Hai Duong Province

Visiting Hai Duong Province: The Gateway to the Red River Delta in Vietnam

If you have followed the journey ofmr.hotsiayou will know that I don’t like to travel only in big cities or destinations familiar to Thai travelers. Hai Duong Province, a small province located in the Red River Delta of Vietnam, is one of the destinations I chose to visit on this trip. I must say the experience here was much more charming than I expected.

Hai Duong is located about 57 kilometers northeast of Hanoi and about 80 kilometers from Ha Long Bay. With a relatively short distance and convenient transportation, including both train and road connections to Hanoi, it has become an important economic area in Vietnam, rapidly developing with plans to build up to 10 industrial parks in the future.

Traveling with mr.hotsia: From Hanoi to Hai Duong

I started my journey from Gia Lam Bus Station, located on the east side of the river in Hanoi. I took a bus that took about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The bus dropped me off in the heart of Hai Duong city, where I had to continue my adventure on my own in a city where I don’t speak Vietnamese. Although challenging, this is the charm of traveling withmr.hotsiato truly experience the local way of life here.

Hai Duong is a transit province for tourists buying tours to Ha Long Bay, as buses must pass through this province before reaching Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province. I have also used this route and stopped to explore this city before heading to the world-famous sea and bay.

Fresh Markets and Local Life in Hai Duong City

During my full day here, I chose to stroll around the city and the fresh market located in a small alley in the city center. The morning market was bustling and full of various fresh goods, from vegetables and fruits to animals that locals sell for food. There were shops displaying unusual animals neatly arranged in front, such as dogs, cats, and rabbits, which gave me a sense of cultural differences and the local taste preferences.

Walking through the market, I discovered very interesting local food, especially a dry fried rice dish popular in Hai Duong called “Kua Com.” The flavor of this fried rice differs from typical city fried rice because it emphasizes a dry crisp texture and a harmonious blend of spices. I finished the plate and must say it’s a simple dish that anyone visiting Hai Duong should not miss.

Taste and Culture with mr.hotsia

Besides Kua Com, I also tried other interesting local dishes such as grilled button squid, which resembles seafood found in coastal cities but has a rich and fresh flavor typical of authentic Vietnamese cuisine. (For those interested in the full eating method, you can watch theVietnamese Grilled Button Squid videoI previously recorded.) Or the unique and flavorful Vietnamese chicken biryani (click here to watch theVietnamese Chicken Biryani video), as well as Vietnamese Nem Phang, which has a sweet and sour balanced taste, a signature of this local cuisine (watch theVietnamese Nem Phang video)

Feelings After One Day in Hai Duong

Although I did not stay overnight in this province, the experience I gained from walking the market, eating local food, and feeling the atmosphere of a small city rapidly growing made me feel that Hai Duong is truly worth visiting, not just a transit point before going to Ha Long Bay.

After a full day of exploring, I returned to Hanoi in the evening to rest and prepare for the next adventure. For me, Hai Duong is like an open window to Vietnam where you can see the real life of locals up close without any embellishment.

For anyone planning to travel to Vietnam and wanting to venture off the main tourist routes, don’t forget to considerHai Duong Provinceas an interesting option. Besides convenient travel, it is full of cultural charm and local food waiting for you to discover just like I did.mr.hotsia