One-Day Motorbike Itineraries
Con Son and Kiep Bac From Hanoi by Motorbike: Heritage Sites, Festival Dates and What to Check
About 7 minutes to read
Con Son and Kiep Bac are two linked heritage sites, described by the national tourism authority as about 80 km from the capital. Together they centre on a Buddhist pagoda and a temple to a 13th-century commander, with festival seasons that draw very large crowds. Older web pages file the complex under Hai Duong province, but it now belongs to Hai Phong city.
The sources reviewed cover history, heritage status, festival timing and visitor numbers. They do not cover ticket prices, opening hours, parking, motorbike access inside the relic zone, the route from Hanoi, riding time or road quality, so none of those are stated here.
Where it is and what changed
A Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) feature dated 25 April 2016 places the complex 80 km from Hanoi, and a VietnamPlus article (no date shown; its text refers to the 2018 spring festival as two months away) likewise puts the two main sites some 80 km from central Hanoi. Both are rounded figures from older writing and no route is attached to them, so treat 80 km as approximate.
The administrative label has changed. VNAT’s features of 7 September 2015 and 25 April 2016 place the complex in Hai Duong province. VOV World, reporting on 24 July 2025 about the UNESCO listing, refers to Hai Duong province as now Hai Phong city. The Hai Phong City portal’s festival news of 30 September 2026 places the Kiep Bac relic area in Tran Hung Dao ward.
Two sites about 5 km apart
This is not a single stop. VNAT’s 2016 feature says Kiep Bac Temple is 5 km from Con Son Pagoda, so a day here involves moving between the two. No source describes the road between them.
| Site | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Con Son Pagoda | Part of the Con Son–Kiep Bac Truc Lam Zen centre, which VNAT (2016) says was founded by King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong in the 13th century; the same feature dates the pagoda itself to the 10th century, expanded in the 13th (VietnamPlus: “believed to have been built in the 13th century”); the 2016 VNAT description mentions a half-moon lake and a three-door gate at the front |
| Kiep Bac Temple | Worships the military leader Tran Hung Dao; the Van Kiep relic site covers more than 4 square km, according to the 2016 description |
The same feature says the other two Truc Lam Zen centres are Yen Tu and Quynh Lam in Quang Ninh province. It adds that Venerable Huyen Quang stayed at Con Son Pagoda all his life and died on the 23rd day of the first lunar month in 1334, an anniversary marked by the Con Son Spring Festival.
Heritage status
A VNA wire story of 7 September 2015 says the destination was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage in 2012. VOV World reported on 24 July 2025 that the Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac relics and scenic site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 12 July 2025. Con Son-Kiep Bac is one part of that wider complex.
Festival timing and crowds
Two festivals are held each year, both on the lunar calendar, so the Gregorian dates change from year to year.
| Festival | Timing | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Commemorates the death anniversary of Venerable Huyen Quang (23rd day of the first lunar month, per VNAT 2016); VietnamPlus gives the 16th day of the first lunar month as the opening day of the spring festival (2016 and about 2018) | VNAT, 25 April 2016 |
| Autumn | Honours Tran Hung Dao and is held in the eighth lunar month | VietnamPlus, no date shown |
| Autumn 2026 (example) | Nine days, 26 September to 4 October 2026, the 16th to the 24th of the eighth lunar month; the procession, sacrificial rite and death-anniversary rite for Tran Hung Dao were held on the morning of 30 September, the 20th, and a memorial ceremony marked the opening on the evening of 26 September | Government e-newspaper, 26 September 2026; Hai Phong City portal, 30 September 2026 |
The 2026 autumn festival had already ended by 24 October 2026, and the sources give no dates for the 2027 festivals. Treat the 2026 dates as an example only: a VNA story of 7 September 2015 said the autumn festival traditionally ran from the 15th to the 20th day of the eighth lunar month, while the 2026 programme ran from the 16th to the 24th.
The 2026 programme included a lantern festival on the Luc Dau River, a procession, a sacrificial rite and the Tran Hung Dao memorial ceremony, along with water puppetry at Kiep Bac lake. The Hai Phong Online Newspaper reported on 25 September 2026 that QR codes on the Smart Hai Phong platform let visitors look up the programme and maps.
Crowds at festival time are large. The Hai Phong City portal reported on 28 September 2026 that the relic complex received about 120,000 visits in the first three days. The Hai Phong Newspaper reported on 5 October 2026 that the festival drew more than 210,000 visits, about 15% more than in 2025.
Planning a visit outside festival weeks
The Hai Phong Newspaper article of 5 October 2026 says the city promotes heritage tours that link Con Son and Kiep Bac with nearby places, including Thanh Mai, Kinh Chu, Nham Duong and Sung Nghiem Pagoda, as journeys of one to two days. It also says the tours built around Con Son and Kiep Bac drew more than 50,000 visits in 2025.
The sources do not say how far those places are from the two main sites, which roads link them, or how the tours are booked and priced; a map and the local tourism information service can settle that. Rain is a separate question, and A Rainy Day Trip from Hanoi: Choose an Indoor Destination and Safe Transport covers choosing an indoor destination and safe transport when the weather turns.
What to check before you ride
- Ticket prices, opening hours and whether any fee applies at each site: none of the sources reviewed gives them.
- Parking and motorbike access inside the relic zone: not covered, so ask the site management or the local tourism information service.
- The route from Hanoi, riding time and road quality: not covered, and the 80 km figure comes from pages written in 2016 and around 2018. A navigation app with a current map is the practical tool, and Download Offline Hanoi Maps Before a Motorbike Day Trip is about preparing maps before a day trip.
- Stamina: about 80 km each way adds up, and Fatigue on a Hanoi Motorbike Day Trip: Rest Stops and a Return Cutoff covers rest stops and a return cutoff.
For a wider choice of outings, Motorbike Rental Hanoi: Best Day Trips Around the City covers day trips around the city.
Sources checked
- Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, reprint of a Vietnamnet feature (25 April 2016): distance, the two sites and Truc Lam Zen history. VNAT feature on Con Son – Kiep Bac
- Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, VNA wire (7 September 2015): heritage recognition and the traditional autumn festival days. VNAT autumn festival report
- Hai Phong Online Newspaper, Hai Phong City Party Committee (25 September 2026): 2026 festival and Smart Hai Phong QR codes. International visitors article
- VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (no date shown; its text refers to the 2018 spring festival as two months away): distance from central Hanoi and the autumn festival month. VietnamPlus conservation article
- Hai Phong City official portal (latest item 30 September 2026): 2026 festival dates, memorial rites and first-three-day visits. Hai Phong festival news page
- Government e-newspaper, chinhphu.vn (26 September 2026): opening and programme of the 2026 autumn festival. Festival opening report
- VOV World, Voice of Vietnam (24 July 2025): UNESCO inscription and the move from Hai Duong to Hai Phong city. VOV World inscription report
- Hai Phong Newspaper (5 October 2026): total festival visits and heritage tours. Hai Phong Newspaper festival report
Thuê xe máy Nguyễn Hà is open 09:00–21:00 daily at Ngõ 5 Nguyễn Văn Cừ, Bồ Đề, Long Biên, Hà Nội (near Gia Lâm bus station). Phone: 0334 699 969.