The club of the world’s most beautiful bays was founded in March, 1997 in Berlin, Germany with the purpose of preserving marine ecology as well as developing steadily tourism in bays...
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| Nha Trang Bay. |
The club of the world’s most beautiful bays was founded in March, 1997 in Berlin, Germany with the purpose of preserving marine ecology as well as developing steadily tourism in bays. At the 2nd conference held in Tadousac (Quebec, Canada) from the 1st to the 8th of June, Nha Trang Bay was recognized as the 29th member and the 2nd Asian member of the club (after Ha Long Bay).
A century ago, Nha Trang City used to be a deserted beach with a fishing village with some thatched houses in Con Hamlet. The only white two-storey building is the working place of Dr. Alexandre Yersin (Ong Nam Building).
Those who come here by sea will catch first sight of the white building. The name Nha Trang is a Vietnamese variant of nha trang that means white house. It is one of the interpretations for the name Nha Trang of those who admire Dr. Yersin, a special citizen of the city. However, according to studies, a long time ago, the banks of the Cai River that runs through the Cu Huan Estuary were densely covered with reeds. Lau means reed in Vietnamese and thus, this river was called Lau River (Yjatran or Ea Tran in Cham language), which by the time gradually turned into Nha Trang. The name of the river was first used for the land and then for the whole bay which embraces the land and adds to its breath-taking beauty.
Covered by 19 islands and islets with an area of approximately 500km2, Nha Trang Bay is rarely too windy with high waves. Cai River Estuary runs through between the two crescent-shaped beaches with a stretch of fine white sand for 6 or 7km. In the tropical sunlight, the azure blue of heaving mountain sides, islands and islets together with the deep blue of the sea water adds to the charm and attraction of the long stretch of smooth sand and white waves gently tapping day and night.
Nha Trang Bay owns nearly 10 saganlane’s islands. Salangane’s nests bring a great profit to Khanh Hoa Province every year. Beneath Nha Trang Bay is another fantastic realm of 350 kinds of coral reefs, 190 fishes, molluscs, crustaceans, sea-grass… In December, 2000 Hon Mun Marine Protected Area (MPA) Project in Nha Trang Bay- the first marine sanctuary in Vietnam was approved by The Prime Minister. Those who have ever set foot on Nha Trang can hardly miss The Ponagar Temples located on the northern River Cai Estuary, a typical vestige of Cham architecture with Celestial Goddess Ana (Mother of the land), a sacred place of worship. A few hundred meters from the Ponagar Temple is Hon Chong, including 2 massive groups of rocks in strange shapes. The group lying ashore is Hon Chong, the Husband and the other far in the water is Hon Vo, the Wife. According to a legend, once upon a time, a giant happened to pass by this region; he by chance noticed a group of beautiful fairies who were bathing. Deep in rapture before the sight, he suddenly slipped over a stone and fell into the water. Trying to cling to the mountain, he made a huge piece of rock fall down. That is the birth of the present Hon Chong. On an enormous rock is still the deep imprint of a giant five-fingered hand. Taking Tran Phu St. to the south, tourists can visit Bao Dai Villa, Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography where we can see thousands of marine creatures, alive or in specimens. Cau Da Port is the departure place for sea-island tours: Hon Mun, Hon Mieu, Hon Tam, Tri Nguyen Water Palace… with very clean beaches, crystal blue water and calm waves. Adventurers can indulge themselves in diving, enjoying the view of coral reefs, going parachuting, jet skiing…In a fishing village (Hon Mieu), groupers, lobsters…of all kinds are available in many coops for tourists to choose for the meals. Just after 90 minutes, from Cau Da Port, tourists will be shipped to Hon Noi, up to Vong Hai Dai on the Du Ha Peak to enjoy the vast view of fascinating scenery and a majestic world of coral reefs and exotic fish on a glass bottom ship. Especially, tourists can have a chance to see a film about the exploitation of salangane’s nests and have a tour of the salangane’s cave in Hon Sam seeing salangane’s nests with your own eyes... Nha Trang City, like a charming and graceful girl, is loved at the first sight. The more we see, the more attractive and fresher it is. Perhaps, that is the reason why Dr. Yersin was attached himself to Nha Trang for over 50 years. In his last breath, he told his colleagues: “Keep my body in Nha Trang City and don’t let anyone take me away.”
On a visit to Khanh Hoa, Secretary General Nong Duc Manh asked the provincial leading bodies to pay great attention to keeping the beauty of the Nha Trang Beach. Any construction along the both sides of Tran Phu St. must strictly follow the schemes in order not to destroy its romantic natural Asian beauty. Nha Trang Bay is less attractive if Tran Phu St. is not beautiful and the River Cai is not kept clean. His instruction is also the hope of those who love Nha Trang- a basket of fine flowers by the East Sea.
N.T
(Tien Phong)
