Vinh

Overview

Vinh, Northern Vietnam

Vinh, known as the capital of Nghe An province, is not much of a tourist site. However, the city holds a long history, and during the Tay Son dynasty (1788-1802), was considered a potential capital of Vietnam. Originally known as Ke Van, Vinh have...

Description

Vinh, known as the capital of Nghe An province, is not much of a tourist site. However, the city holds a long history, and during the Tay Son dynasty (1788-1802), was considered a potential capital of Vietnam. Originally known as Ke Van, Vinh have had several other names. At some time, it was called Ke Vinh, which later became Vinh Thi. Eventually, Vinh became the city’s official name. Although greatly damaged and destroyed during the wars, the city remained politically significant. Places of interest • Ancient Citadel: The Citadel of Vinh has a long history and has witnessed many important events. It was originally built of earth in 1804 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long. Its construction was completed in 1831 under Minh Mang’s reign, in which the structure was additionally covered with stone. The citadel consists of 6 main areas and has a total size of 420.000m2. Its wall is 2.412m in length, 4.42m in height and is surrounded with moat 28m in width and 32m in depth. It can be accesses through the structure’s 3 entrances; from the front (cua tien), left (cua ta) and from the right (cua huu). Inside, a number of buildings used to exist, which among the biggest is Hanh Cung (Royal step-over place), along with other interesting places, Tong Doc, Bo Chanh, An Sat and Doc Hoc. History and destruction from the wars brought about many changes, leaving almost nothing from the architectures, and only the remaining 3 gates and surrounding pond could be visited. The province, though, is planning to recover the remains and transform it to a cultural park. • Dung Quyet Mountain and Quang Trung Temple: The Dung Quyet Mountain, located on the edge of Vinh, is a scenic destination. The mountain can be climbed or accessed by motor bicycles or four-wheeled vehicles. The whole of Vinh, which is an amazing landscape scenery, can be viewed by visitors from atop. Around the top of the mountain itself are small cafes, restaurants, trails and hotels. This site is now an attractive touristic destination of the Nghe region. A temple dedicated to King Quang Trung was built on the second highest peak of the Dung Quyet Mountain. The temple is situated on the place chosen by King Quang Trung where Phuong Hoang Trung Do capital is to be constructed, replacing Phu Xuan capital in 1788. The area hosts several buildings, including an ancestor worshipping house, a shrine house and two impressive wings. • Hong Son Temple: This temple lies next to Vinh market and is well-known as a national treasure with a number of historical-cultural sites. Built during the Nguyen dynasty, it holds a valuable collection of statues. The temple has 3 grand annual ceremonies: the Holy mother Lieu Hanh's death anniversary (03/03 lunar month), King Hungs' death anniversary (10/03 lunar month) and Tran Hung Dao's death anniversary (20/08 lunar month). Many people come to this place to worship and ask for health, happiness and prosperity. • Can Linh Pagoda (Su Nu Pagoda): This Pagoda is one of the most famous temples in the Nghe An province. Dedicated to Shakyamuni Buddha, it is recognized as a national heritage site. Next to Vinh, there are a number of touristic spots, though mostly still in the development phase. Cua Lo Beach (about 20km), Ho Chi Minh’s birthplace (20km), Tomb of the poet Nguyen Du (15 km) and Bai Lu resort (15km) are just among the many. Vinh: getting around and transportation • Air: Getting to and from Vinh Airport (which is located 5km north of the city center), Vietnam Airlines (office 2 Le Hong Phong Street, Tel. 038 3584 777) and Jetstar Pacific offer several flights to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) on a daily basis. • Bus: There are mainly 3 bus lines in Vinh, all originating from Ben Thuy. • Train: Vinh station is one of the biggest along the route of the Reunification Train (Thong Nhat). There are also regional trains travelling to the Northern Region (NA1, NA2) and the Central Region (VQ1, VQ2).