Every time I return to Nha Trang, I spend a few mornings walking along the streets where I used to go to school. The trees are still there. The sunlight still falls on the road in a familiar way. Suddenly, I see again the image of the white ao dai dresses of my youth, simple yet pure. Everything seems to have changed little, only I have traveled more paths than before. Life and work in New York are very busy and hectic. Coming back here, my heart suddenly softens, I feel young again, as if it were just yesterday.
 |
Nha Trang doesn't need much advertising. Just stay a few days, take your time, and you'll understand why everyone who comes here wants to return. This seaside city has beautiful sunshine, blue sea, gentle nature, and a pace of life that's just right, so you don't feel tired.
One of the things I remember most every time I come back is the food. Nha Trang's cuisine is diverse and rich, from familiar dishes to unique local specialties. A morning starts with a bowl of clear fish noodle soup, with fresh fish and a sweet, savory broth. Sometimes it's a steaming bowl of beef noodle soup, or a plate of sizzling grilled beef on a cast-iron stove. At lunchtime, there are grilled spring rolls wrapped in greens, crispy fried spring rolls, dipped in thick, red homemade shrimp paste. In the evening, there's fresh seafood, simply grilled but with a natural sweetness, dipped in thick green chili salt, very Nha Trang. After the main meal, I crave snacks. Hot rice pancakes, freshly made, eaten with fish sauce, onions, and thinly sliced mango. Rich and fragrant grilled banana dessert. Late at night, I stop by a sidewalk stall in the small streets to eat flan, yogurt, and jelly, sitting on plastic chairs watching people go by. My American friends like this kind of sitting. Watching people pass by, the small streets, the small alleys. People sitting in front of their doors chatting and enjoying the cool breeze is also a very unique aspect of community life in Nha Trang.
 |
In Nha Trang, people eat at a leisurely pace. Most restaurants aren't fancy, but they're clean. The vendors speak softly, asking questions warmly. Eating a meal feels like being cared for, like meeting an old acquaintance. When they see foreigners or people from afar, they often warmly introduce themselves, ask if they need help, and even give directions… The people of Nha Trang have remained the same since I was born; nothing has changed. It's wonderful!
Walking around Nha Trang, I also saw many handicrafts, affordable and carrying a part of the local culture. Items made from seashells, handmade sand paintings... when you hold them, you can feel the touch of the people of Nha Trang in them.
 |
| Beautiful sunshine, blue sea, gentle nature, and a moderate pace of life are what make anyone who visits Nha Trang fall in love with it. |
I remember visiting Lotte Mart the other day. The elderly security guard, who couldn't speak English, enthusiastically showed my American friends Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) ao dai (traditional dress). He took pictures, explained things, mostly using gestures, but everyone understood. My American friends said that life here might still be very difficult economically , but the people are cheerful, warm, and friendly, even after the recent historic flood.
After the devastating floods in Khanh Hoa in November 2025, I appreciate everyday life here even more. Nature can be harsh at times, but the people remain the same. They still work diligently and treat each other with warmth.
Nha Trang doesn't need to try to be as glamorous as Miami. Nha Trang is just itself: beautiful beaches, delicious food, affordable prices, and friendly people. That's enough.
There's an elderly Vietnamese expatriate in Southern California who, in his youth, was deeply in love with a girl from Nha Trang, but due to historical events, they couldn't be together. Every time I visit, he asks, "Please eat a bowl of Nha Trang fish noodle soup for me." He says he misses that taste from his youth, the gentleness of a Nha Trang girl, and the salty taste of the sea. The sweet and salty flavor of that Nha Trang fish noodle soup, which he still hasn't forgotten even now, at over 70 years old and after more than 50 years abroad.
There are memories that cannot be named, a single melody is enough to make the heart sink. Composer Thanh Tung, a son of the coastal city, once wrote lines that, every time I sing them, bring Nha Trang closer to me: “Once we met on the seaside street / Once we felt like we knew each other / But then we made no appointment / Yet why did you come to visit me? / The road to my house is a small street / The leaves rustle and sing in the trees / My door is slightly ajar / To listen to the waves singing enchantingly…”
For me, simply returning, walking along the old roads, seeing the sunshine, the trees, and catching glimpses of white ao dai dresses fluttering in the sea breeze on sunny afternoons after school, brings back a whole period of my youth. Perhaps that's why everyone who comes to Nha Trang falls in love with it.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Bich Ngoc (New York City)
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/bao-xuan-2026/202602/yeu-nha-trang-2ca0623/
Comment (0)