Mua Cave is definitely a down-to-earth place that you MUST visit while in Ninh Binh. Called as “The Great Wall of Vietnam”, Mua Cave delivers the majestic beauty of the grandiose mountains along with the gorgeous rice fields. And if this is your first time in Ninh Binh, don’t leave without visiting this place!
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Mua Cave (also Hang Mua in Vietnamese), which means Dancing Cave, reminds people about a folk tale of the Tran dynasty. That time, King Tran Thai Tong came to Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh to build Thai Vi temple and usually chose this cave for holding celebrations. Many beauties were gathered to sing and dance for the King, so the locals called it Mua Cave.
And more about Mua Cave history, it is also the shelter and hiding place for locals and injured soldiers in the war.
Mua Cave is the highlight of every trip to Ninh Binh!
The ticket cost 100.000 VND/person and can be bought at the main gate or booking tours that cover all the fee.
From the gate entrance, you will follow the way until the end to reach the foot of the mountain. Then, either turning left to Mua Cave immediately or continuing to pass 500 challenging steps to the top of Ngoa Long mountain. You will spend around 30 minutes climbing to the peak.
Many tourists call it “Great Wall of Vietnam” because of its unique style as building a citadel. The way leading to the top of the mountain is decorated with beautiful dragon, eagle pillars… standing for the spiritual and cultural architecture of Vietnam. These animals are put in the stones pillars impressively.
Meet the stone dragon at the very beginning of this journey!
In the beginning, you can see a beautiful Mua Cave dragon made from stone. In Vietnamese, we believe there are 4 holy creatures: dragon – powerful, unicorn – prosperity, turtle – longevity as well as wisdom and phoenix – immortality. It implies the challenge you have to conquer to reach the top of the mountain.
On the way to the peak, there are two halfways. The left path leads to the temple on a narrow rock point while the right path leads to the Godness of Mercy statue and the giant stone dragon.
Turn right to this amazing scene!
The tower on the left side was built in Buddhist style which is popular in Asian countries such as India and Thailand. This tower has a square base, the round part, the pointed cones towards the sky symbolizing the land, water, fire and wind.
Or turn left to this impressive dragon. But how about do both?
While in the right side, meet the statue of Goddess of Mercy looking down to the ancient land and another stone dragon but this time, bigger and more impressive!
At some point of this journey, you can view and admire the magnificent scenery of Tam Coc with mountains, valleys, rice fields and boats floating in Ngo Dong river as leaves following the stream.
Take a break to enjoy the magnificent Tam Coc valley
When you get to the top of Ngoa Long mountain, all your worries and tiredness will disappear into the wind. And ready to be dazed by the spectacular view appearing in front of your eyes. You can see the whole tranquil view of Ninh Binh from the limestone mountains, golden paddy fields, peaceful villages to every ancient relics and attraction. All worths the 500 steps!
>>> Admire the amazing landscape in Hoa Lu Trang An Mua Cave tour. All the 3 highlight spots of Ninh Binh in 1 trip!
Recent years, Hang Mua has been invested to become an eco-tourism site following the love of locals who wish to preserve the main core values of this mother nature’s gift.
Unlike other hustle and bustle resorts, Mua Cave Ecolodge brings you the peacefulness. It has a full range of services such as rooms, restaurants and sightseeing areas. You will have a chance to enjoy the moment surrounding with bamboo, lakes and gardens – an authentic country life.
And the cost is around 1.000.000 VND/night.
Mua Cave is located in Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh. To reach Ninh Binh, there are many transportations: train, bus, private car and motorbike. You will go through some ancient villages such as Tuan Cao, Kha Luong with the beautiful rice fields and poetic rivers.
Admire beautiful Ninh Binh villages before reaching any attraction
Mua Cave is far 7 kilometers from Ninh Binh center. Traveling around this area is easy. You can hire a scooter or a bicycle in your hostel or rented shops. It costs about 80,000 – 100,000 VND for renting and takes approximately 20-30 minutes to reach Mua Cave by these 2 means of transport.
Otherwise, you can book a private car or a tour including all the transportations directly to the spots!
The most wonderful time to visit Mua Cave is in the harvest season (middle of May to early June) as Ninh Binh is more vivid and splendid at that time!
And the best time of the day is around 9 in the morning or even earlier. You can not only take a lot of awesome photos but also prevent the tiredness of the crowd later. The second choice is in late afternoon which will offer you a chance to witness the sunset from the top of Ninh Binh.
The overview of Ninh Binh in the sunset is dazing!
Not only Mua Cave, you can also make the most of Ninh Binh with these following tourist attractions. A trip will the best with 2 or 3 destinations!
Tam Coc offers the best boat ride ever and a chance to experience the local life cycling around the wharf and villages. These 2 activities allow you to explore the place to the fullest. And to add on, Hoa Lu Tam Coc Mua Cave tour including boating and cycling is one of the most popular tours in Ninh Binh!
An exciting boat trip makes an unforgettable memory!
Bich Dong Pagoda never makes you disappointed with the unique 3-tier pagoda and beautiful surrounding landscape.
Thai Vi Temple worships kings that made a great contribution to Hoa Lu in Tran dynasty. The things make it special are completely handmade stone columns and stone carved beams.
Thung Nham Bird Garden for discovering natural beauty. There are a lot of exciting activities there including fishing, garden, mountain climbing, visiting wetland forests, primeval forests, caves and wild bird gardens.
Come to Mua Cave Ninh Binh this upcoming holiday to experience the “Great Wall of Vietnam”. If you want to have any further information and advice, feel free to contact us – the Original Ninh Binh Tours team. We would love to help you in having the best experience while in Ninh Binh!
The Original Ninh Binh Tours was created to be the first Ninh Binh travel company in Vietnam offering unique original trips, eagerly taken up by the locals and introduced to the inner life of this place. If you want to have a uniquely original experience during your time in Ninh Binh, it is our pleasure to accompany!
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