Binh Duong is located in a key economic development area, a satellite urban area, bordering Ho Chi Minh City to the south, Binh Phuoc to the north, Dong Nai to the east and Tay Ninh to the west. Despite rapid economic and urban development, Binh Duong still has many eco-tourism and entertainment areas associated with nature.
The weather in Binh Duong is suitable for traveling at different times of the year. The most beautiful time is from around January because the rainy season has passed and the sky is clear. April is a suitable time for picnics and camping trips. From May to August is the fruit harvest season, so you have the opportunity to enjoy, pick and bring home many types of fruits as gifts.
>> See more: 48 hours in Binh Duong
Move
The center of Binh Duong is Thu Dau Mot city, about 30 km from Ho Chi Minh City, convenient to travel by car, motorbike, bus, and train.
From Ho Chi Minh City, bus tickets to Binh Duong from bus companies such as Thanh Cong, Thien Duong, My Hang, Tien Phat, Viet Hung cost 60,000 VND per person. Bus ticket costs 20,000 VND. If you want to take the initiative in your time and have the freedom to stop and rest, tourists can take a personal car or motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City in the direction of Highway 13. Travel time is from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic situation.
From Hanoi and other central and northern provinces, tourists travel by plane to Tan Son Nhat airport, train to Saigon station (some trains stop at Di An – Binh Duong station) and then catch a bus. Guests, rent a motorbike to continue. Passenger buses from Hanoi run about 35 hours, with an average ticket price of 900,000 VND.
Trains have many trips from Ho Chi Minh City to Di An of Binh Duong, with many time frames during the day. Ticket price is 40,000 VND.
Accommodation
Binh Duong is suitable for day trips, but it also has many accommodation options, from budget to luxury.
High-end hotels include The Mira, Fairfield by Marriott, Becamex Hotel, Hiive by Fusion, Citadines Central Binh Duong with prices around 1 million VND per night. 3-star hotels costing 400,000 to 600,000 VND include Long Bao Chau, Saigon Park, Elizabeth, Hoang Hung, homestays and serviced apartments.
If you choose Binh Duong as your weekend getaway, tourists from Ho Chi Minh City can spend the night at An Lam Retreats Saigon River located on the banks of the Saigon River. From the center of Ho Chi Minh City, traveling by river only takes about 30 minutes. Room price per night here starts from 3 million VND.
Where to play?
From the center of Thu Dau Mot city, within a radius of about 40 km, Binh Duong has many places to have fun and explore. Ecotourism sites, historical relics, and scenic spots are spread across 9 district-level administrative units, including 4 cities (Thu Dau Mot, Tan Uyen, Di An, Thuan An), and one town (Ben Cat). ) and 4 districts (Bac Tan Uyen, Bau Bang, Phu Giao and Dau Tieng).
Dai Nam tourist area
Located in Hiep An ward, Thu Dau Mot city, Dai Nam has a total operating area of about 260 hectares, one of the largest tourist areas in Southeast Asia. Here there are full views of mountains, rivers and lakes and many entertainment services such as Kim Dien, Dai Nam beach, thrilling game area, zoo with open design, hotel with full amenities. doubt. Besides, Dai Nam racetrack is considered the driving force and highlight of the entire area. Dai Nam is open every day of the week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tran Van Ho ancient house
The house was built in February 1890 in the style of three compartments, two wings, including 36 round columns, 6 rows of round columns from front to back, each row of 6 columns placed entirely on boulders, with a tiled floor. The front of the house faces southwest (Saigon River). This is one of the good directions in terms of feng shui that ancient Southern people often chose to build houses, especially wealthy families.
Hoi Khanh Pagoda
This is an ancient temple in Thu Dau Mot city, built in 1741. It has a statue recognized by the Asian Records Organization as the longest reclining Buddha statue in Asia. The highlight of this ancient script is its value in terms of cultural history, architectural art, especially the majority of relics and antiques that have been preserved for hundreds of years. Hoi Khanh is also considered a temple that represents the common characteristics of ancient pagodas in Binh Duong. The pagoda is also associated with the activities of Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac (father of President Ho Chi Minh). From 1923 to 1926, Mr. Sac, Mr. Tu Cuc (Phan Dinh Vien) and Venerable Tu Van founded the Honor Society here.
