Cannon Fort is a military work of great historical significance on Cat Ba island. Not only that, but this is also an ideal destination for tourists who love nature and want to admire the majestic and poetic beauty of Cat Ba from above. This is the most beautiful sightseeing place near the center of Cat Ba town.
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Where is Cannon Fort?
Cannon Fort is located at 239 Cai Beo Street, Cat Ba town, about 3km from Cat Ba town center. To come here, visitors can catch a taxi or motorbike.
Cannon Fort, also known as Entrenched Fortification 177, this place has an altitude of 177m above sea level, including tunnels, military trenches, and 2 large anti-marine cannons leftover from 1940.
Thanks to its prime location on 3 sides facing the sea, it is a favorable condition for Vietnamese troops to defeat the enemy. It’s also from here visitors can see a part of the East Sea. Coming here, visitors can not only admire the seascape with majestic mountains but also witness the historical memorabilia of the Vietnamese heroic war.
The famous relics on Cannon Fort
Cannon Fort is also a place to store many historical vestiges from the 40s of the 20th century such as an observatory, a bunker, a traditional room, a love room, etc.
Cannons No. 1 and No. 2
These are two large anti-sea cannons with a weight of up to tens of tons each - a highlight that attracts a lot of attention from visitors.
Cannons No. 1 and No. 2 were the hallmarks of Cannon Fort. During the war against the French, the French brought parts of the two cannons to the base to assemble, later when the August Revolution was successful, the French disabled two cannons before being back in their country. By the time Vietnamese troops took over this base, there were only two empty cannons left that could no longer be used.
But thanks to the intelligence of their soldiers, they recovered the power of these two cannons and burned an enemy warship moving into the Vietnamese waters.
Observatory
The observatory is located on the highest point of the Fort. This is an ideal place for visitors to admire the majestic natural beauty of Cat Ba from above.
Bunker
During the war, the bunker was the place where revolutionary soldiers lived and sheltered. Currently, it is like a miniature history museum - a place to store all military weapons of important historical significance.
Traditional room
The traditional room is a place to keep memorabilia from the difficult struggles of the people on the island such as weapons, models, guns, photos, etc., and other typical items.
Here, the images of a heroic history of the nation's war are reproduced clearly and vividly.
Love room
The reason the room is called the love room is that this is the place where soldiers and their loved ones met after many days apart - this is also a place to encourage a great fighting spirit for the soldiers.
U-shaped tunnel
The U-shaped tunnel is also an atomic bomb-proof bunker, with a high-dome structure, accommodating up to 500 people. The U-shaped tunnel is not only a tunnel for the soldiers but also a living place, a place to treat soldiers' injuries during the battle to protect the territory.
It is very dark here and there is not enough light to see everything inside. Visitors should bring a flashlight to light the way when going to the fort.
Activities on Cannon Fort
Visiting places on the fortress
The fortress in the eyes of all Cat Ba islanders and tourists is both a heroic historical mark of the nation and a worthy place to visit.
In the fortress, there are solid trenches, which are left from the war to the present day such as cannons, ammunition storage, military airport, etc. They surely leave a special impression in the hearts of visitors.
Admiring the panoramic view of Cat Ba Island
From Cannon Fort, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the panoramic view of Cat Ba from many angles.
Located right at the foot of the mountain are two famous beaches of Cat Ba - Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2.
In the distance, there are small islands like green pyramids, interspersed with hundreds of moored boats and floating houses on the bay, creating a beautiful poetic picture.
Sunset is also the time when the sun is red, sparkling like coals behind the mountains. It's lucky for you to catch this amazing moment!
Admiring the sunset over the bay in a quiet, romantic atmosphere at Fort is the most memorable moment for any visitor when coming here.
On the fortress area, there also has a cafe called Fort Coffee.
Sipping a cup of coffee while feeling the peace and dreaming of nature here is the most unforgettable moment.
In addition, the cafe also has long-range binoculars, which are ideal for visitors to enjoy the wider and closer landscape.
Tourism activities on Cannon Fort
Cannon Fort has been closed to visitors since 2019, but visitors can still visit Cannon Fort, when visiting, they need to "exchange" with the guard station on the way to the Fort.
This place is beautiful to watch the sunset as well as Lan Ha Bay, Monkey Island, and the whole Cat Ba town center. Visitors coming here need to prepare some drinks and snacks by themselves because there are no services operating in this area.
