Zen Monastery & Red River Delta Country

Board your motor coach for an approximately 1½ hour drive to the Giac Tam Buddhist Zen Monastery. Along the way, enjoy the views of the scenic countryside of Ha Long, passing villages surrounded by bamboo fences and limestone walls. Learn of the history of Vietnamese's Buddhist Zen, set up by the Tran Kings who destroy the Kublaikhan troop in the 13th century. The monastery was the first Buddhist Zen Monastery in the north. It is situated on the site of the Cai Bau Pagoda, on the banks of Bai Tu Long Bay. Visit the monastery and listen to the Zen lesson given by one of the monks, if available, demonstrates the proper techniques for Zen meditation. Leaving the monastery, walk into the village made up of small roads, houses and temples. At a local home, chat with the resident farmer, interact with the children and learn of their lives and ways of worship, while you sip a cup of tea. Visit the farmers' gardens, full of seasonal fruit trees from the north of Vietnam. Then, re-board the coach for the hour-long return to the pier