I grew up and lived mainly in Hanoi, but Ninh Binh is where I was born. For those who like to see the scenery, Ninh Binh is no longer a strange name because there are many landscapes for people to experience, such as Trang An , Tam Coc Bich Dong, Hoa Lu ancient capital monument, Cuc Phuong forest or Bai Dinh pagoda, … However, in this article, I will take everyone to Mua Cave — one of the most beautiful mountains of Ninh Binh.
Mua Cave is located right at the foothills of Mua mountain, in the eco-tourism complex in Khe Thuc Ha village, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh, about 100km from Hanoi. Mua Cave is resemble like a large bell upside down, about 800m2 wide. From the bottom of the mountain, you can see the white stone terraces lead to the top of the mountain really clearly, from a distance the terraces are connected like the miniature Great Wall. The two sides of the terraces are ornate lines on stone with dragon or phoenix carved under the image of basil in Tran art, very sharp and beautiful.
As far as I know, according to legend, King Tran when returning to Hoa Lu area of Am Thai Vi often came here to listen to the beautiful dancer and singer. “Mua” in Vietnamese means dance and that is the reason why this mountain has called Mua Cave. On the way to Mua Cave you will be crossing a lot of rice fields, villages, waterfronts, rivers, and majestic mountains — the typical scenery of the countryside in the North of Vietnam.
The road to the top of the mountain was simulated based on the Great Wall architecture with nearly 500 stone terraces. Only when you reach the top of the mountain can you see all the wonderful beauty of Mua Cave. From the top of the mountain, you can see the whole beautiful scenery of Tam Coc, another famous landscape in Ninh Binh. You can see the rice fields, the canal with each small boat rowing below. You can go to Mua Cave in any season of the year, but this place is most beautiful in May and June, when Tam Coc in the rice season is ripe, the scenery here is covered with a golden color, along with the blue of the water makes a wonderful natural scenery. This is also the season that attracts the most tourists, especially young people. They can take a lot of beautiful photos with this scenery.
Although I can only return to Ninh Binh a few times a year, but every time come back here, I always want to come to Mua Cave, especially in the ripe rice season. I like the fresh air of the countryside, I like to see a large view with many colors, I also like to climb every step of the stairs to reach the top of the mountain. If you can go to Vietnam, try to visit Mua Cave once, I am sure you will have a good experience.
References:
“Review chi tiết kinh nghiệm du lịch Hang Múa Ninh Bình đầy đủ nhất”, halo, January 17, 2022, https://halotravel.vn/review-chi-tiet-kinh-nghiem-di-hang-mua-trang-an-day-du-nhat/
Image 1: APT TRAVEL COMPANY, “Mua Cave and Hoalu — Trangan: 1 Day Luxury Tour”, Freetour.com, https://www.freetour.com/ninh-binh/mua-cave-and-hoalu-trangan-1-day-luxury-tour
Image 2: “Kinh nghiệm du lịch hang Múa tự túc từ A đến Z”, Tràng An, May 13, 2021, https://disantrangan.vn/du-lich-hang-mua-ninh-binh
