Phu Yen

Phu Yen is naturally endowed with a nearly 200km coastline and a great many gulfs, lagoons, beaches and islets. The province also has rivers, mountains, lakes, hot spa areas and valuable tangible and intangible cultural heritage sites. These are ideal conditions for the province’s tourism industry to take off. Coming to the province, visitors will have a chance to get close to nature and discover the distinctive culture of the people of Phu Yen.

Phu Yen is a coastal province in southern Central Vietnam, located in the area of 12042’36” to 13042’28” degrees North and 108040’40” to 109027’47” degrees East, facing Binh Dinh province in the North, Khanh hoa province in the south, Daklak and Gia Lai provinces in the west and the South China Sea in the east.

Phu Yen has the natural area of 5,045 km2, a population of 817.200 (in 2001). Its terrain can be divided into two major parts: the western part is the area of mountains and highland plains, the eastern part is the plain and coastal area. The climate is affected by the hot and humid tropical monsoon, with two clear-cut seasons: the rainy and the dry, the average temperature is about 27 degrees Centigrade. Forests take up two-third of the province’s total area.

Phu Yen coastline is 189 kilometres long, many mountain ranges extending near to the sea have created a lot of lagoons, bays with picturesque backdrops like Cu Mong lagoon, Xuan Dai bay, Vung Lam bay (Song Cau district); OLoan lagoon, Da Dia reef (Tuy An district); Vung Ro bay (Tuy Hoa district), there are many small islands near the seashore such as the islands of Nhat Tu Son, Hon Chua, Hon Lao Mai Nha, Hon Dua, Hon Nua . . . especially Mui Dien cape (Dai Lanh cape), with the Light-house, the point of land in the extreme east of the Vietnam’s mainland. Along the coastline, there are many beautiful, isolated and pure beaches such as the beaches of Bai Tien, Bai Xep, Bai Nom, Bai Bang, Bai Tu Nham, Long Thuy; there are many famous rocky reefs like: Da Dia (Rocky Dish) Reef, Ganh Do (Red) Reef, Ganh Dua (Watermelon) Reef, Ganh Yen (Birdnest) Reef.

The natural potential of the sea and islands together with the highland’s mountains and forests and plains will create many great opportunities to develop the ecological tourism in Phu Yen. The Krong Trai Natural Reserve with with an abundant ecosystem of animals and plants , the North Deo Ca Restricted Forest connecting to Da Bia mountain at the elevation of 706 metres and Vung Ro bay is the seaport of the Numberless Ships in the Vietnam War against the U.S imperialists which has now become the National Level Historic Vestige. The Reservoirs of Song Hinh and future Song Ba Ha Hydro-Power Plants with the deep forests and mountains around them will be ideal ecological tourist places. The mines of mineral water in Phu Sen belonging to Phu Hoa district; Triem Duc and Tra O belonging to Dong Xuan district can be invested into relaxation, medical baths services for local people and tourists.

The advantages of forests and sea have supplied to Phu Yen a rather abundant source of foods, special dishes like tuna fish (a favourate dish of many Asian countries), shrimps stewed in coconut juice, O Loan bloody shells, Song Cau jumping oysters, Huynh De crabs, Cu Mong Lagoon crabs, Song Cau grilled chicken, Son Hoa dried beef, goby fish boiled with fishsauce in clay-jars, bass fish salads, Tuy An Hemiculter Leucisculus fish salads . . .

Beside the diverse, distinguished natural resources, Phu Yen also has an old aged history and a rich source of human literature of traditional cultural values, distinct features of culural activities of a community consisting nearly 30 ethnic tribes: Viet, Bana, Ede, Cham H’roi, Tay, Nung, Dao, Hoa, Hre, Mnong, Raglai . . . animatedly manifested through festivals and ceremonies: fish – praying ceremonies, O Loan Lagoon Boat-racing festivals by the coastal inhabitants, the buffalo – piercing festivals, grave-leaving ceremony, the new-rice celebrations . . . by the mountainous ethnic minorities and many origional ethnic musical instruments like stone musical instruments, stone bugles, “goong” musical instruments, double drums, goongs, flutes . . . and many relics of history, culture, architecture, beautyspots in which there are 10 relics classified as National Level which is a valuable resource for tourist activities.

Phu Yen is located on the National Highway 1A and the North – South Railroad, with the National Road N025, the Inter-provincial Road DT 645 connecting Phu Yen to the Highland provinces, The National Highway connecting Qui Nhon city and Song Cau district, with Tuy Hoa airport and Vung Ro seaport located adjacent to the General Tourist Resort of Van Phong – Dai Lanh. Those are the favourable conditions to invest and develop Phu Yen Tourism belonging to the Tourist Route of Central Vietnam and the southern Central Vietnam linking to Highlands.

Source: phuyentourism.gov.vn