The Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve

Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve is more than 3,500 hectares, of which the area under the management of the conservation area is 2,743 hectares, of which the regular wetland area is more than 400 hectares. This is considered the largest inland wetland area in the Northern Delta. Van Long has many natural and humanistic tourism potentials, is a convenient location for sightseeing, and plays an important role in Ninh Binh's socioeconomic development.

With the meaning "Van" is cloud, "Long" is dragon, Van Long is the place where dragons and clouds converge, which also means where water gathers (because clouds and dragons are expressions of water). The name "Van Long" carries in itself a dream, an aspiration of the people here about a peaceful life, favorable rain, and harmonious wind "like a dragon meets clouds". "Van Long" also means dragon flying in the clouds.

Van Long Wetland Reserve is located in 7 communes in Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province, namely Gia Hung, Lien Son, Gia Hoa, Gia Van, Gia Lap, Gia Tan, Gia Thanh in the northeast of the province. Ninh Binh. The terrain is flat, and the difference is not more than 0.5m. As an area with high biodiversity, with a limestone mountain ecosystem, it is home to the largest population of "Delacour’s langur" in Vietnam.

The Van Long forest has 457 species of higher vascular plants belonging to 327 genera and 127 families. Especially, there are 8 species recorded in the Red Book of Vietnam (1996) which are abstains, flower slices, etc. About animals: There are 39 species, 19 families, and 7 sets of animals. There are 12 species of rare animals such as langurs (with the largest number in Vietnam), sun bears, chamois, red-faced monkeys, etc. Among reptiles, there are 9 recorded species in the Red Book of Vietnam are king cobra, monitor lizard, ground python, buffalo snake, common dry snake, red-headed striped snake, scorpion snake, cobra, and gecko. It is worth noting that in the flooded area of ​​Van Long, there is a species of Ca Cuong (Lethocerus indicus) belonging to the swimming leg family, a rare insect that is still very rare in Vietnam. Ca Cuong can live here. This shows the freshness of the water environment and of the surrounding landscape space.

Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve has 32 beautiful caves, many large and valuable caves such as Ca cave, Ball cave, Turtle cave, Chanh cave. There is also Kem Cham and the Mother Temple, where the mother of four generals, Hong Nuong, is worshiped.

When traveling to Van Long, tourists will get the sensation of being in a bay without waves, since when they board a boat, they will see a flat surface that acts as a large mirror, cleaning off the moss layers underneath. It takes approximately an hour to cruise through ravines and observe the thick grass on both sides while sitting on the boat.