Most members of the Snake Platoon remember Qui Nhon (also Quy Nhon) as the junction of QL19 and QL1, the place to turn when driving between Nha Trang and Pleiku or Kontum. A few, though, worked missions there or stayed overnight to hook up with a convoy to the Central Highlands the next morning. One pair arrived in Qui Nhon from Nha Trang mid-day and had been told to wait on and join a convoy the next morning. They looked around and saw nothing to hold them there, so they proceeded to Pleiku on their own. The only negative result was the butt-chewing they received when they returned to Nha Trang.
Qui Nhon is a coastal city of about 300,000, founded by the Chams in the 11th century, and home to Portuguese Jesuits in the 1620s. In the 1960s and early ‘70s, Qui Nhon was a major supply depot for the US, where ships would offload and the materiel would be disbursed westward to the highlands via QL19. Historically, the city’s economy has been mostly dependent on agriculture and fisheries. More recently, the interest has shifted to service industries, tourism, and manufacturing. The Vietnamese government lists Qui Nhon as one of the three commercial and tourism centers of the central southern coastal region, along with Nha Trang and Danang.
Agriculture is still important in the region, which grows cereals, vegetables, sugar cane, coconuts, peanuts and cashews. The 26 miles of coastline still assures an abundance of fresh seafood. The Phu Tai Industrial Park, on the west of the city, is a major international supplier of wooden garden furniture, using lumber gathered from the forests in Binh Dinh, Gia Lai and Kontum Provinces, as well as Cambodia, and chemicals from local producers. Other industry in Qui Nhon includes processing agricultural and aquatic products, production of building materials and paper, and of course seaport services. There is also a pharmaceutical company located here.
Qui Nhon is known for several locally popular foods, such as Banh xeo tom nhay (jumping shrimps fried pancake), Banh hoi chao long (actually two dishes – rice cakes and pig’s organs porridge), Bun cha ca (fish-cake rice vermicelli), and Cha ram tom dat (shrimp spring roll). Some of these may be an ‘acquired taste,’ like nuoc mam or Ba Muoi Ba.
The information found about the various cities in Vietnam indicates an overall interest in higher education, with most of the larger cities containing multiple universities. Qui Nhon is no exception, having two of them. If what has been found about the other cities is an indication, the programs available at Qui Nhon’s universities are probably focused on the needs of the local economy – agriculture and forestry, marine science, engineering, and chemistry for instance.
Qui Nhon is described as being tranquil and relaxed but very much alive. Its grand boulevards, litter-free streets and seaside appeal make it attractive to retiring affluent Vietnamese couples. Unlike other Vietnamese coastal cities, its beaches are not overly developed, and there is no carnival- or spring break-like atmosphere. In fact, the beaches are typically empty during the day, as the locals prefer to go there at night to avoid the blistering sun.
The city is slowly shedding its reputation as being too peaceful. There is a busy market place and a thriving café culture. A lot of recently opened cafes and bars have begun to give Qui Nhon more of a cosmopolitan feeling. And, of course, seafood restaurants are plentiful.
Some of the beaches have seen a little development. The Nhon Hai beach is in a fishing village with no development other than the Nhon Hai Hostel. There is nothing to do here except lie around in a hammock with a book, kayak around the bay, or go snorkeling. The hostel provides the hammocks, kayaks and snorkels. The locals told the man who opened this hostel that he was throwing his money away, but it has become a very popular place to hang out. There are no ATMs or western food and amenities at this beach.
About 20 minutes south of the city is Bai Xep beach and the Life’s a Beach Hostel. It is very popular with those in their 20s, especially those who like to party until 2 in the morning. There are basic dormitories, bamboo huts and a lively bar. Life’s a Beach also organizes afternoon boat trips with fishing, following a cookout on a secluded beach. There are other choices for accommodations here, including another hostel, guest houses and B&Bs.
Ky Co beach is a park with no overnight accommodations. The beach itself is surrounded by cliffs, and the water gets too choppy for swimming. It does have some restaurants, and the beach itself is spacious and clean. Most of the beach-goers here are locals.
And there is the Qui Nhon city beach, which is clean and substantially free of the development seen in other coastal cities. There are also bars along the nearby promenade which are said to get fairly lively after dark.
This area is believed to be where the Chams, primarily a Hindu people, first settled upon arriving on mainland Southeast Asia. Nearby Vijaya was founded by the Chams in the 10th century and was the capital of the Kingdom of Champa until it was conquered by Vietnamese invaders in 1471. Vijaya’s 500-year rule was plagued by wars with the Khmers and Angkors from the west (12th and 13th centuries) and the Vietnamese from the north (notably 1069, 1377 and 1471). In 1471, the Dai Viet finally conquered the Kingdom of Champa. The Chams are now one of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups and are concentrated in the Mekong Delta region. They left behind around Qui Nhon many towers, temples and a citadel which still stand. The large river in the area assured fertile soils for agriculture and a larger concentration of people than elsewhere throughout Champa. Hence, they built more temples and towers in this area.