Southwest Ben Cat Tunnels
With a length of nearly 100 km, about 50 fighting emplacements and shelters, treating wounded soldiers, and storing weapons, food, and food, the Southwest Ben Cat Tunnels are the base of many agencies and organizations. resistance period. The main road of the tunnel is 4 m deep from the ground. The tunnel is 1.2 m high and 0.8 m wide. There are sections that are structured from 2 to 3 floors, and the up and down areas have secret lids. Sub-tunnel branches are dug from the main road to the hamlets. Associated with the side branches are fighting emplacements. Each sub-branch is 1 km long with 3 embankments. Around the secret tunnel door are arranged many spike tunnels, nail pits, left mines, including large anti-tank mines and anti-helicopter grenade launchers.
Kawazo Phu Thinh eco-tourism area
The ecological area is located in the middle of the city, but coming here, you will temporarily leave the hustle and bustle of the city to return to the gentleness and peace of a miniature countryside, with the green of gardens, fish ponds and participating Western-style games such as coconut bridge, rope bridge, swing bridge, catching fish in the pond, experiencing thrilling games with the zipline in the air or quietly SUP paddling on the lake.
Phu Cuong Cathedral
Phu Cuong Cathedral (or Phu Cuong diocese) was built in 1864 from a brick church with Gothic architecture. Having undergone many restorations, most recently in 2014, the church has its current appearance. This is an architectural work with a combination of a typical Catholic church-style dome, pointed roof and arched windows, with many similarities to My Tho Cathedral.
Coming here, visitors can not only admire the beauty of the architecture but also walk around the spacious, airy campus with beautiful architecture combined with green areas. Especially, come here on Christmas, when the church is opened. Wearing a new shirt with many decorative objects, visitors will be immersed in a bustling yet no less majestic festive space.
Phu An Bamboo Village
The bamboo village is located in the first bamboo ecosystem conservation area in Vietnam, and is a familiar destination for those who like rural scenery. Phu An stores about 1,500 bamboo bushes with 300 bamboo samples of 17 varieties (accounting for 90% of Vietnam’s varieties), including many rare species such as apricot, striped yellow, ivory, yellow bamboo, and strong. cardboard.
In 2010, Phu An received the Equator Award from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for protecting biodiversity, serving community development and responding to climate change. In 2016, this place was also recognized as a member of the Association of Botanical Gardens in the French-speaking region of the world. This is also a place to take beautiful photos and relax.
Dai Hung ancient pottery village
Dai Hung Ancient Pottery Kiln (or Dai Hung Lu Furnace) is located in Hamlet 1, Tuong Binh Hiep Commune, Thu Dau Mot, about 3 km north of the city center. The name “Lo Lu” comes from the ceramic kiln that specializes in producing all kinds of jars, pots and jars used for agricultural and fishery production and daily life since ancient times, and is 150 years old. Lo Dai Hung still maintains the manual production method, with typical traditional craft products. This is also the largest handmade ceramic production facility in Binh Duong with an area of nearly 11,000 m2.
Truc Lam Thanh Nguyen Zen Monastery
This is the first Zen monastery of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect, located in Cay Kho hamlet, Tam Lap commune, Phu Giao district. With an area of more than 10 hectares, the monastery is located in the middle of a rubber forest, separate from residential areas, so the space is quite peaceful. Surrounding the monastery is the shade of rubber and flower forests. Inside the monastery are green trees, creating a feeling of closeness and harmony with nature. Here, you will feel relieved.
Dau Tieng Lake
Dau Tieng is an artificial lake located in 3 provinces including Tay Ninh, Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc, started construction in 1981. Up to now, the lake has become an entertainment and camping spot for tourists from all over. . Coming to Dau Tieng Lake, visitors can check in, walk around the lake and participate in games. Setting up a tent to camp overnight on the shore of the lake is also an experience worth trying with friends and relatives.
