Am Tiem Cave is one of the best destinations you should visit once when visiting Ninh Binh. It has the other name “Tuyet Tinh Coc cave”- Tiger Cave. Am Tien cave is a national relic belonging to Hoa Lu ancient capital complex, Ninh Binh province, about 10km from the city center. The poetic beauty but still mixed with a bit of gloom of the old history has made this place it’s very own mark.
Location
Located about 10km from the center of Ninh Binh city, Am Tien Cave is part of the Hoa Lu ancient capital scenic landscape complex in the past. Then, this place was just a flooded valley lying peacefully inside the steep cliffs but nowadays, Am Tien Cave has received more attention. With the poetic and charming scenery, Am Tien Cave is also a favorite place for many people to admire the beauty of nature in Ninh Binh Province.
4 reasons make Am Tiem Cave so attractive?
Am Tien Cave is a destination not to be missed if you love the peaceful, poetic natural scenery mixed with a little melancholy. This place seems to be completely isolated from the outside. Everything here is tinged with the history from a long time ago and beautiful scenery like a fairyland that will bring visitors so many different feelings.
Am Tien cave is halfway up the mountain, you have to climb over 205 stone steps. The cave is shaped like a tiger’s mouth, so it is also known as the tiger cave. Many stalactites have the shape of a rice tree, a Buddha’s hand fruit and a drooping lotus bud with drops of water.
Most of the Am Tien cave area is a flooded valley surrounded by rocky cliffs. To enter the cave, after passing through the gate, visitors have to go down a path on the left-hand side, next to a large lake.
From the foot of Nua mountain to the top of Am Tien, there is still about 4 km of paths made by people from all over the world who come to pray for good fortune. Located at an altitude of more than 500m above sea level, the climate in Am Tien is cool all year round. The two sides of the path to the relic are covered with the green color of ancient mother-of-pearl trees, making the space even purer, majestic and mysterious.
Read more: Explore Cuc Phuong National Park to admore the beauty of nature
The wild scenery mixed with a bit of mystery
The landscape here is majestic and poetic but has a dark and mysterious color as if it still retains the remnants of the old execution ground. Thanks to its special location when surrounded by rocky cliffs and mostly flooded valleys, King Dinh Tien Hoang chose it to be the place of arrest and trial. It is said that King Dinh has raised wild and ferocious animals here, those who commit the death penalty will be brought in. Those who escape will be exonerated.
The most special feature of Am Tien Cave is the clear, blue and unusually quiet lake. Surrounding the lake are steep rocky cliffs, so the lake space is even more mysterious, murky and quieter. Follow the road along the foot of the mountain, you will get a clear view and the background is surrounded by wild, murky and empty mountain space,
The majestic stone gate
The stone gate where Am Tien Cave can be seen as the clearest evidence of a heroic historical period of the nation. It is the solid cliffs and ancient architecture that have brought ancient, mysterious and contemplative colors to this place.
Am Tiem pagoda
In the past, Am Tien pagoda was the place that Zen master Nguyen Minh Khong personally chose for the purpose of dissolving the resentments of the souls of prisoners. With the magic beauty, not many people would have thought that in the past, Am Tien Cave was an execution ground, used to execute criminals.
After the death of Kinh Dinh Tien Hoang, Am Tien Pagoda was the place where Queen Duong Van Nga chose to be a place to live and meditate. She took the legal name Bao Quang Hoang Thai Queen and lived here until her death.
Therefore, later, Am Tien pagoda was not only a place to worship Buddha but also to worship Queen Duong Van Nga and some famous people of the Dinh dynasty and Zen master Nguyen Minh Khong of the period.
Read more: Van Long Lagoon: The famous eco-tourism destination not to be missed in Ninh Binh
Some notification when visiting Am Tiem Cave
It is necessary to bring water, a hat to avoid dehydration when climbing to the top of the mountain.
Wear sports shoes or lightweight, sweat-wicking clothing, suitable for climbing.
You should only climb the mountain before 4 pm, not later because from November onwards it is very dark, climbing will be quite dangerous.
Follow the rules when visiting to keep hygiene, do not litter indiscriminately.
Am Tien cave in Ninh Binh is now not only a famous historical relic but also known for its beauty like a fairyland. In 1998, this place was also ranked as a national historical relic, gradually being invested to form a famous attraction attracting domestic and foreign tourists. Such a beautiful landscape will definitely be a destination not to be missed in your journey to conquer Ninh Binh.
Find out more Ninh Binh Tour here: Click
