and cultural exchanges between Quang Ninh Province and Guang Xi Provinceand Vietnam and China take place. It is also the bridge spanning tourist centres of Vietnam and China.

Transportation:

By road:

Mong Cai is 135 km from Halong, 360km from Hanoi. There are regular buses to/from Hanoi, many buses connect Mong Cai to Hon Gai every day. There are also regular buses from Mong Cai to many provinces such as Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, etc. Tourists can transfer to Mong Cai by buses and by hydrofoils.

From Bac Luan International Border Gate (Mong Cai), go along the road No. 4B through Hai Ha, Dam Ha, and Tien Yen; then continue to road No. 18A through Cua Ong, Cam Pha, Halong.

By boat:

There are daily high-speed hydrofoils which depart from Dan Tien pier and Mui Ngoc (Mong Cai) to Bai Chay and Hon Gai pier. Besides, you can also travel by ship which departs from Dan Tien pier to Hon Gai pier.

Mong Cai is not only favored with many beauty spots and historical relics, but also rich in culture. It is included in the eco-tourism complex of Halong – Cat ba – Tra Co. 

Tra Co area 

Tra Co is a well-known beach, which have recently attracted a large number of tourists. . It has a cool and fresh climate and a tranquil and spacious atmosphere. Thousands of tourists in Vietnam travel come to Tra Co every year to bath. Not far from the beach are located 3-4 metres high sand dunes, peaceful fishermen’ villages, verdant pine trees, and a rich mangrove ecosystem.  

The famous cultural historical sites are mainly located in Tra Co area such as Tra Co communal house, Tra Co church, Linh Khanh pagoda, Xuan Lan pagoda. Tra Co beach with 17 km long is one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam. Tra Co Communal House Festival takes place from the 30th of the fifth lunar month to the 6th of the sixth lunar month attracting a crowd of pilgrims from home and abroad.
 

Mong Cai Border Market

The market is comprised of three zones; all situated in Hoa Lac Ward, 1 km from the Bac Luan border crossing. There are thousands of households here, almost all of which are bilingual in Chinese and Vietnamese.

Goods traded in the market and exchanged across the border are varied. Chinese goods imported into Vietnam include: speciality fabrics, ready-made dresses, mosquito nets, shoes, sandals, electronics, toys, candies and fruit. Vietnamese goods exported to China are mainly seafood products and agricultural foodstuffs such as tea, coffee and sesame.Also in the market are traditional northern medicinal ingredient stalls, with Chinese physicians feeling your pulse and writing out prescriptions for the correct medicine.

The Mong Cai Border Market has developed not only into a trade centre for the exchange of goods, but also a place for cultural meetings and exchange between China and Vietnam. Mong Cai is a place of direct trade and economic and cultural exchange between the provinces of Quang Ninh and  Guang Xi.

After shopping, tourists can enjoy Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. Many famous Chinese restaurants offer dishes and wines from famous Mao Dai wine to normal wines, Chinese specialities: Beijing roasted duck, cay te soya cheese.

With great tourism potential and rich cultural value, Mong Cai is an ideal place for relaxation, shopping and cultural experiences in Vietnam travel.

WiFi Free in Ha Long Bay wonder

A lot of projects investing on Ha Long bay's infra-structure have been launched and completed. It creates favorable conditions for Ha Long Bay to develop its tourism and attracts more tourists. Among the plethora of projects, Wifi Internet coverage in Ha Long bay contributes to the infra-structure completion in the city possessing the world's natural heritage and wonder.

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Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the provincial people's committee and Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Groups on developing the WiFi Internet Access System in Quang Ninh, the cooperation objectives include: Serving the internet access demand for investors, visitors and provincial people in the central areas; broadcasting the information on social economic and cultural development of Quang Ninh province; offering favorable business conditions; supplying fast and convenient services; attracting domestic and foreign investment; Contributing to the tourism, commercial, industrial and marine economic growth; Expanding the information services of the Posts and Telecommunication Groups in Quang Ninh.

Based on this MOU, the provincial people's committee directed the Department of Information and Communication to plan the installation of WiFi Internet in the Ha Long city. It is expected that 44 areas to be supported WiFi internet so that the people and visitors can freely use the service before April 20,2012 (10 days before the Ha Long - Quang Ninh Tourism Week 2012). The installation stations are mostly located along QL18A route running through Ha Long city (From Ha Tu Post Office to Ha Long night market in Bay Chay). These locations are crowded with residents and visitors.

Local people and visitors can freely access to some basic information pages. If they want to enter some recreational services or download large capacity information, they must pay for the services. However, the people can access to WiFi internet everywhere in Ha Long city. Those who want to work outside, not at their home or offices can easily access to internet.

Ha Long city is looking forward to a modern tourism city, the development of an information and communication system is necessary, said Mr. Nguyen Minh Hong, Director of Department of Information and Communication

Tuan Chau island

Tuan Chau island - A New wonderful island

Tuan Chau island is a new wonderful island with beautiful natural and interesting intertainments, has attracted many domestic and foreigner tourists!

Ha Long, one of the World Heritages, comprises thousands of big and small islands. Each one has its own characteristic with various caves: Sung Sot Cave,Thien Cung Cave, Trinh Nu Cave. Tuan Chau Island is the only soil island of all. It is not only a place having beautiful natural surroundings: pine trees, lakes, beautiful beach…but also where President Ho Chi Minh chose to be the relax place of other State officials' and his when they came here in 1959.

Tuan chau island - A Beautiful island

On the total area of 400 ha, Tuan Chau has the population of 1500. As planned, the total area of Tuan Chau will be widen to 675 ha. It enjoys the advantage of having both road and river transportations. It is about 18 km away from National Highway No.1. This route is an important blood vessel of the robust Hanoi – Hai Phong – Quang Ninh economic triangle. It takes about 3 hours from Mong Cai ( 2 hours by boat) and 1 hour from Hai Phong.

Tuan Chau island’s name is the combination between ‘linh tuan’ (the patrolman) and ‘tri chau’ (district chief) because in the feudal time, the royal army set up a guard station here to patrol and defend the borderland. Prior to 1999, the island's residents suffered from a very modest living standard.There was no power network and no clean water. Roads were only trails and there was no mechanical means of transportation. Tuan Chau was a very poor town where fishing with very rudimentary tools is the only means of living.

The first project of great significance was to link Tuan Chau and the National Highway No18 by building a road. The work was officially started on February 28th, 1998. All company staff had to overcome numerous hardships to achieve this difficult task, which translated people’s dream into reality.

Dolphin & Seal Club

Tuan Chau has become well- known to both international and domestic tourists as an attractive destination with:

- a dolphin&seal club
- a circus
- a crocodile club
- an (artificial) beach with 4 km long.
- a Vietnamese culinary area
- a hotel and resort area of 5-star standard (200 rooms)
- a water recreation park with activities such as motor racing, canoeing, parachuting, water skiing, etc.
- Ha Long Bay sight- seeing services by canoe, boat, helicopter.
- a high tech water fountain with music playing, laser lighting and film projecting on water screens.