Northern Central Vietnam Vinh

Historically a poor region, the Ngh_ An province—and its capital, Vinh—hosted the first Communist rebellion, the X® Vi\t Ngh_ Tænh uprisings. A convenient hub from which to explore the nearby home of H· Chí Minh in Làng Kim Liˆn or the newly emerging resort town of C¸a Lò, Vinh caters to both history buffs and beachgoers. While most die-hard tourists venture to Vinh only to see the birthplace of national icon and near-deity H· Chí Minh, many extend their stays. It’s easy to be lured by the Western feel of the city’s streets and by the crowds of locals who emerge in the evening to stroll in H· Chí Minh Square or sip lemonade, coffee, or beer in one of Vinh’s numerous cafes.

Vietnam Airlines flies only to HCMC from Vinh (1hr.; M, W-F, Su 2pm; 1,120,000). The booking office is in the lobby of the Huu Nghi Hotel, 74 Lˆ Li, near the intersection with Phan Bÿi Chñu. (☎840 637. Open daily 7:30-11am and 2-5pm.) There is a travel agency next to the booking office that offers tours. A one-day tour of Phong Nha costs 200,000, while two-day tours of Hå Long Bay cost 451,000. You can also buy a map of Vinh for 20,000. (Open M-F 7:30-11am and 2-5pm.) The interprovince bus station, 77 Lˆ Li, next to Phú Nguyˆn H=i Hotel, sends buses every hour to: à N{ng (8hr.; 80,000); H=i Phòng (6hr.; 80,000); Hà Nÿi (6hr.; every 15min.; 70,000); HCMC (48hr.; 250,000); Hu\ (6hr.; 66,000). The station is open 24hr.—at night, when the gates are closed, buses pick up and drop off outside. The train station (☎853 158) is northwest of the bus station. To get there, turn left from the bus station on Lˆ Li and walk for about 700m, then make another left onto Phan Bÿi Chñu. The station is one kilometer from the intersection. Seven regular trains and three express trains head to all northern destinations daily; five regular trains and two express trains go to southern destinations. Trains go to: à N{ng (9-11hr.; 122,000-275,000); Hà Nÿi (4-7hr.; 78,000-160,000); HCMC (27-35hr.; 384,000, soft seat 836,000); Hu\ (6-8hr.; 96,000-275,000); Ninh Bình (4-6hr.; 50,000-102,000); Thanh Hóa (3-4hr.; 36,000-72,000). There’s a small post office inside the station for last minute send-offs (☎853 034).

Orientation And Practical Information

Vinh is nearly equidistant from Hà Nÿi (300km) and Hu\ (340km) on Hwy. 1. The highway suffers an identity crisis as it passes through Vinh, rolling in from the north as Nguy[n Trãi, then forking, breaking off to the southeast as Hà Huy TÆp, which leads to H· Chí Minh Square. The road splitting off to the west is Mai H c \, which becomes Lˆ Li at the intersection with Phan Bÿi Chñu, and then Quang Tr™ng 700m south near the interprovince bus station. Quang Tr™ng dead-ends at the market, but you can turn left onto Tr<n Phú. After one kilometer, Tr<n Phú kinks southeast toward Hu\ as Lˆ Du>n before it becomes Nguy[n Du and crosses the B\n Tuy bridge, finally linking back to Hwy. 1. Most of Vinh’s restaurants, hotels, and shops are concentrated in the center of the city along Lˆ Li and Quang Tr™ng, with clusters of cheaper hotels on the northern and southern fringes of the highway.

The town’s Vietcombank, 9 Nguy[n SÅ Sách, is northeast of the bus station. To reach it, head north from the bus station for 800m and take a right at the light. (☎842 046; www.vietcomebank.com.vn. Cashes traveler’s checks and does MC/V advances. Open M-Sa 7-11:30am and 1:30-5pm.) A MC/V 24hr. ATM stands outside. There are others at 33 Quang Tr™ng (☎595 428; open 7am-5pm), south of the bus station and at 1 Phan B®i Chñu, near the train station. There is an impressively large pharmacy at 28 Lˆ Li (☎568 031; open 7am-8pm). For clothes, more pharmaceuticals, fresh fruit, and veggies, stop by the town market, which peeks out onto the street at the intersection of Quang Tr™ng and Tr<n Phú, one kilometer south of the bus station. There is a cluster of Internet cafes close to the city center at 4-7 Phan Bi Chñu, near the train station, and scattered all around the city. (Open 6am-12pm. 2000-3000 per hr. The man in charge at 7A in charge speaks good French.) The post office, 2 Nguy[n Th¢ Minh Khai, is a huge, sterile building like a Western shopping mall. To reach it, turn right out of the bus station onto Lˆ Li, and veer left onto Nguy[n Th¢ Minh Khai for one and a half kilometers; it should be on your right before the small park. There are telephones inside. Air-conditioned Internet access and Internet phones are in a small building to the left of the post office’s main entrance. (☎833 711. Open summer 6:30am-10pm, winter 7am-9pm. Internet 3000 per hr.)

