Yen Tu Mountain, 40 km away from Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, attracts large numbers of pilgrims and sightseers who come to enjoy its views. It is most visited in the first three months of the year.

Visitors can trek to the top on a stone bridge starting from Giai Oan Waterfalls. On the way up, you will see Hue Quang tower garden, Mot Mai Pagoda (pictured), Hoa Yen Temple, and other well-known sites. The last destination is Dong Temple at the top. Visitors can also take a cable car. Dong Temple is about 700 meters from the cable car station.

Some images of a village in the Tran Dynasty (1225–1400) era can be seen at Nuong Village at the foot of Yen Tu Mountain. Situated along a stream, it has 50 houses in two blocks. According to Vietnamese folklore, when King Tran Nhan Tong relocated to Yen Tu in 1299, he did not allow his concubines and women servants to accompany him. But many stayed at the foot of the mountain to be close to the king, and thus the village was created.

In the village, people carry on activities like making leaf hats. Luong, a craftsman with 20 years’ experience, said: “It’s more than just a job; the hat is a beautiful trait of Vietnamese culture. So we should explore and maintain it.”

Besides leaf hats, artisans also do Dong Ho woodblock printing. The craftspeople guide you through the creative process from start to finish. A typical Dong Ho painting has five main colors made from freshly baked bricks (red), cajuput leaf (green), bamboo charcoal (black), scallop (white), and sophora japonica flower (yellow).

Behind the Dong Ho painting booth, visitors can also learn how to make natural oils. There are various scents that offer benefits like curing headaches and stress and helping you get better sleep. The finished product is put in roll-on bottles.

Nuong Village offers its own kind of night party with a fan dance set to traditional instruments including drums. After the show visitors can enjoy a massage using natural herbs.

There are three restaurants at the village which serve vegetarian dishes and a few Yen Tu specialties like apricot juice and forest bamboo shoots. A meal costs around VND150,000 ($6.5).

Discover Lac Xanh waterfall

Suitable for a day trip, the waterfall is a place to get away from the hustle and bustle. It is 40 km from Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO natural heritage site, in northern Quang Ninh Province.

Once you arrive at the parking lot, the waterfall is about 10 minutes by foot.

Swimming is allowed but must be done with caution since there are slippery mossy rocks underfoot. Admission is VND30,000 ($1.3) for adults and VND10,000 ($0.43) for children.

Kayaking in Yen Trung Lake

Yen Trung Lake is about 5 km from the center of Uong Bi Town. This is where fresh air, green pine forests and dragonfruit orchards come together to make for a nice experience. Kayaking costs VND100,000 ($4.3) for a 30-minutes ride.

Enjoy fresh dragon fruits

The dragon fruit season lasts from April to December and so you have plenty of time to visit the orchards by Yen Trung Lake when the fruits are ripe. The dragon fruits have a distinct sweetness and juiciness.

Visit the national monument of Den Cong

Around 6 km from downtown Uong Bi is the temple of Den Cong, which was built over 700 years ago at the place from where the fire signal that started the battle of Bach Dang in 1288 was sent. This was a famous battle in which Vietnam defeated the Mongolian invaders.

General Tran Hung Dao, who led the army to victory in both battles against the Mongolians in 1285 and 1288, was initially struggling to find a location to send the signal to his troops without the enemies knowing. It is said that he eventually got help in his dream when four deities pointed to him a location near a temple. The general followed their advice, leading to the historic victory. After his victory in 1288, he came back to pay respect to the deities and named the temple Den Cong.

In 2000 the temple was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic. Not far from it still remain vestiges of the war.

Watch craftspeople make leaf hats at Nuong craft village

In Nuong village in Truc Lam Yen Tu Cultural Center complex, images of village life during the Tran Dynasty (1225–1400) era are recreated. It has 50 houses in two blocks. Many activities like making of leaf hats, making dragonflies from bamboo and silk weaving allow visitors to see typical cultural items of Vietnam. To make a conical hat, craftsmen take up to half a day or sometimes an entire day depending on the sophistication of the product.

Visit Yen Tu apricot wine cellar

Apricots growing on Yen Tu mountain are distilled by locals for important family events such as weddings and festivals. By soaking the fruits in sugar and white wine, a flavorful drink with a distinct aroma is created. People in Thuong Yen Cong Commune in Uong Bi Town also make several types of drinks from apricots like syrup and juice, and visitors can see how they are made.