The current Thung Ui controversy is worth experiencing

According to the management board of Thung Ui tourist area, during the 8 days of Tet (from February 17 to February 25), this destination welcomed 70,000 visitors, the largest number was on the 3rd day of Tet with 15,000 visitors. From the Ngoc Lake wharf area to the cluster of historical relics of Dai Kinh Thien associated with the heaven-sacrifice ceremony during the Dinh, Early Le and Ly dynasties, it is always crowded with visitors. Many people had to line up for an hour to wait to enter the relic site.

Before opening, Thung Ui tourist area – located in the core area of ​​Trang An World Cultural and Natural Heritage Complex – was promoted as having an ancient and poetic valley landscape, featuring many beautiful photography angles. Travel agencies also forecast that Thung Ui will become an emerging destination, attracting visitors in the near future.

However, after the actual experience at the beginning of the year, visitors left many mixed opinions. Many people believe that it is currently not suitable to visit because the tourist area is still being completed.

Xuan Nguyen, a tourist from Hanoi, came to Thung Ui on the 3rd day of Tet and said that the location was partially completed. The space is neat and clean, but the landscape is still quite empty, not many check-in points.

“The ticket price is 300,000 VND per person (including the tram), which I think is high compared to Trang An,” Ms. Xuan said.

According to Ms. Xuan, from the parking lot, visitors do not need to buy a 50,000 VND tram ticket or rent a motorbike taxi because they walk nearly 300 meters to enter the first gate – Dia Mon. Traveling by closed tram can make guests lose their sense of the surrounding natural atmosphere.

“If you choose a place in Ninh Binh today, Trang An is still better. Maybe you should wait a while longer for Thung Ui,” Ms. Xuan concluded.

Hoang Oanh, in Hanoi, said that staff at the tourist area mainly work seasonally during Tet. Their lack of experience makes support activities chaotic, and customers have difficulty asking for information and instructions.

In addition, according to Ms. Oanh, the entrance ticket is a paper ticket with a check-in code. Guests must keep the ticket throughout the journey and must return it when they leave. In case of loss, customers must wait for processing procedures. Meanwhile, at other tourist destinations, guests only need to swipe their ticket once.

“I find it unnecessary. This affects the experience, is inconvenient and uncomfortable,” said Ms. Oanh. She advises visitors to just buy a 150,000 VND ticket to visit Thung Ui, because spending an additional 150,000 VND to take a boat on Ngoc Lake “is the same as not going”.

Many comments shared by visitors are shared by the site administrator Vietnamese Entertainment Forum Posted on the 3rd day of Tet also has similar content. They believe that “behind the series of million-view photos is the reality that is still being completed, the landscape and miniatures still lack diversity, making many people disappointed.”

However, many opinions say that Thung Ui is a new destination to visit. “New tourist area, not much dust and smoke is a plus point,” said Mr. Manh Hung, Hanoi.

This tourist said that when he came to Thung Ui, he consulted information, went to each temple to burn incense, admire the scenery and read notes on historical relics and statues.

“Coming to Thung Ui means returning to history and understanding a lot more about this land. Three hours here, I felt absolutely not bored,” he said.

Bao Chinh, from Thai Nguyen, commented that Thung Ui is a beautiful check-in spot with ao dai and ancient costumes. This place is located in the core area of ​​Trang An, harmoniously combining pristine natural landscapes, green lakes and ancient temples, bringing a solemn and new space to visitors.

According to Mr. Do Viet Hung, Director of Sao Mai Tourism Company, Thung Ui is a new destination that many tourists are interested in. When planning the Ninh Binh tour program, the company clearly stated information about this place. Currently, many tourist groups booking tours choose to visit Thung Ui because most want to have a new experience. Visitors are mainly from Hanoi and the Northern provinces, going to the New Year’s celebration combined with sightseeing.

A representative of Sing Tour said that the one-day tour combining the ancient capitals of Hoa Lu and Thung Ui is gaining interest from many customers. Package cost from Hanoi is about 900,000 VND, including 6-7 guests per tour. Many people have booked in advance this weekend.

Ms. Phuong Ha, media representative of the Management Board of Bai Dinh Pagoda – Thung Ui, said that the tourist area has completed more than 80% of the items, only the accommodation area has not yet been put into operation. During the recent Tet holiday, the number of visitors increased dramatically, leading to overload and some services could not meet expectations.

“Experiencing many inconveniences at first is inevitable. The management board receives comments to improve services such as green landscape and auxiliary items,” said Ms. Ha.

Kinh Thien Dai Dai is located in the 270-hectare Moc Hoan (Thung Ui) valley, in the core Trang An heritage area in Tay Hoa Lu ward, nearly 3 km from Bai Dinh pagoda.

According to documents from the tourist area’s management board, this is an architectural-spiritual space organized according to the ancient Eastern philosophy of the Three Tai Tai: Heaven – Earth – People. The core point of this philosophy is that humans play a central role, standing between Heaven and Earth, acting as a bridge for the universe to operate in harmony. This is not just an architectural arrangement, but a profound philosophical statement of the ancients.

Ancient people believed that this was a mountainous area – converging waters, deep space, stillness and isolation. Therefore, Kinh Thien Thung Ui Altar is considered a place where Heaven blesses the nation, Saints protect the mountains and rivers, and Buddha witnesses that people’s hearts are good.