Ninh Bình City

Hoa Lư is a provincial city in the Red River Delta south of Hanoi, situated where several rivers converge in a flat, fertile landscape. The city sprawls across agricultural land and supports a population engaged mainly in farming and local commerce.

The city was once an ancient capital of a kingdom and served as an important administrative and trading center in regional history. After French occupation in the late 1800s, it became a military outpost but retained its role as a local administrative hub.

The central market reflects daily local life through its stalls of regional produce, handmade goods, and traditional food preparations that visitors can observe firsthand.

The city has good train and bus connections to Hanoi that visitors can easily access. Walking works well for the central area, which is fairly compact, and taxis or motorbike taxis serve longer distances beyond the center.

An old temple pagoda nearby holds religious artifacts from different periods of the city's past, including statues and inscriptions spanning several eras. The site itself draws fewer crowds than other religious sites in the region and offers a quiet place for exploration.