The charm of the coastal town of Rach Gia

I still remember the first time I set foot in Rach Gia on a late afternoon. Standing on the embankment, the salty sea breeze blowing in my face, I heard a student whisper to his friend: “Rach Gia is so beautiful and vibrant? So modern!”. I laughed lightly, because that statement was similar to what a friend of mine from Vinh Long had said a few years ago when he first visited Rach Gia. It turns out that the admiration for the beauty, spaciousness, and openness of the coastal city of Rach Gia is still intact in the hearts of many Westerners like me.

Rach Gia city at night. Photo: PHUONG VU

This time coming back, I couldn't help but be surprised. Rach Gia has taken on the modern look of the most dynamic coastal city in the West, with many new roads, more reclaimed land with bright lights, new constructions springing up one after another, tourism and commercial services developing strongly. Sitting in a cafe by the beach, watching the rhythm of life in the coastal city, I understand why this place easily captures the hearts of many people. A lecturer who accompanied me exclaimed: "This coastal city is on the rise, vibrant and most modern in the West." That simple compliment is like an echo from the hearts of people far away for a city that is changing.

Going deeper into the city, I met Mrs. Tran Thi Hong - a trader at Rach Gia Commercial Center. Having lived here for 40 years, witnessing every step of development of her hometown, what makes her most proud is not the new houses but the increasingly civilized and orderly lifestyle here. "Many visitors from other provinces also praise the market as being cleaner, more open, and more orderly than before. Hearing that, I am happy to see the ward taking care of people's lives," said Mrs. Hong.

Not only the elderly or traders, the young generation also has a very unique view of Rach Gia urban area. Tran Quoc Duy (28 years old) - my former student who now works in the construction industry said that Rach Gia gives him the feeling of "the future growing up". The coastal city is not noisy enough to be tiring, nor quiet enough to be slow, it is just enough to live, to dream and to return to after the hustle and bustle of the city. Rach Gia is becoming a gathering place for young people in the West thanks to its modern space, developed services and expanding career opportunities. "It is vibrant but not crowded. Modern but still has the breath of the West. Here, I see a future to work and build a career", Duy confided.

Late in the afternoon, I walked along the embankment of Ton Duc Thang Street, where there were rows of green trees and many people were exercising. When the sun set, Rach Gia beach turned a honey color, breathtakingly beautiful. The waves lapped gently, and tourists stood leaning against the embankment railing, taking pictures continuously, exclaiming: "So beautiful!"

I met Mr. Nguyen Van Nhanh, a resident of Rach Gia ward, who was walking. With a friendly smile, he said: “Rach Gia has changed a lot. In the past, this area was full of mud and reeds. In 1998, the State built a sea encroachment area, made beautiful embankments, and wide roads. In the afternoon, people went to the coastal park to enjoy the cool breeze, children played, and it was very happy. At that time, few people dared to think that Rach Gia would change like this one day.” Mr. Nhanh spoke slowly as if recalling each layer of alluvial memory. His story was not much, but each sentence had the breath of a life clinging to the land and the sea.

Despite the rapid changes and bustle, Rach Gia still maintains a gentle pace. In each small story of the people, I clearly see the pride of a coastal city that is always developing but still peaceful. That night, my friend took me around Rach Gia, I enjoyed watching the charm of the city at night. At nearly 11 pm, the streets were still crowded. A few cafes along the coast were still sparkling with lights. A few shops on the street corners still had customers sitting and chatting. My friend shared: “It is easy to live here, people appreciate each other with sincerity. After hard working hours, Rach Gia people always maintain a comfortable pace of life, a very Rach Gia, very Western rhythm”.

As a teacher, I look at this coastal city not only with the eyes of a visitor from afar but also with the feelings of someone looking for the essence of life for future lectures. Rach Gia shows me the harmony between modernity and tradition, between the hustle and bustle of the city and the simplicity of the people of the river region. It is a lesson in development while still preserving the soul, something that many cities in the West are looking for.

The afternoon before leaving Rach Gia, I sat on the embankment, where I had first stopped. On the water, the last rays of the day's sunlight gently stretched, with only a few boats swaying far out at sea. Rach Gia does not try to make people remember, but every time I come, I touch a corner of my memory of the sea, of the peace that anyone who has left the West for a long time wants to find again. Rach Gia does not call, does not keep, but anyone who has visited it seems to bring back a thin, soft string, tied very lightly to their memories.

Just getting on the bus about to leave Rach Gia, my friend from Vinh Long asked over the phone: “What is it about Rach Gia that makes you so fascinated and so often come there?” I simply replied: “It is a place modern enough for people to desire and peaceful enough for people to want to return.” And perhaps, that is also the reason to call Rach Gia, both emotionally and rationally, a ward worth living in, a place worth visiting, staying in and loving.

THACH LOAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/net-duyen-pho-bien-rach-gia-a466975.html