Thai Son Pagoda on Cau Mountain
Thai Son Pagoda is located halfway up Cau Mountain with an altitude of about 50 m in Tha La hamlet, Dinh Thanh commune, Dau Tieng district. The pagoda’s campus complex is more than 5 hectares wide with many works such as the three-entrance gate, the Cuu Trung Dai Pagoda with a height of 36 m and 9 floors, the statue of Nam Hai Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva with a height of 12 m, and the main hall built according to Oriental antique style. After visiting Thai Son Pagoda, visitors walk about 1,000 stone steps to reach the top of Cau Mountain. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Cau mountain range and Dau Tieng lake. There is also a 300-year-old fig tree and many rare perennial trees.
Lady Thien Hau Temple
Ba Thien Hau Temple is often called Ba Pagoda by people (Nguyen Du Street, Thu Dau Mot City) with ancient architecture. This is one of the familiar pilgrimage destinations of people in Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City and some neighboring provinces. Ba Pagoda Festival is considered the largest cultural festival in Binh Duong province, held regularly every year on 3 days from the 13th to 15th day of the first lunar month with many special festival programs: worshiping ceremonies. Lady, lantern auction, Lady palanquin procession…
Phu Loi Prison
Dubbed “hell on earth”, Phu Loi is one of the major prisons in the South built in 1957 to imprison and torture thousands of revolutionary soldiers for 8 years (1957-1964). There are 3 camps here: Chi Lang, Bach Dang and Dong Da, with 9 cells marked A, B, C, D… each camp is separated by a thick barbed wire wall. In the middle of the prison there is a high dome for observation. There are 4 entrance gates and 4 strictly guarded bunkers around.
Lai Thieu fruit garden
With an area of about 1,200 hectares spread over 6 communes including Vinh Phu, Lai Thieu, Binh Nham, Hung Dinh, An Thanh, An Son, Lai Thieu garden is a place where visitors can comfortably watch, climb trees, take photos and pick fruits. like rambutan, mango, durian. Visitors can also ask growers how to care for plants to apply to their home garden. If you have a large family, you can contact the garden owner to rent a mat or tent, hang a hammock and relax under the trees. The best time to come here is from March to July.
Currently, Lai Thieu fruit garden has free admission, only the amount of fruit you pick or food and other services are charged.
Windmill Studios
Windmill studio (also known as Windmill studio) is known as a virtual living paradise in Binh Duong. With an area of 25,000 m2, this place not only attracts hundreds of couples to take wedding photos but is also a popular stopover for countless check-in enthusiasts.
Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer village
This is a traditional craft village that is hundreds of years old. Coming here, visitors will understand that the process of making a lacquer work requires a lot of experience from the craftsman. Depending on the type of product, the core will be made of different materials, such as wood used to make tables, chairs, cabinets, vases, plywood used to make paintings, boxes, ceramic used to make vases, statues, fabric or paper used to make the core. Products with light, thin designs such as dishes and vase. To create a traditional lacquer work, it usually goes through 25 stages, taking a lot of effort and time, with some stages having to be done over and over again. As for the paint part of each product, it takes 3-6 months to ensure quality.
Broken Song Be bridge
If you go to Phu Giao district, go on DT741, you will see a bridge broken in half like an unfinished construction project. The broken bridge is Song Be Bridge, a historical vestige of the war between the southern army and people in 1975. The bridge was built by France in the years 1925 – 1926 when it established the Cu Phuoc Hoa High Department. The bridge construction was aimed at colonial exploitation as well as expanding rubber plantations in Phu Giao, Phuoc Long and was a vital route to the provinces in the Central Highlands.
Eat and drink
More than 50% of Binh Duong province’s population are immigrants, so the cuisine is quite diverse and rich, combining many types of ingredients.
Mangosteen chicken salad
Visitors to Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas cannot miss the mangosteen chicken salad, the salad is considered the “queen” here. This dish is not rare because there are many delicious restaurants, but you have to wait until mangosteen season to enjoy it, usually from April to June. A suitable dish in hot weather. Selected mangosteens must be hard, green fruits that are ripe enough to ensure a harmonious blend of sour and sweet flavors. Chicken meat is firm, crispy skin, boiled and torn into bite-sized pieces.
