Why this ride
On the way it passes Con Son Pagoda, Bo Da Pagoda, Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of and back through Bo Da Pagoda. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster and Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 238 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 54
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster
In 1293 the Vietnamese king Trần Nhân Tông, who had led his country to victory against two Mongol invasions, gave up his throne and became a monk. He retreated to the mountains of Yên Tử, east of Hanoi, and founded the Trúc Lâm, or Bamboo Forest, school of Zen Buddhism, a distinctly Vietnamese tradition that still flourishes today. In his final years he lived at a hermitage on the mountain of Ngọa Vân, and it was there that he died in 1308. The pagodas, stupas and relics scattered across the ridge form part of the complex of sites connected with Yên Tử and the Trúc Lâm school, which has recently been recognised by UNESCO.
Read the complete Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster is where the day begins. Next is Con Son Pagoda.
2. Con Son Pagoda
Côn Sơn lies in the pine-covered hills of Chí Linh, north-east of Hanoi, on the border of Hải Dương province, and it carries two of the great names of Vietnamese history. In the thirteenth century the Trần dynasty beat back three Mongol invasions, and its monks and commanders left a trail of temples, of which Côn Sơn, Kiếp Bạc and the sacred mountain of Yên Tử are the best known. Trúc Lâm, the Vietnamese Zen school founded by King Trần Nhân Tông, who gave up his throne to become a monk, has one of its centres here.
Read the complete Con Son Pagoda write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Con Son Pagoda comes up about 36 km into the recorded legs. Next is Bo Da Pagoda.
3. Bo Da Pagoda
Bổ Đà is a pagoda that was built from the earth up, quite literally. Its long perimeter walls are made of rammed earth, mixed with broken pottery and tiles, a traditional technique that has kept them standing for centuries, and inside lies one of the most remarkable features of any Vietnamese temple: a garden of more than a thousand stupas, the tombs of monks who lived and died here, standing in rows among the trees. The pagoda, on a hill in Việt Yên in Bắc Giang province, is also famous for its collection of wooden printing blocks carved with Buddhist texts, a treasure of Vietnamese woodblock printing.
Read the complete Bo Da Pagoda write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 78 km into the recorded legs you reach Bo Da Pagoda. Next is Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of.
4. Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of
In 1010 the Vietnamese king Lý Thái Tổ moved his capital to the banks of the Red River and named it Thăng Long, Ascending Dragon, after he is said to have seen a dragon rising from the water. The city grew up around the royal citadel, and for most of the next eight centuries it was the political heart of Vietnam. The Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long, in the middle of modern Hanoi, preserves layers of this history, from the foundations of palaces excavated beneath the ground to buildings of the Nguyễn dynasty and the French colonial era. It was listed by UNESCO in 2010, the year Hanoi celebrated its thousandth anniversary.
Read the complete Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of, about halfway. Next is back through Bo Da Pagoda.
5. back through Bo Da Pagoda
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Bo Da Pagoda write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Bo Da Pagoda sits at 159 km, about halfway. Next is back through Con Son Pagoda.
6. back through Con Son Pagoda
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Con Son Pagoda write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Con Son Pagoda comes up about 201 km into the recorded legs. Next is Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster.
7. Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster closes the day.
Leg by leg
Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster to Con Son Pagoda
Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster → Con Son Pagoda is 36 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Con Son Pagoda to Bo Da Pagoda
Con Son Pagoda → Bo Da Pagoda is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Bo Da Pagoda to Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of
Bo Da Pagoda → Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of is 41 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of to back through Bo Da Pagoda
Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of → back through Bo Da Pagoda is 40 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Bo Da Pagoda to back through Con Son Pagoda
back through Bo Da Pagoda → back through Con Son Pagoda is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Con Son Pagoda to Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster
back through Con Son Pagoda → Ngoa Van Hermitage Pagoda relic cluster is 36 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.