Cuc Phuong National Park

Cuc Phuong, Vietnam’s first national park, covers an area of about 22,000 hectares in three provinces of Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa ( Thanh Hoa travel ), and Hoa Binh ( Hoa Binh Travel ). It is more than 100 km west south of Hanoi. To get there, you should go southwards along the National Highway 1A. At Gian Khau Crossing, turn right towards the Road 12B to reach Nho Quan District.

Cuc Phuong National Park History:

In 1960 Cuc Phuong was made into a forest reserve and in 1962 Cuc Phuong National Park was consecrated by President Ho Chi Minh. Human habitation in Cuc Phuong dates back long before the park’s creation, 7,000-12,000 years ago. Artifacts from that time have been found in numerous caves within the park, including human graves, stone axes, pointed bone spears, oyster shell knives, and tools for grinding. In 1789 the Quen Voi section of the park was the site of a major battle in the civil war between Nguyen Hue and Thanh Long. More recently, conflicts have emerged between the government and 2,500 Muong ethnic minority tribesmen who live, farm, and hunt in the park. In 1987, 500 Muong were relocated outside of the park because of issues over poaching and land use.

Cuc Phuong National Park Overview:

Cuc Phuong National Park, which is Vietnam’s fist nature preserve, is seen as a vast natural museum, a spectacular botanical garden and zoo park of Vietnam and of the world. As this site is a giant laboratory granted by the nature to human beings, it becomes a destination of a large number of Vietnamese and foreign scientists for research. Also, Cuc Phuong is known for interesting eco-tourist sites with many splendid caves and grottos, drawing a mass of domestic and foreign tourists.

With regard to flora alone, Cuc Phuong is home to 1944 species of flora from 219 families and 86 orders of 7 high-class flora branches with many rare plants, such as pedocarpus fleuryi, Cho ( a tree with a straight trunk), beech, ebony, peltophore, teak, clove, and many other trees 5 to 6 meters in diameter and 40-70 meters tall, like the century-old Cho whose foot is beyond the hold of 16 people and the 70 m-tall Victory Cho with invisible top and enshrouded foliage.

Also, Cuc Phuong is home a wide range of rare animals. This zoo park has more than 450 species of vertibrate animals, including 64 species ofbeasts, 333 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles, 17 species of amphibious animals, and some species of fish. Some rare animals listed in the Red Book only can be found here, like Diec Hang fish (a kind of fish which lives in grottos) and red-bellied squirrel.

Especially, Cuc Phuong is a tropical forest that has multiple layers and a substantial area of primeval. That holds the key to the conservation and development of this nature preserve.

Visitors to Cuc Phuong National Park will be surprised because this nature preserve is not only a botanical garden and a giant zoo park but it also groups spectacular caves and grottos of legendary names, like Vui Xuan ( Spring Enjoy) Cave, Trang Khuyet (Crescent Moon) (Prehistoric man) Cave and Con Moong Cave are not simply charms of beauty, but here the archaeologists discovered stone tools of prehistoric humans and remains in ancient tombs dating back 7000 to 12500 years ago.

If you visit Cuc Phuong at dawn when the whole forest is being awakened by the echoes of wildlife intermixed with the sounds of blowing winds and leaves fall. The sounds of corpsewood produce a great symphony that brings visitors in tune with the nature.

Cuc Phuong national park Culture:

In earlier times, Cuc Phuong was home to the Muong minority people (or tribe) and to this day a few scattered villages around the park's periphery still house these interesting people and their unique culture. If you visit these communities you can still see their traditional stilt houses, waterwheels, bamboo rafts and brocade looms.

Cuc Phuong national park Limestone karsts landscape:

Located on 2 limestone mountain ranges, the landscape of Cuc Phuong is a wonderfully rich ecosystem. The rocky outcrops of Cuc Phuong contain very valuable archeological vestiges such as a fossilized sea reptile, dated at 200 - 230 million years old and evidence of prehistoric people, who lived in the forest some 7500 years ago.

Around Cuc Phuong national parkFrom Cuc Phuong we would suggest that you take a trip to Van Long ( Van Long tour ) where you can see Delacour's Langurs in the wild, to Tam Coc or to Pu Luong Nature Reserve - all within easy access. Just ask us and we will set you on the right path.