VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi’s Thang Long GTC One Member Public Limited Company - the only supplier of tourist services on the Hong (Red) River - aims to make the river a special destination for domestic and foreign vacationers, said President and Director General of the company Ta Minh Hung.

Bat Trang ceramic village – File photo

He added his company has carried tourists to historical and cultural relic sites along the banks of the Hong and Duong rivers in Hanoi, northern Bac Ninh and Hung Yen provinces since 1996.

The company has opened a number of programmes, including a one-day trip along the Red River to visit the Dam and Dai Lo temples in Hanoi’s Thuong Tin district, the Chu Dong Tu temple in Hung Yen’s Khoai Chau district, the Bat Trang ceramic village in Hanoi’s Gia Lam district and But Thap pagoda and Dong Ho folk painting village in Bac Ninh province.

The company plans to develop the quality of its services, rebuild ships to international standards and improve crew qualifications to turn the Red River into be a striking destination in the capital.

The Red River is a major contributor to the Red River Delta which includes 11 provinces and centrally-run cities, namely Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Ninh Binh and Quang Ninh.

The delta is a cradle of the wet rice civilisation and endowed with special cultural and historical value. Numerous significant architectural relics, traditional festivals and ancient villages have cemented the region’s unique and rich culture.

This year, the region is expected to welcome 17-18 million domestic visitors and 3.2-3.5 million international tourists. The numbers are expected to hit 24-25 million and 4.5-5 million respectively by 2020.

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