Van Gia - an interesting destination

Located near Nha Trang, with convenient transportation (less than two hours by bus), and situated along the coast, Van Gia has become a popular tourist destination in recent years due to its unspoiled and peaceful beauty, a harmonious blend of modern and traditional elements. Many well-equipped hotels and guesthouses have sprung up, and the vibrant yet hospitable lifestyle of the locals provides visitors with opportunities to experience and discover many things.

Sunrise over Van Gia beach. Photo: Internet

In the middle of summer, the sky was a brilliant blue, and from morning till evening, under the warm sunshine, Van Gia always appeared before us like a watercolor painting. The green coconut groves rustled in the wind, and small boats bobbed far out at sea – all creating an extremely peaceful and poetic scene. For us, the most impressive thing was the scene of early morning life in this town. While the land was still shrouded in mist, we could already see people exercising busily in the seaside park along Tran Hung Dao Street. Meanwhile, out at sea, the sun began to rise like a fiery red ball, slowly painting the sky and water pink. The sunrise at Van Gia beach was truly beautiful. My friends and I were all amazed, taking out our phones to capture these memorable moments amidst the salty, pungent scent of the sea and the gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore.

A small fishing port in the town is located not far from the park, just a short walk away. Here, from the previous afternoon, nearly a hundred fishing boats with gillnets set sail, returning to shore early in the morning with baskets full of fish. My friends from Tay Ninh , who live in mountainous areas, were fascinated by the sight of the fresh fish and wanted to learn about the local fishing industry. Some asked to take photos with the fishermen, others photographed the bustling fish trading scene… A very young boat driver told us: “Seafood in Van Gia is not only abundant but also comes in all kinds, especially at the town market. Besides the small port for gillnet fishing boats, there is also the fairly large Quang Hoi fishing port, about 3km from the town, which supplies seafood daily not only to local markets but also to many places in the Central and Central Highlands regions.”

In Van Gia, besides easily visiting many beautiful sights in the region such as Van Phong Bay, Son Dung Peninsula, Diep Son Island, Co Ma Cliff, etc., tourists can also visit many historical sites right in the town or in neighboring communes with dozens of ancient tombs, communal houses, and pagodas, including Phu Cang Communal House - a national historical and cultural relic. Built in the late 17th century, the communal house still preserves unique architectural, cultural, and historical values reflecting the formation and development of the Vietnamese community.

Besides the pottery village in Trung Dõng (Vạn Bình commune), when we arrived in Vạn Giã, we visited the agarwood carving village in Vạn Thắng commune. Since ancient times, Vạn Giã has been considered the main cradle of agarwood, hence the folk verse: “The cinnamon tree grows in the rocky ravines of paradise / The agarwood of Vạn Giã spreads its fragrance throughout the mountains / We two are like cinnamon and agarwood / Heaven and earth have bound us together for a hundred years.” Because of its close connection with agarwood, the agarwood carving village here has existed for over 100 years. Currently, there are about 400 households engaged in this craft. It is a hereditary profession. Visiting this famous craft village, it is fascinating to directly observe and experience the work of the agarwood carvers, learning about the process of creating agarwood from the Aquilaria tree, and the process of preliminary processing and crafting the very sophisticated products from agarwood.

Another fascinating aspect of exploring Van Gia is its cuisine . While at the market you can easily find fresh, glistening red snapper, mackerel, grouper, shrimp, and squid at very reasonable prices, here you'll find seafood dishes at countless eateries. There's fish hotpot, squid hotpot; grilled blood cockles, steamed squid with ginger; fish noodle soup, fish cake noodle soup; shrimp and squid pancakes… So many dishes, each imbued with the flavors of the sea.

Because it's only 60km from Tuy Hoa city (Phu Yen province) and also close to Nha Trang city, Van Gia attracts a lot of tourists. During our visit, our group encountered many Russian and French tourists strolling and exploring the streets and markets. When we parted ways, everyone said they would return to Van Gia next time to explore more places…

HOANG PHU LOC

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/du-lich/202506/van-gia-diem-den-ly-thu-7dd253d/