Quy Nhon city, the cultural, economic, and political centre of Binh Dinh Province, is known as a “poetic city” as it possesses the attractive and romantic beauty, becoming a destination for those who love sea and peacefulness.
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Night at Doi towers. Photo Dao Tien Dat
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Starting a journey to explore Quy Nhon, tourists should visit the Hoang Hau (Queen) beach located under the Thi Nhan hill (the hill of the Poet). There’s a theory that the beach was named after Hoang Hau as it used to be a place for Nam Phuong Hoang Hau (the Queen of the South) to admire the seascape and bath when she accompanied her husband Bao Dai - the last emperor of Vietnam on his journeys to the region before he dethroned in 1945.
Despite a little controversy over its name origin, Hoang Hau Beach is worth visiting and will certainly win the heart of visitors. There, sea lovers can stroll in the early morning or late afternoon to have their feet massaged with warm sands after the sun rises and goes down, and egg-shaped stones in various sizes around.
As part of Xuan Van Mountain, Thi Nhan Hill serves as one of the best positions to view Hoang Hau Beach during the daytime or in the evening. Vietnam’s renowned poet now rested in peace in a grave on this Hill of the Poet that overlooks the beach in the astonishing landscape of Ghenh Rang.
The hill is also the last resting place of poet Han Mac Tu. Adjacent to Ghenh Rang is Quy Hoa which is called the “peaceful valley”. It is another destination for tourists. Coming here, tourists are able to see hundreds of houses where the lepers are living. Each house has its own architectural features.
The route Thi Nai Bridge – Phuong Mai peninsula is a must-go tourist site in Quy Nhon. Connecting Quy Nhon and the Nhon Hoi Economic Zone, Thi Nai is the longest sea-crossing bridge in Vietnam so far. It is not only the pride of Binh Dinh people but a destination for those who visit the province.
The Phuong Mai peninsula lying in the east of Thi Nai lagoon looks like a huge protecting barrier to Quy Nhon city with many blocks of mountains projecting about 15 km into the sea. Watched from away, Phuong Mai seems like a dragon with its body lying to the north until De Gi. The end of the south of the peninsula looks like a sharp sickle with many extraordinary and difficult caves where salanganes usually gather to build their nests and give human being an extremely precious and nutritious specialty “salangane’s nest”.
Quy Nhon is also the home of many historical and cultural relics. Long Khanh pagoda located at the centre of the city, for example, is one of the biggest Buddhist centres in the province. Tourists must visit the Doi (twin) towers which were built in late 12th century. It is a beautiful and unique architecture comprising 2 towers (the main tower is 20 m high and the minor tower is about 18 m high).
The Doi towers are rated as a “unique” beauty of the Champa architectural art. Both towers are not square ones with many floors like the traditional Cham towers but a structure of 2 main parts. The body is square and the top has a shape of a tower with curved surface. At the corners of the tower are the icons of the God bird Garuda raising both wings to lift up the roof of the tower. The top vault of the doors is raised up like arrows.
Visiting Quy Nhon, tourists must enjoy the local specialties, such as bun cha ca (rice vermicelli with fried fish), banh xeo, seafood, and Bau Da wine.
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