Accommodations And Food

The best value in the city, Kim Thái Son Hotel 2, 107 Nguy[n Thai Hoc, offers clean rooms near the town center. Take a right on Nguy[n Thai Hoc 50m south from the bus station, and the hotel is 100m on your right. Despite bathrooms with low ceilings, the bare rooms of this family-run hotel are comfortable and delightfully bug-free. (☎844 409. A/C, TV, fan, and shower. Singles 100,000; doubles 150,000.) A left out of the bus station and a short 250m walk down the street leads to the slightly nicer and more expensive Phú My Hotel 2, 147 Lˆ Li. Large rooms with air-conditioning, TV, fridge, private baths, and wooden furniture have a new, clean feel. (☎585 183; phumyhotel@yahoo.com. Singles 180,000; doubles 250,000.) Phú Nguyˆn H=i Hotel 4, 81 Lˆ Li, is a gaudy pink building conveniently located next to the bus station. Overly expensive rooms come equipped with air-conditioning, satellite TV, refrigerator, leather chairs, and crisp, clean sheets. (☎848 429; ctpnh@hn.vnn.vn. Doubles US$20; 2 double beds US$22; deluxe suites with bar and living room US$35.) Don’t miss the hotel’s rooftop restaurant 2; no meal could be complete without stewed eel and banana (35,000) or fried frog with butter. (Open daily 5am-10pm.) Across the highway and 150m north, H·ng Ngoc 2 3, 24 Lˆ Li, is really only a good deal for those in search of quads. The walls in this dark, cabin-like arrangement are old and the TVs and toilets are equally worn and undependable (sometimes refusing to turn on or flush). The staff, however, is friendly and always willing to help fix any problems. Rooms come with air-conditioning, TV, fan, fridge, and likely some ants. (☎841 314. Doubles 120,000; quads 180,000.) The accompanying restaurant 2 offers well-spiced but expensive Vietnamese dishes (35,000 for spicy fried beef), good french fries (20,000) for those craving a taste of home, and cheap beer on tap (4000 per pint).

During lunchtime, locals head to one of the many c£m shops 1 offering nearly identical dishes along Phan Chu Trinh, near its intersection with Quang Tr™ng. The shops, such as the one at 225 Phan Chu Trinh, serves filling and delicious servings at affordable prices (5000-15,000). For a vegetarian soup that you can mix with veggies and rice, ask for n™øc lay muøng cochans, and then specify “các món n chay.” (☎841 1369. Open daily 6am-10pm.) If you plan on a picnic, crave a midday snack, or are simply looking for products with set prices, head to the supermarket located on the ground floor of the newly erected Maximark, 166 Nguy[n Thai Hoc. Though the prices will be far higher than those of the market, there’s a good selection of imported foods. From the bus station, walk 50m south on Hwy. 1. (☎561 322. Open daily 8am-9:30pm.)

Sights

Though most of the regional attractions lie in the towns surrounding Vinh, visitors should absolutely not miss H· Chí Minh Square, with a gigantic statue of the hero standing tall in the center. In the crisp morning hours, locals stroll in the park, some on the way to work and others simply out to enjoy the cool and peaceful morning. At night, the square and park light up with life. Motorcycles line the parking lot as teens and adults alike walk, eat ice cream, and dance under the stars. For directions to the square, see Nightlife, below. The family altar of laureate Nguy[n Du, author of the Tale of Kieu, is 13km south of town. To reach it, head out of town south on Hwy. 1, pass the B\n Tuy bridge and follow the signs for 10km.

