Quy Nhon
 
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Saigon 2020
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© John Holstein 2020
 
Quy Nhon is developing fast on its outskirts; and it is investing in tourism along the shore, but the tourists don't seem to be coming. The core of the city is aging gracefully, without the garish trappings and kiitsch of speedy growth, so it's excellent for exploring on foot.
 
 
 
 
 
Let's start with an iconic theme for Vietnam--the beach. I visited during high season for tourism, when the pandemic was still in the future--but no foreign tourists. (In the week that I stayed in Quy Nhon I saw only a couple Westerners.) The city is investing in tourism development, with a new park that extends from one end of the miles-long beach to the other, but there are almost no trees to shelter visitors from the very hot sun that Quy Nhon has such a big supply of.
 
 
 
 
 
This is what first drew me to Quy Nhon. Surrounding Binh Dinh Province has many temple remains from Champa civilization (2nd-19th centuries). Dual-tower Thap Doi is at the northern edge of the city, and a few others dot the surrounding countryside. (Interesting: it's thap in Vietnamese and tap is also the Korean word for a tower like this; they both come from the Chinese character for tower, pronounced ta. ) More views here.
 
 
 
 
 
These fine chaps are a couple of the people who endeared Quy Nhon to me. They fixed my laptop for free!
 
 
 
 
 
And there was Hung, my Couchsurfing buddy, who helped me get to know Quy Nhon a lot better than if I had been on my own. He works in Quy Nhon but his home is in Hue. The ladies are his friend and her mother.
 
 
 
 
 
I ran out of the dried apricots that I had purchased a month before in Bangkok, and paid a visit to the very extensive main market in Quy Nhon.
 
 
 
Quy Nhon harbor seemed pretty sleepy during my exploration, but maybe that's because the fishing fleet is in and the people manning the boats are resting now. I did not see much industry in or around the city, so I am at a loss to explain the container ships. You can see more photos of the harbor here.
 
 

 
This Buddhist monk is chanting, and the family is praying along with him. I asked friend Hung what they were doing; he answered that they could be praying for any sort of reason.
 
 
 
 
 
This gentleman rented me a really great bike that enabled me to explore the whole city at ease. The bike had just one gear, but it felt like an engine was pushing it.
 
 
 
 
 
A humongous reclining Buddha in the middle of the countryside.
 
 
 
 
 
A common sight as you zip through the countryside: tombs in the middle of rice paddies...
 
 
 
 
 
...and family ancestral shrines.
 
 
 
 
 
Of Quang Trung Museum, Lonely Planet says, "This museum is built on the site of the Tay Son brothers’ house and encompasses an ancient tamarind tree said to have been planted by the brothers. Displays include statues, costumes, documents and artefacts from the 18th century, most of them labelled in English. Especially notable are the elephant-skin battle drums and gongs from the Bahnar tribe. Demonstrations of vo binh dinh, a traditional martial art performed with bamboo sticks, are also performed here. It's 43km northwest of Quy Nhon." (The three Tay Son brothers were peasants who, in 1771, revolted against and actually managed to overthrow the Trinh dynasty to help the poor against their rich oppressors.)
 
 
 
 
Chua Thien Hung. A modern Buddhist temple endowed by Vietnam's King Croesus, whoever that may be. Like in the Khai Doan Pagoda in Buon Me Thuot, everything is exquisitely crafted. But the grounds are much more extensive than Khai Doan's. This temple is about 30 km north of Quy Nhon. I was surprised to find only one English-language site--Trip Advisor--that introduces this place, most likely because it is so new. Even the several Vietnamese language sites that I visited offer no substantial information. You can explore the compound here.
 
 
 
 
 
Thap Duong Long, north of Quy Nhon
 
 
 
 
 
A village north of Quy Nhon
 
 
 
 
 
One of the many pleasant lanes in Quy Nhon's city center.
 
 
 
 
 
Peek-a-boo! Ambitious little kids studying late into the night.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In their bare feet.
 
 
 
 
 
Chua Long Khanh, in the center of Quy Nhon. This temple is touted as a main tourist site, but there's not much to it other than a long history--and maybe it's tower.
 
 
 
 
 
In the front yard of Chua Long Khanh
 
 
 
 
 

Chua Long Khanh's sacred rubbish pile under the Bo tree.
 
 
 
 
 
Getting time to turn in. Have to get an early morning start on the road to Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow.
 
 
 
 
 
Ugh, these sleeper buses are claustrophobic to Western 6-footers like myself.
 
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