(National Highway N°1 A Northward)

From Hanoi centre, take National Highway N°1A and go in the North direction for about 60 km. You will find many touristic sites which are both historical and cultural vestiges. The most interesting of them are Phù Đống site, Đình Bảng site, Đồng Kỵ village, Tiên Sơn Pagoda, Lim Hill, Phật Tích Pagoda and Bà Chúa Kho Temple.

THE SNAKE VILLAGE OF LỆ MẬT

From the centre of Hanoi, take National Highway N°1A, cross the Red (Hồng) River by Chương Dương Bridge, go until Cầu Chui cross-road (Milestone N°5), and after 1 km’s distance from that point, turn right and you’ll arrive at the snake village of Lệ Mật. It is filled “snake village” because formerly the villagers lived on snake catching Now they breed snakes and make delicious dishes from them. Visitors who want to taste snake dishes are welcome to the village where you can see twenty or more restaurants specialized in these rodelicacies. The villagers do not violate the law on the protection of wild animals as they use only home-grown snakes. Here, many species of snakes are available.

Lệ Mật villagers entertain a belief in snakes. Legend has it that under the Lý Dynasty (11th- 12th centuries), a young man of Lệ Mật Village killed a snake to save the life of a princess, for which he was rewarded by the King. After his death, he was worshipped as the tutelary god of Lệ Mật. Every year, a local festival is organized on the 23rd of the 3rd lunar month to re-enact the event of the young man fighting the snake. In the festival, there are many entertainments. The most interesting of them is the snake-dance and the snake beheading act. If you come and visit Lệ Mật on that occasion, you can take part in the festival and taste various snake dishes in the village restaurants.