Hà Tây Province was located in the Red River Delta surrounded by Hanoi municipality and Hung Yên, Hà Nam, Hòa Bình, and Phú Tho provinces. The Kinh account for 99% of the province's population; the remaining population is from the Muong and Dao ethnic groups.

The tropical monsoon climate is divided into three microclimates according to landscape: the plain zone, with a hot and humid climate affected by marine winds; the hilly zone, with a continental climate affected by western winds; and the Ba Vi mountainous zone, with a cool climate and an average temperature of 18°C.

Famous sites include Huong (Perfume) Pagoda, Tay Phuong Pagoda, and hundreds of caves, which were used as homes. Most festivals and activities in Hà Tây take place during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months after Tet. The most famous are the pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda, and the Thay Pagoda and Tay Phuong Pagoda Festivals.

Hà Tây Province lies to the southwest of the entrance to the capital city of Hanoi. For this reason all the tourist attractions of province are around 50 km from the centre of Hanoi and easily accessible by land.

Ba Vi National Park

Province(s)
Ha Tay
Area
12,023 ha
Coordinates
21o01' – 21o07'N, 105o18' – 105o25'E
Distance(s)
From Hanoi: 50 km
Eco-tours
Trekking, Bird watching

Topography and hydrology 

Ba Vi National Park is centred on Mount Ba Vi, a mountain isolate situated about 50 km west of Hanoi. The mountain rises steeply out of a plain that rarely exceeds 30 m in elevation. In general, slopes on the western side of Ba Vi mountain, at an average of 25°, are steeper than those on the east. Above 400 m, the slopes on the western side may reach a gradient of 35° and rocky cliffs are present. Mount Ba Vi has three peaks: the highest is Dinh Vua at 1,296 m, followed by Tan Vien at 1,226 m and Ngoc Hoa at 1,120 m. Because of the mountainous topography, the climate at Ba Vi varies with altitude. Above 500 m, fog enshrouds the top of the mountain on most days.
Except for the Da River on the western side of the national park, Ba Vi has no large, permanent water bodies. Streams in the national park are small, steep sided and fast flowing. In the rainy season, the volume of water flowing through these small watercourses and over the surface of the ground is sometimes sufficient to cause landslides. In the dry season, however, many of the streams are dry.