In early spring, processions and wrestling bouts fill the grounds of Xương Giang Temple for the new year festival. By June, trucks stacked with red lychees roll in from the Lục Ngạn orchards, and between harvests Kế village grills sesame rice crackers over charcoal. Each season hands you a different reason to come.
Beyond the citadel mounds, the Thương River curls south toward Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda, where old Buddhist woodblocks are kept near the meeting of two rivers. Summers are hot and rainy, while winters turn cool, gray and dry. A Local Friend keeps the plan loose, so a lychee detour or a long pagoda afternoon can still fit when the day asks for it.
