A complete list of tourist attractions in Benin
The Republic of Benin is a country in western Africa, formerly named Dahomey, a former French colony. It became independent on August 1, 1960. Benin is bordered by the Gulf of Guinea in the south, Nigeria in the east, Niger in the north, Burkina Faso in the northwest, and Togo in the west, covering an area of 112.620 square kilometers. The people of Benin are peace-loving, intelligent and hard-working. Benin is regarded as one of the countries with the most human civilization in Africa.
Cotonou Cotonou is located on the banks of the Bay of Benin. It is the economic capital, actual administrative center of Benin, and the largest city in the country. The city is the largest port in the country and the political, economic, transportation and foreign trade center of Benin. The central authorities of Benin and the diplomatic missions of various countries stationed in Benin are all located in Cotonou.
In the 19th century, Cotonou was an important base for French colonialists to invade and plunder. Later, it gradually developed based on port trade activities. In 1965, an artificial deep-water port was built and became the largest port in Benin. Cotonou is a city with relatively concentrated and developed industries in Benin, with enterprises such as electricity, textiles, cement, machinery, food, oil extraction, brewing, daily chemicals, and building materials. Cotonou is rich in tourism resources and has great potential for developing tourism. Well-known tourist destinations include Cotonou Cathedral, Friendship Stadium, Cotonou Central Mosque, Ancient Bridge, Big Market, etc.
Porto-Novo Porto-Novo is also known as the "Newport" and is the capital and second largest city of the West African country of Benin. However, this city is only the nominal capital of Benin. The actual administrative center of Benin is located in Codonou, and is now the country's political, economic and cultural center together with Cotonou.
Porto-Novo is one of the oldest cities in Benin. It still retains the very strong style of an ancient African city, with many scenic spots and historic sites, and a prosperous tourism industry. Visitors to the city can visit ancient African palaces, colonial buildings, the Presidential Palace and the Portugal Cathedral. Benin has always been a country with relatively developed culture in West Africa, and still retains some ancient buildings, such as the Ethnographic Museum, the Folk Science Museum, the National Library and the National Archives. The handicrafts produced in the city and its surrounding areas, such as bronzes, woodcuts, bone carvings, weaving, etc., have unique styles and are well-known at home and abroad. You can buy some as souvenirs, or give them to relatives and friends.
The ancient city of Vida in Benin is located 42 kilometers west of Cotonou, the capital of Benin. It is the birthplace of Benin's culture and history, and an area with a relatively complete black slave system. 16-19 In the 19th century, Europeans gathered thousands of black slaves in Vader and shipped them here to sell them to the United States. Therefore, it was called the "Slave Coast". The Vader History Museum also displays many objects and photos exposing the crimes of slave trafficking by colonialists.
There are the "Gate of No Return", which symbolizes the tragic experience of black slaves leaving their homes, and the "Gate of Return", which represents the victory of the people of Benin in liberating the slave system. The "Gate of Return" is another gate built by the Benin government next to the "Gate of No Return". It records the scene of some trafficked black slaves returning their bodies to their hometowns due to illness or death in a foreign country. It also records the victory of the people of Benin in liberating the slave slaves. The theme structure of the gate is a map of Benin. Vida has the most modern tourist area. In the tourist area, the coconut groves on both sides of the road extend along the coastline. The scenic area integrates entertainment, catering and leisure, with swimming pools, western restaurants and restaurants.
The Vader History Museum displays many ancient objects and related documents that can prove the history and culture of this area, including many objects and photos that expose the crimes of slave trafficking by colonialists. Visitors can easily understand the culture and history of this area by visiting here. Over time, the museum's collection can be classified into six major periods: the Portugal colonial period (the entire museum building itself is a product of the colonial period), the Xwéda Dynasty, the Republic of Dahomey, the African slave period, Voodoo culture and the new era of Benin. From Cotonou, follow the road to Togo, turn left when you reach Vida and enter the city. The Vida History Museum is on the left side of a group of Portugal castles.
Abomey Palace Abomey Palace is located in Abomey City, Zu Province, Benin. It is a unique witness of the disappeared Abomey Dynasty. From 1625 to 1900, a total of 12 kings ruled the powerful Abomey Kingdom. Except for King Agaba, who built a palace on a separate site, all generations of kings ordered the construction of their own palaces in a world of adobe walls.
These palaces are roughly the same in terms of architectural art, spatial organization and material selection, proving that a lost kingdom once existed. Due to harsh climatic conditions and the weakness of the materials used, the palace was on the verge of destruction. It was included in the World Cultural Heritage List in 1985. After effective protection, it was deleted from the List of Endangered World Heritage Sites in 2007.
The Palace of Abomey is a unique architectural complex with various forms of wood carvings, colored earth embossed, statues, iron art, as well as well-made "Zinkpo"(throne) and "Reckade"(power). These works of art are not only a manifestation of unique Abomey culture, but also precious historical materials. In particular, the colored earth embossed that decorate the Abomey Palace reflects many major events during the rule of the kings of Abomey.
Ganvieux Water Village There are more than 30 water villages in Benin, of which Ganvieux Water Village is the largest. The water village is located on the NOKOUE Lake, a natural lagoon connected to the Atlantic Ocean in the north of Cotonou City. It is about 25 kilometers away from the city, including 17 kilometers by land (about 35 minutes by car) and 8 kilometers by water (about 15 minutes by motor boat). It is currently the most completely preserved water residential area in Africa and is known as the "Venice of Africa".
Water Village is 5.5 kilometers long from east to west and 4.25 kilometers wide from north to south. There are 25,000 residents and 19,500 houses in the village. There are two main waterways in the village, one is "Lovers Street" and the other is "Fisherman Street". Canoes shuttle between them to transport goods, do business, or go sightseeing. In the lake, high-footed huts, water hyacinth, boats and people are intertwined, creating an interesting contrast to each other. There are shops, schools, churches, health clinics, post and telecommunications offices, centralized water supply points, aquatic markets, hotels, cultural centers and cemeteries in the village, which are similar to land life.
Villagers make a living by fishing. In addition to casting nets and hook fishing, they mainly use a method called "Akka clip" to fish: tree stumps and branches are densely inserted into the lake to create a small environment suitable for the growth of fish schools. Young fish such as crucian carp and captain fish enter naturally, and after eight months, they can fish with purse-seine. Boating on the lake, what is displayed in front of you is a pleasing African style painting. Gamviers Water Village has become a tourist attraction in Benin. Every year, many tourists, especially European tourists, come here.
Pendjari National Park Pendjari National Park is located in the mountainous area of northwest Benin, on the world map near 12 degrees north latitude and 3 degrees east longitude. It has a vast area with dense vegetation and primitive shrub forests. Various wild animals and plants naturally survive and reproduce in the natural tropical rainforest climate. It has a unique natural environment, beautiful scenery, singing birds and flowers. It is a nature reserve that is conducive to the survival and reproduction of many types of wild animals. The reserve's unique, magical, magnificent and dreamy natural landscape, rich animal and plant species, and the endless charm of the vibrant nature make tourists from all over the world who come here linger and forget to leave.
The nature reserve was built in the 1950s. It is a reserve for scientists to conduct scientific field research and a well-known wildlife park blessed by heaven to the people of Benin. Rare wild animals are natural survival in the wild, often appear: African elephant, buffalo, lion, African leopard, hippopotamus, crocodile, African antelope, monkey, gorilla, baboon, warthog, hound, deer, wildebeest, wild boar, wild donkey, goat, hare and 10 categories of antelope and 3 species of primates, as well as soaring in the blue sky birds.