Thai Binh

Area: 1,570.0 sq. km.
Population: 1,787.3 thousand habitants (2012).
Capital: Thai Binh City.
Districts: Hung Ha, Quynh Phu, Thai Thuy, Dong Hung, Vu Thu, Kien Xuong, Tien Hai.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Thai, Tay, Ra Glai.

Keo Pagoda (Thai Binh Province)

Geography
Belongs to the Red River Delta, Thai Binh is a granary of North Viet Nam. The province is surrounded by Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City on the north, Ha Nam and Hung Yen provinces on the west, East Sea on the east and Nam Dinh Province on the south.

Three faces of Thai Binh are Red, Luoc and Hoa rivers, and one face is 53km seaside and no any mountain.

The subsequent fertile soil was excellent for growing grains, especially rice. Thai Binh rice is acknowledged as the best strain in the North of Vietnam. There are 200 types of aquaculture and 2,500 kinds of rare birds, too.

Climate: On monsoon tropical region, Thai Binh has cold winter (from November to April) and hot summer (from May to October). Annual average temperature is 23.5⁰C, the lowest temperature is 4⁰C and the highest one is 38⁰C. Average rainfall is from 1.400mm to 1.800mm.

Tourism
Due to its richness of aquatic products and grains, locals here have created a number of local specialties from their natural materials; among of these the most famous are Canh Ca Quynh Coi (Quynh Coi fish soup) and caycake.

Coming to Thai Binh, tourists enjoy visiting inshore sandbanks where rare birds stops, seeing natural beauty in mangrove forest, swimming in Dong Chau Beach, and joining interesting traditional festivals. Well-known culture constructions are Dong Bang, Tien La temples, and Keo Pagoda. There are many valuable votive objects and beautiful three-storey bell tower in Keo Pagoda. Various flowers and fruits in Bach Thuan Garden Village also attract many visitors every year.

This province is rich of traditional handicraft villages like weave fabric in Phuong La, mat weave in Hoi, silver carve in Dong Xam, copper casting in An Long, lace embroider in Minh Lang, cay cake making in Nguyen Xa.

Visitors are able to enjoy many folk songs, festival games in traditional festivals such as water puppet in Nguyen Xa, cheo song in Khuoc, fish and duck catching, rice cooking competition and squib contests. 

Transportation
Thai Binh City is 110km from Hanoi, 70km from Haiphong, 18km from Nam Dinh. There are Tan De, Thai Binh, and Trieu Duong bridges. National Highway No.10 connects Thai Binh, Haiphong and Nam Dinh and National Highway No.39 links the province to Hung Yen.