NINH BÌNH — Authorities in the northern province of Ninh Bình are hosting an annual tourism week themed Yellow in Tam Cốc – Tràng An between May 16 and 22 as the rice season approaches.

Yellow season along the Ngô Đổng River, a magnificent scene. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

NINH BÌNH — The week coincides with the rice fields along the Ngô Đồng River, dotted between karst mountains inside the Tam Cốc Tourism Complex, turning yellow, offering a magnificent view to tourists.

The week is part of the National Tourism Year 2020 being hosted by Ninh Bình.

According to Bùi Thành Đông, director of Ninh Bình's Tourism Department, the event was being organised at a suitable scale to accommodate tourists while preventing COVID-19.

“We have focused on promotions this season,” he said. “A special photography tour will be held for tourists and photographers.”

The week will also kick-off tourism activities in the locality after the pandemic to confirm Ninh Bình as a safe, friendly destination that warmly welcomes visitors, he said.

The rice has been planted by hundreds of locals in Ninh Hải Commune and is on the verge of ripening.

“This is the most impressive moment of local nature for tourists, especially photographers,” professional photographer Thống Nhất said.

“Photos of yellow rice mingled with the summer sunlight and the twinkling river capture an immense area in the middle of karst mountains,” he added.

The local tourism sector has launched a plan to ask tourism sites and travel agencies to enhance their service quality during the week, and asked the Tam Cốc - Bích Động Tourism Site to ensure healthcare facilities, face masks and antiseptic gel for visitors to prevent the pandemic.

“I hope the week will bring visitors new experiences and feelings in the Tràng An Landscape Complex,” Đông said.

Tam Cốc, inside the famed Tràng An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO-recognised heritage site, with karst mountains and rice fields, has been nicknamed the inland Hạ Long Bay.

Nearby attractions include the Cúc Phương National Park, Vân Long Marshland Tourism Site and Phát Diệm Stone Church.

Ninh Bình province is more than 90km south of Hà Nội.

Last year, the province received 7.6 million tourists, a 4.79 per cent year-on-year increase. Income from tourism in 2019 reached VNĐ3.6 trillion (US$155 million). — VNS