Ninh Bình province


Ninh Bình is a province of Vietnam in the Red River Delta region of the northern part of the country. The province is famous for a high density of natural and cultural attractions, including reserved parks in Cúc Phương National Park and Vân Long, grotto caves and rivers in Tràng An, Tam Cốc-Bích Động and Múa Caves, historic monuments in the Hoa Lư ancient capital, Vietnam's largest Buddhist worshipping complex, and the Phát Diệm Cathedral with "eclectic architectural style". Thanks to its adjacency to Hanoi, day trips from the capital are easily manageable.
In 2025, Hà Nam province and Nam Định province were merged into Ninh Binh.

Geography

Ninh Bình is located to the south of the Northern Delta, between the Red and Ma rivers. It is bordered by Hòa Bình and Hà Nam to the north, Nam Định to the northeast, and Thanh Hóa to the south and west. Ninh Bình also has a very short coastline abutting the Gulf of Tonkin.
The population is 1,010,700 people, with a total area of.

Travel destinations

Thung Nham Ninh Binh, also known as Thung Chim, is about 12km west of Hoa Lư city center. Thung Nham has an area of more than 300 hectares, including primeval forest landscapes, flooded forests, terrestrial cave systems, and bird gardens with a variety of precious bird species. Thung Nham Ninh Binh has a wild and lyrical beauty that has become one of the attractive destinations for domestic and foreign tourists.

Administrative divisions

Ninh Bình is subdivided into 32 wards and 97 communes.
Before 2025, Ninh Bình was subdivided into eight district-level sub-divisions:
They were further subdivided into seven commune-level towns, 122 communes, and 16 wards.

Demographics

The ethnic groups in Vietnam|ethnic groups] include the Viet, as well as other groups such as the Dao, Hoa, Hmong, Mường, Nùng, Tày and Thai. There are 23 ethnic groups, of which the Kinh account for more than 98%.

Sights

Natural sights

Ninh Bình was selected as among the main locations for the movie Kong: Skull Island.

Conservation centers

Ecological sights

Historic sights

The old city of Ninh Bình is a well-known historical site in Vietnam.

Festivals

Handicrafts

Embroidered handicrafts in Hoa Lư District
Sea reed handicrafts in Kim Sơn District

Transportation

Ninh Bình is located 91 km from Hanoi and has both rail and road transport links. It has express rail connections with Hanoi in the north and Thanh Hóa and Vinh in the south. Buses from Hanoi's South Bus Station stop by Ninh Bình; the bus routes parallel and complement the rail route.

Etymology

The province's name derives from Sino-Vietnamese .