Yen Tu Mountain – Discover A Wonderful Landscape In Quang Ninh, Vietnam
Yen Tu (Yên Tử) Mountain is one of the highest mountains in the Dong Trieu (Đông Triều) Mountains. It is located in north-east Vietnam, within the area of Quang Ninh (Quảng Ninh) Province. Apart from being a natural landscape, Yen Tu Mountain has many historical relics and is considered as “The Buddhist capital of Vietnam”. From Hanoi, tourists can get Yen Tu by private car, shuttle bus or motorbike.
The best time to get to Yen Tu is in spring because the weather is ideal for climbing up the mountains. Addition to this, Yen Tu Festival is also held during this period. This festival starts from the 10th day of the January (lunar calendar) and lasts for three months. It is often most crowded in the first week. Tens of thousands of visitors get to Yen Tu and start their journey. They take this chance to show their belief and also to forget the sorrows and unhappiness while foreign visitors soak in the atmosphere of the festival.
Generally, you should not go there during summer due to the heat. If you want to have more space for yourself or avoid the crowds, visit Yen Tu Mountain from September to November because the weather in Vietnam is not hot and cold during this time.
Ruins of Danh Thang Yen Tu
Every day, from My Dinh (Mỹ Đình) bus station, there are buses that go to Ha Long and all kind of these buses pass over Yen Tu. So, you can easily go to Yen Tu by bus. You remember to remind the bus’ driver of stopping at Trinh Yen Tu temple to go continuously to Yen Tu. Fare is about 90, 000VND per person.
Apart from buses running daily to Ha Long, you can straight away get to Yen Tu by bus. This bus runs on a daily basis during festival season. Out of festival season, this bus only runs on a Sunday. Fare is about 180 000 VND / roundtrip.
If you travel by private car or motorbike, you can start from Hanoi to Bac Ninh (Bắc Ninh) before turning into Highway 18 and going to Cam Pha (Cẩm Phả), Dong Trieu (Đông Triều), Uong Bi (Uông Bí). When you see Trinh Yen Tu temple, turn away to Yen Tu. From Trinh Yen Tu temple, take a motorbike or taxi to Yen Tu.