Area: 4,684.2 sq. km
Population: 820.4 thousand habitants (2006)
Capital: Hoa Binh City
Districts: Da Bac, Mai Chau, Ky Son, Cao Phong, Luong Son, Kim Boi, Tan Lac, Lac Son, Lac Thuy, Yen Thuy.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao...

Geography

Hoa Binh is a mountainous province in the North. It is bordered by Phu Tho and Ha Tay in the north, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa in the south, Ha Nam in the east, and Son La in the west.
The topography is combined by mountains and narrow valleys. The annual average temperature varies between 23 and 25°c.

Topography

Hoa Binh’s terrain is characterized by high mountains with a high degree of slope towards northwest - southeast. It can be divided into two distinct sub-regions: high mountainous one and low mountainous one. The high mountainous sub-region northwest of the province, which is 600-700 meters above sea level and has a slope of 30-35%, covers an area of 2,127.4 sq. km, controlling 46% of the province’s land area. The low mountainous sub-region southeast of the province has an area of 2,535.1 sq. km, accounting for 46% of the province’s land area, with an elevation 100 - 200 meters and a slope of 20-25%.

Sightseeings

The culture of Hoa Binh combines several ethnic groups with their own languages, traditional literature, and festivals.
Tourists especially enjoy the ethnic specialty dishes including rice cooked in bamboo and grilled meat. At night, visitors can stay in stilt houses at Lac Village in Mai Chau Valley, enjoy watching traditional dancing, music performances (bronze drums, gongs), and Thai minority singing and dancing. The remote Muong, Dao, Tay minority villages draw visitors who like study the life of ethnic groups. Beautiful brocade and forest products are interesting souvenirs.
Mountainous terrain with Thac Bo, Hoa Tien grottoes, Ret Cave, Pu Nooc Primitive forest and many clean springs are suitable for swimming, climbing, walking, and hunting. Visitors are also fascinated by superb beauty of Hoa Binh Hydroelectric Power Plant, the largest one in Vietnam. Boating on Da River is an enjoyable feeling.
Apart of these, scientific tests have shown that the mineral water at Kim Boi Hot Spring is good for drinking, bathing and treatment

Transportation

Road and water transportation are convenient. There is National Highway No. 6 from Hanoi vie Ha Tay to Hoa Binh, Son La, National Highway No. 15 from Mai Chau to Thanh Hoa, National Highway No. 12B from Hoa Binh to Nho Quan (Ninh Binh).
Hoa Binh Town is 82km from Hanoi. Da River is 5km from Hoa Binh City.

Weather

Hoa Binh Province lies in the tropical monsoon climate zone. It is cold in the winter with less rain and hot with much rain in the summer. The mean temperature is over 230C. The highest temperature is recorded in July at average of 27-290C, while the lowest temperature is reported in January in the range of 15.5 - 16.50C. It receives about 1,800 mm of rainfall annually. The mean humidity is 83%.

Hoa Binh’s climate is divided into two distinctive seasons: the wet and the dry.

The wet season lasts from May to the end of October. Average rainfall in the rainy season is estimated at 1,700 – 2,500 mm, accounting for over 90% of the yearly rainfall total. The high mountainous area of Mai Chau and plains alone, the wet season sets in 15 to 20 days late. Especially, in the areas of Kim Boi, Chi Ne and Yen Thuy, the combined seasonal and yearly rainfall is larger. To contrary, the least seasonal and yearly rainfall is recorded for the Mai Chau area.

The dry season begins in November and ends in April, with annual average rainfall of 150 to 250 mm, representing merely 10% of the yearly rainfall total. In the peak months of the winter (December, January and February), total monthly rainfall is reportedly roughly 30 mm.

Overall, Hoa Binh’s climate, which is cool all year round, combined with a large number of high mountains and charming natural scenery, make Hoa Binh an ideal place to rest and visit.

Besides, water courses (rivers and streams) are well distributed across the province, encompassing large rivers, namely Da River, Boi River, Buoi River and Bui River.