Nightlife

Visitors might be surprised to learn that the streets of Vinh burst with life in the late evening hours, with the largest volume of partiers emerging from their homes at 7 or 8pm and returning at 10 or 10:30pm. A drive down Nguy[n Vn C from its intersection with Nguy[n SÅ Sách reveals popular cafes decorated with colorful Christmas lights sitting alongside garage pool halls and packed Internet and game rooms. The drive ends at the crowded H· Chí Minh Square, where a shockingly white statue of the socialist leader looms over groups of laughing locals. The park’s surroundings are a fun mix of bars and ice cream shops. A small carnival is set up for children, and colorful Communist-symbol light fixtures light the way.

For some Vinh-style singing and dancing, visit the star-lit Cafe Karaoke, 51 H· Tùng MÆu, which rests on the northeastern corner of the park about three blocks north of the statue, directly across from the post office. (☎835 026. Beer 8000; soda 6000. Music daily 7-10:15pm.) For good people-watching, head to the two-story Tu+n Euro, at the intersection of H· Tùng MÆu and Nguy[n Vn C, and grab a seat on the balcony of the second floor. As the crowd is almost all male, women might want to come here with a friend rather than venturing in alone. (☎562 384. Beer 8000; coffee 6000.) To escape motorbike traffic and the packed park, seek out the romantic mood lighting and peaceful atmosphere of the cafe situated in the southeast corner of the park, on Thúc M*u off of H· Tùng MÆu, one block south of Nguy[n Vn C. To reach the cafe, pass the booming karaoke bars and hook a left on Thúc M*u, which will reveal a round structure. Patrons are an eclectic but mellow crowd drinking coffee and fruit shakes in the abundant seating on the third floor. (Open daily until 10:30pm. Coffee 6000-12,000; fruit shakes 10,000-12,000; mixed drinks 20,000-25,000.) To take part in a small carnival filled with a ring toss, gambling games, and—of course—karaoke, head 100m north on H· Tùng MÆu from the main statue and turn right into the often-crowded parking lot. Prizes for these child-oriented carnival include chips, gum, and cans of soda.

Daytrip From Vinh

Làng Kim Liên

To reach Làng Kim Liˆn, 14km from Vinh, you can hop on a bus from the station to Nam àm, although it will likely be easier and quicker to flag one down right outside of the market at the intersection of Dình Phùng and Quang Tr™ng, about 3km south of the bus station (30min.; 6-8 trips daily; 5000-10,000). Hop off when you see a huge blue billboard welcoming you to Làng Kim Liˆn. The first sight is about 1km down the road that winds past the post office and fishing fields. Make the journey on foot, or hire a local to drop you off and pick you up at each place. Negotiate a price in advance (5000-15,000). Alternatively, you can hire motorbikes (30,000-40,000 round-trip). Both sights open daily 6am-8pm. Free.

Communist party members flock from across the country to pay homage to H· Chí Minh at his birthplace in the village of Hong Thi and at the thatched house to which his family returned for his formative years (ages 5-10) in nearby Làng Sen or Làng Kim Liˆn (Lotus Village). Don’t expect much in the way of tourist information for English speakers, except for a few signs. However, the absence of English will not at all take away from the experience—the real attraction for non-Vietnamese is the carnival-like crowds taking pictures, buying souvenirs, and burning incense around these houses. The first sight is H· Chí Minh’s place of birth, two kilometer on the unnamed road past the post office; swing a left immediately after passing a small lake on your left. Among the bustling souvenir stands are the three hatched huts that form H·’s proper birth house in Hong Thi. While two are furnished exactly as the socialist leader knew them during the first years of his life—showing his truly modest roots—the third contains a shrine where visitors are requested to place the first of three bouquets of flowers. To get to the second sight, continue down the road from the post office for one kilometer until you reach a roundabout, at which point you should follow the sign to Bai Xé Que Noi for 200m. This is Làng Kim Liˆn; H· Chí Minh’s family settled here in 1901 after returning from Hu\, where H·’s father had traveled to study. Here you’ll find three more thatched houses, one of which is another shrine awaiting your second bouquet. Farther down the path is a museum, which is closed for construction until 2010. However, the most interesting and telling part of the two sights is in the building next to the museum, where there’s a giant white bust of Vietnam’s socialist hero. Flowers, food, and burning incense lie at his feet, just as in the temples of ancient kings; large families gather round to take pictures to show their friends.

Snack and souvenir shops selling socialist books, H· Chí Minh photos, shirts with pictures of the thatched houses on them (15,000), and even busts (90,000) crowd both sights. To purchase flowers, head to the museum office located across from the entrance to the leader’s birth house in Hong Thi. (10,000 per bouquet. Open daily 6am-8pm.)