Ninh Bình

Ninh Bình ( listen) is a city in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam; it is the capital of Ninh Bình Province.

Geography

Ninh Bình City is located in northern Vietnam comprising 48 square kilometres; the 2007 city population was 130,517.

French colonial period

During the period of undeclared hostilities in Tonkin that preceded the outbreak of the Sino-French War in August 1884, the allegiance of Ninh Bình was of considerable importance to the French, as artillery mounted in its lofty citadel controlled river traffic to the Gulf of Tonkin. Although the Vietnamese authorities in Ninh Bình made no attempt to hinder the passage of an expedition launched by Henri Rivière in March 1883 to capture Nam Dinh, they were known to be hostile towards the French. In November 1883, on the eve of the Sơn Tây Campaign, the French occupied the citadel of Ninh Bình without resistance and installed a garrison.

Economic - Tourism

Ninh Bình City is a tourist center with such attractions as Hoa Lư, Phát Diệm Cathedral, Cuc Phuong; Tam Cốc-Bích Động, Tràng An, and the Bái Đính Temple.