QuyHoaLeprosyVillage (in QuyNhonCity-BinhDinhProvince) is the colloquial name of Quy Hoa Leprosy-Dermatology Central Clinic (under management Vietnamese Health Ministry). This is probably the only leprosy clinic in the world owing such name and becoming tourist interest of both domestic and foreign visitors. Friendliness and minimum gap between patients and the visitors always surprise many people. That’s the reason why a lot of delegations pay study visits to the clinic with aim to learn experiences of the clinic’s doctors, physicians and managers through introduction of many healthcare organizations, charities and humantarian organizations all over the word.
 |
|
All houses in Quy Hoa have small flower gardens their front yards
|
Priest Paul Maheu (1869-1931) found QuyHoaValley in 1929. At that time, Quy Hoa was an neglected land, isolating itself from the outsiders. Such place was absolutely suitable to build a clinic for lepers because leprosy used to be considered one of four incurable diseases (leprosy,tuberculosis, cirrosis and psoriasis).
In 1932, Director of the clinic, Sister Charles Antoine, who used to be an architect and her assistant, Sister Ozithe (died on 20th December 2001 in Paris, France) had the clinic rebuilt. Solid residential buildings for long-term stay of the lepers were built,either. About French-style 250 houses were constructed from 1932 to 1958. Although each house is a separate work of art, it is still in harmony with the whole landscape. Flowers are found present every front yards and lanes in the village.
Quy Hoa has been considered as an interesting tourist spot rather than a clinic by QuyNhonCity dwellers in particular and BinhDinhProvince’s people for a long time.
 |
|
An airy lane in Quy Hoa tourist spot
|
Let’s walk quietly in whizzing casuarina forest, to garden of celebrities’ statues and then to a holy church in Quy Hoa. You may meet local residents who used to be the lepers on way to QuyHoaLeprosyVillage. They are walking, sewing or weaving fishing-nets in front of their houses. Let’s visit them and listen to voices of pupils, descendents of the lepers, while they are studying with voluntary students in small classes there.
Many patients choose Quy Hoa clinic as their preferred place of treatment and then their preferred homeland. They live on various jobs and give birth to generation after generation.Thanks to donation of many well-wishers and charities over many last years, a market in the village was erected in early 2006. Daily trading of the local villagers has become more convinient since then. Because the market serves mainly for the patients, it starts very early. It becomes most bustling from 6a.m to 7 a.m.
On the way back to inner QuyNhonCity, I saw many Quy Hoa pupils coming home. Second, third and next generations have been grown in this land. Unaffected descendents of the lepers may continue their stay at QuyHoaVillage or look for their good fortune in another promising lands. The villagers proudly boast that many of their descendents pass university or college entrance exams or travel all over the country.
Quy Hoa tourist spot is a good place not only for relaxation but also for widening of one’s heart, their love for the humankind and their sentiment for their fellows.
-
Written by Thu Ha
-
Translated by To Uyen | 
