The pristine beauty of Vinh Thanh beach amazes many people. Photo: NGUYEN PHONG
If you don't believe it, go to Vinh Thanh (Phu Vang district) for once and try it out. This beach has been invested to become a destination like Thuan An Beach. However, for more than 10 years, Vinh Thanh still has its pristine beauty, which makes many people like me feel excited. Just imagine, with a few soul mates with the same interests, going to Vinh Thanh at the weekend from dawn to night, we will have a day full of different nuances of emotions.
In front of our eyes at dawn or at sunset are fishing boats moored on the sand. On sunny summer days, after lunch, after a little rest, Vinh Thanh fishermen go out to sea.
As they go inshore fishing, they just need simple equipment, just a basket boat, boat, net, bait, some food, water... and, next morning they would return with plenty of shrimp, fish, squid. Such a great moment to… take pictures.
That is also the time when we can meet and talk with the fishermen with tanned skin, an authentic Hue accent, gentle, sincere and very hospitable attitude. What always interests tourists is to get to choose fresh squid and iridescent crabs from a fishing boat that has just reached the shore so that they can ask restaurants or local people to turn them into fresh and delicious dishes.
The Target fish - a specialty. Photo: DN
What is remarkable and attractive in Vinh Thanh as well as many other coastal areas in Thua Thien Hue are the seafood dishes. Suddenly, I found the taste of daily rustic delicacies made by my mother here when enjoying dishes made from all kinds of scads, flying fish, target fish...
My favorite dishes are grilled flying fish and steamed squid with ginger. While the grilled flying fish is firm, with natural sweetness, reminding me of mom’s pot of braised fish in the countryside that, when eating, the steamed squid with ginger is a bit expensive, but the meat is soft and sweet, especially the belly full of greasy eggs, come on, you can’t miss it!
Like most other beaches in the Central region, Vinh Thanh is always full of sunshine with blue sky and white clouds, and whispering waves. The long stretch of white sand beach, blue water… is undoubtedly the ideal place to swim. Right on the shore are fancy thatched roofs so that you and your family can sit and relax after moments of playing with the waves.
Staying a little longer at Vinh Thanh beach, we will have more interesting discoveries. Right in Vinh Thanh (together with Vinh An), the luxury tourism project Hue Amusement and Beach Park of the Spanish PSH Group is under construction; and, also here (together with Vinh Xuan) is the FLC Hue high-class resort, entertainment and eco-tourism complex project being implemented. That is also the reason why we get more and more excited, hoping to "escape" to Vinh Thanh on the weekend to swim, relax and explore.
To "escape" to Vinh Thanh will be difficult if you go from Hue to Thuan An, then along Highway 49B. It's far and far away... The road is winding and crowded. I say that as I want to invite you to Vinh Thanh by going along Provincial Road 10D, from the intersection of Hue Bypass, through rural fields and bridges over Dai Giang and Thuy Tu, those roads are asphaltic-paved and smooth.
For the first time you have to look for it, as the beach is not only far from the main road or the center of the market town, but also deep in the poplar forest against the sand. The fork from Provincial Road 10D is a concrete road under the casuarina forest with signposts, making us both suspicious and excited.
However, during this complicated situation of the pandemic, it is not advisable to invite others to Vinh Thanh for a "hideaway" when the gathering is a potential risk of spreading Covid-19 disease. Let wait until the peaceful normal time returns.
By DAN DUY