Some restaurants replace boiled chicken with chicken seasoned with salt and pepper to create its own flavor. Mangosteen chicken salad is often served with a bowl of hot, thinly cooked straw mushroom porridge.
Banh Beo Bi
The dish has a history of more than 100 years at Bung market (An Thanh commune, Thuan An city). Compared to other localities, banh beo here has more pork skin and lean meat. Each small piece of cake is spread with green beans, covered with a layer of skin mixed with shredded lean meat, added with raw vegetables and cucumber. Before eating, visitors sprinkle sweet and sour fish sauce, mixed with radish and carrot fibers, and add chili. Banh Beo Bi with eel porridge and mangosteen chicken salad are three dishes of Binh Duong honored by the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association in the journey to find Vietnamese cultural values.
Reference address: My Lien rice dumpling cake, Di Tam rice dumpling cake.
Roasted chicken with puffed sticky rice
This is a popular dish but always attracts tourists. After the sticky rice has been cooked or cooked, it will be fried. A small package of sticky rice, under the influence of temperature and cooking oil, will swell to the size of a ball, with a crispy outer layer and a sticky, fragrant inside. Before roasting, the chicken is marinated and coated with a layer of honey to give the skin an attractive yellow color. The two dishes combined create a new way to enjoy cuisine.
Grilled beef on tile
As the name suggests, the dish is beef grilled on tiles. Because the beef already has a thin layer of fat, there is no need to add cooking oil or fat. After a few minutes, placing the meat on the tile, smoke spreads with the fragrant aroma of beef. This dish is served with herbs, bananas, star fruit rolled in rice paper and dipped in fish sauce. The sweetness of beef, the astringent taste of banana, the sour taste of star fruit and the aroma of fish sauce blend together to create something special for the dish.
Pork tongue noodle soup
This is one of the popular dishes in Binh Duong. The main ingredient of the dish is rolled pork tongue prepared in the style of char siu meat. Guests can order their own bowl of vermicelli and a separate plate of tongue. The vermicelli bowl has a delicious and sweet flavor from the mixture of meat, bones, tongue, tofu and each restaurant’s seasoning secret.
Eel porridge
Eel porridge is cooked from familiar everyday ingredients such as taro, eel and white rice, but through processing it becomes more attractive and special. Delicious eel porridge is made from field eels, the meat is tough and the taste will be sweeter when cooked. In addition, the quality of the dish depends on the eel preparation process of each restaurant. If not prepared carefully, the eel will still be slimy and have a fishy smell. The harmonious combination of simple ingredients creates a rich specialty dish, suitable for nourishing the body, especially on rainy days.
Specialty
Binh Duong is famous for gifts that are specialties associated with the tropics.
Mangosteen Lai Thieu
Compared to other types of mangosteen in other regions, Lai Thieu mangosteen has smoother skin, does not have many rough spots, is not cracked, does not ooze pus, and the skin is dark red or light red. In addition, mangosteen grown on Lai Thieu land is also easy to distinguish because the fruit is small, the stem is short, not evenly round, the skin is thin so it is easier to peel, the pulp is sweet with a slight sour taste, the flesh is both soft and smooth. . Lai Thieu mangosteen harvest season starts around June and lasts 3 months.
Binh Nham ginger jam
Made from carefully selected fresh ginger, combined with lemon and covered with a layer of sugar, the ginger will have a mild spicy taste with a bit of sweetness from granulated sugar. Binh Nham ginger jam is divided into many types such as sticky ginger jam, sliced ginger jam, and whole ginger jam. But the favorite product is still the traditional one, sliced thinly and long.
Roasted cashew nuts with salt
Like Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong is blessed with a suitable climate and soil for growing cashews. Therefore, producing batches of delicious cashew nuts helps this dish become a specialty of Binh Duong, which can be bought as a gift.
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)