Hope on the bright shore

Sa Ky Seaport

On a late afternoon by Rang beach, Mr. Pham Van Quyen, a man who had been closely associated with the Culture sector of Nui Thanh district for many years, welcomed us, who had also once worked in cultural affairs in other districts, towns, and cities of Quang Nam province. Meeting again after a long time, we shook hands and exchanged greetings, and countless memories flooded back.

Our conversation was constantly interrupted by many locals and friends coming to greet Mr. Quyen. And rightly so, those working in the cultural sector generally lead simple lives, valuing relationships more than anything else in life. Besides, he spent a total of 31 years working in the district's cultural sector (1984-2015), including the first 10 years as Head of the Culture and Sports Department and 21 years as Vice Chairman in charge of social and cultural affairs. Perhaps there are few cases like this in our country. Working in the cultural sector for so long with good professional skills and a pure heart, it's not surprising that he knows many people and is well-liked by many.

Nui Thanh is almost like a miniature version of Vietnam, meaning it has mountains, rivers, plains, and the sea. But this land possesses a unique characteristic that no other place has: its geographical location . It is situated in the central part of the country, traversed by National Highway 1A, and boasts a railway station (Nui Thanh), a seaport (Ky Ha), and an international airport (Chu Lai). It is very encouraging that for 40 years (1983-2023) since its establishment, Nui Thanh district has recognized and thoroughly exploited this unique and distinctive advantage to develop and take off.

Chu Lai International Airport

In fact, recognizing and thoroughly exploiting the unique advantages of a geographical location for development has existed since the time of the Nguyen Lords, applied in Hoi An. In the book "Understanding the People of Quang Nam " (Da Nang Publishing House, 2005), writer Nguyen Ngoc made a profound observation: "The merit of the Nguyen Lords 400 years ago was recognizing the location of Quang Nam, successfully utilizing and developing the advantages of this land which was not particularly fertile, transforming it from an 'unknown' region into the most prosperous at that time. Furthermore, it became an economic lever for the entire country, accelerating historical development with unprecedented speed." Hoi An, now a World Heritage Site in the north of the province, is now being relocated to Nui Thanh in the south to build an open economic zone, both aiming to exploit the unique advantages of a region's location.

When the province was separated in 1997, Quang Nam was one of the poorest provinces in the country. Now, just 26 years later, it has become one of the few provinces that can balance its budget and contribute to the central government. What accounts for this miraculous change? The answer is that Quang Nam has a profound vision and has successfully exploited its unique geographical location by building the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone in Nui Thanh. It is known that Truong Hai Automobile Company alone, within this Open Economic Zone, contributes over 50% of Quang Nam province's budget. From the success of this Open Economic Zone, another interesting observation by writer Nguyen Ngoc is: "Whether a land is poor or rich is not necessarily a matter of destiny, but mainly depends on how people treat it, their way of thinking, and consequently, how they do business in that land…"

Truong Hai Automobile Company in Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, Nui Thanh

Prioritizing location over resources to open the Hoi An trading port 400 years ago and later build the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone is a very modern way of thinking, and essentially reflects the cultural approach of the people of Quang Nam towards the land they live on.

Sometimes our conversations are quite rambling, but they always end up returning to the topic of culture. This is understandable, because we "took on this responsibility" from a young age. We aspire to manage the relationship between economics and culture effectively so that localities can develop sustainably. But in reality, it's not easy at all. Mr. Quyen gave an example: the current cultural park in the center of Nui Thanh district is very spacious and beautiful, a destination for recreation, relaxation, entertainment, and cultural enjoyment for the people of the district. Initially, raising this issue faced many obstacles. From the perspective of those only focused on economics, it was prime real estate; selling it to a real estate company would bring in a lot of money for the district. There was a long discussion and debate before finally deciding to build the cultural park. That's how it is; many cultural projects and institutions in localities sometimes have to squeeze through narrow gaps to be established.

We've sat by the sea countless times enjoying seafood, but rarely have we felt as delighted as we did this time at Rang Beach. The sea and shore remain pristine, with blue water, white sand, golden sunshine, and a refreshing breeze. Sea crabs, squid, conch, and especially the grilled flying fish are a favorite among many. Mr. Pham Van Quyen and others who were once deeply involved in cultural work are still enthusiastically discussing how a region can develop strongly while preserving the natural landscape bestowed by nature. We jokingly say, "If some real estate tycoon comes along and invests heavily in building grandiose service facilities, blocking access to the sea for the locals, as has happened in some other places, what charm and appeal will this place have left?" We sincerely hope that this will not happen to Rang Beach…

NDSN HUYNH HUNG