Cuc Phuong National Park is located in the province of Ninh Binh, about 120km from Hanoi to the southwest. Cuc Phuong has the area of 25,000 hectares adjacent to three provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, and Thanh Hoa. The forest is like a vast natural museum keeping rich fauna and flora on the most diverse limestone mountain in Vietnam. Cuc Phuong is the most beautiful in the dry season from December to April when the intense rain has gone through. Visit Cuc Phuong, visitors will have an opportunity to admire the thousand-year-old tree, the plants surviving from Tertiary period, the beautiful birds and so on.
Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam is the first national park in Vietnam established in 1962. It is located in the southeast of Tam Diep mountain range, a limestone range running from Son La province in the northwest. This limestone mountain range is dominated by natural karst type, formed in the ocean from 200 million years ago. This mountain range rises to a height of 636 m creating a prominent terrain feature in a delta. The part of limestone mountain range surrounding the national park is about 25 km long and 10 km wide and has a valley in the middle running along almost the entire length of the mountain range. This makes the landscape of the park more special and impressive.
Cuc Phuong National Park is a popular tourist destination about the ecology and environment. Come here, guests can explore a variety of flora and fauna, admire the beautiful natural scenery, join the ecotourism programs, recreation, campfire, adventure, and study culture and history. There are many attractions that visitors can participate in and discover.
The conservation centers:
Cuc Phuong Botanical Garden: the area is designed to collect rare species of Cuc Phuong, Vietnam, and the World. This is one of three huge botanical gardens of the world according to the list published in 1997. The route to visit the garden is easy with walking distance of 3 km.
Cuc Phuong Visitor Center: built by the support of FFI and AusAID organization and it is also the first tourist education founded in Indochina.
Endangered Primate Rescue Center: the mission is to rescue each individual of rare primate species (Delacour’s langur, Ha Tinh langur, black langur, Laos langur, Cat Ba langur, …) by confiscating and arresting the illegal trade of those primates, to study about Primate species such as the way they find food, living habits, environment and living space.
The prehistoric caves:
Nguoi Xua Cave: a cave of early human, this is a place of residence and burial of the prehistoric human preserving a unique culture in the history of human development and is a precious heritage in the protected object of Cuc Phuong.
Con Moong Cave: located near rivers, streams, this is the area with diversified fauna and flora, therefore, it was selected by ancient people as a permanent residence. The cave is wide and long with 2 interconnecting gates. Con Moong Cave has pretty thick cultural strata, a very complex structure with a mixture of clay, mollusk shells and ash streaks.
Trang Khuyet Cave (Crescent moon): it is placed deeply in the forest, looking from the inside out of the cave entrance is the shape of the crescent moon.
Thuy Tien Cave: it was formed by the activity of limestone mountain and it is said to resemble the beauty king Thuy Te with underwater nymphs.
The typical trees:
Ancient Dang Tree: a tree is 45 meters high, 5 meters in diameter and has roots rising on the ground roots with about 20 meters in length. From the entrance gate through Nguoi Xua Cave about 2 km, the left side is the path leading to ancient trees. On the way to the tree, visitors can observe rare birds such as the red-headed woodpeckers, white pheasants or mammals as black squirrels, red-bellied squirrels, Delacour langur and so on.
Thousand-year-old tree: it is the great tree with 45 meters in height, 5 meters in diameter and circumference of more than 20 people hugging. From the center, going along the trail in the jungle to get to the tree, guests will encounter Bam Bam giant creeper and the ancient Banyan Tree. The seeds of Banyan Tree are grown up on the holes of other trees. Their roots develop very fast, and they gradually strangle the host. In addition, tourists can admire the 70m high Parashorea tree with the straight and circular stem.
The ancient Sau tree: it is a giant tree with 45 meters in height and the root system is split from the trunk at a height of approximately 10 meters and develops about 20 meters long. On the way to the tree, tourists also can see the woody vines; species of Banyan tree; mistletoe, orchid, and birds such as red-headed woodpeckers.
The village of Muong ethnic group: From the center through jungles valleys, steep mountains with about 16 km in length, you will arrive the village of Muong people in Lac Son district, Hoa Binh province. Here, tourists can see the cultural lifestyle of an ethnic group through the architecture in each stilt house, rice terraces and daily life activities of people here.
Cuc Phuong is a suitable destination for visitors to explore and learn about nature, culture, and history. During your trips to Hanoi, taking the time to visit this interesting attraction will be a memorable experience.
