Location: Cat Ba Town, Cat Hai District, Hai Phong City

Characteristics: This is the place where visitors can admire the panorama of Cat Ba Archipelago.

◊ Historical Value

(TITC) – Cannon Fort (or Phao Dai Than Cong) is a historical relic located atop the hill at 177m height above the sea level. Built in 1942 by the French, the Cannon Fort has a function to protect Viet Nam sea area. According to the document, at that time, three cannons were carried to Hai Phong City, each part of cannon was pulled up the mountain by human strength, then completely reassembled. After the defeat in 1945, French Colonists destroyed the metal fires of all these cannons so that Vietnamese army could no longer use them. However, Vietnamese army repaired successfully the metal fires and shot down a French fighting ship in the resistance war against French Colonists (1945 – 1954).

Thanks to the favorable position of the observation, Cannon Fort became a historical witness coming along with Cat Ba military and people through two resistance war against French Colonists and American Empire.

◊ Relics of the Cannon Fort

Now, this historical relic preserves many valuable objects such as gauges, bullet covers, compasses, etc, typically two huge size cannons. The fort also has tunnels going deep into the mountain, blockhouses, battlefield bunkers.

◊ Natural Beauty Seen from the Cannon Fort

From Cannon Fort, visitors have the opportunity to contemplate the scenic of Cat Ba Archipelago from different angles. Situated at the foot of the hill are the two most beautiful beaches of Cat Ba, namely Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2. In the distance, bobbing on the waves is Guoc Islet, Long Chau (Dragon Eye) Island, Hai Islet, Ban Islet, Voi Phuc (Elephant Kneeling) Mountain, Monkey Island, etc. At this altitude, Lan Ha Bay appears lively and crowded with hundreds of fishing boats and floating houses on the sea.

Opening time: 8.00am – 5.00pm daily

Services in Cannon Fort:

+ Entrance fee: for adults: VND 50,000/person; for children: VND 20,000/person

+ Electric car fee: VND 50,000/person

+ Sightseeing fee by the observatory: VND 5,000/person