Nestled in the Red River Delta, Thai Binh province is known for vast rice fields

made fertile by the alluvium of the Red River and two other rivers, the Hoa and the
Luoc. The province was the cradle of Chèo, (Popular Theater) and also boasts a
unique cuisine and Vietnam’s oldest temples and pagodas.
Thai Binh is 100 km - a two-hour drive - from Hanoi. The province deserves its name,
which literally means “Peace”. The natural and historical richness of the Red River Delta
make Thai Binh a relaxing destination for travelers seeking tranquility. Nguyen Van Nam
is a resident of Thai Binh: "Don’t look for beach resorts, restaurants or five-star luxury
hotels in Thai Binh. Here you will find only green rice fields and small hotels. Here you
can forget your daily routine and the dizzying life in the big cities. The peacefulness in
Thai Binh is one of its biggest attractions”.

10 km from Thai Binh city is Dong Hung district, where tourists can discover the Red
River culture in the cultural villages of Khuoc, Dong Cac, and Nguyen.

In Dong village, Dong Cac commune, visitors can attend a water puppet show and see
how farmers handle the puppets. Dong village make the puppets themselves. Each puppet
is a masterpiece of sculpture art. The puppet shows are accompanied by the exciting
music of Cheo Popular Theater.
In Phong Chau commune, Dong Hung district, visitors are treated to Cheo performances
by artists of Khuoc village who perform Cheo in the most natural and authentic way. Bui
Van Ro is a Khuoc local: “Thai Binh and Ninh Binh are the two cradles of Vietnamese
Cheo. The founder of the genre was from Thai Binh, so here, we still preserve the 28
most typical tunes of Cheo, which have not been popularized in other places and can only
be sung by Khuoc people. Performing Cheo is not a livelihood but an ancestral art that
we need to preserve”.

Thai Binh also boasts long beaches. In the past, Dong Chau beach in Tien Hai district
was the most popular in the province. Now, the Con Van and Con Den Marine Ecological
Sites, 30 km from Thai Binh City, are more popular. Vu Dang Thien Ly is a guide at Con
Den: “In Con Den, we do not have the clearest water or the finest sand in Vietnam. But
our resort is romantic and peaceful. There, you will have a beautiful view of sunrise and
sunset”.