Playing in the waves on Sam Son Beach at sunrise

Sam Son – A romantic beach 

With a coastline of 6km from Lach Hoi Sea-mouth to the foot of Truong Le Mountain, Sam Son boasts lightly sloping beaches with big waves, which is very suitable for summer vacations.

Under the French domination, Sam Son was a famous vocational resort in the Indochina. Many years later, a series of resort villas were built there and Bao Dai, the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty, also ordered the construction of his residence in the area.

At present, the local authorities have invested hundreds of billions of dong in building infrastructure. Many enterprises and individuals have also poured in capital to restore, upgrade and build resorts and hotels for tourists. A series of services, hotels and restaurants on a large scale have been put into operation this summer that will lead to a sharp increase of tourists to the beach.

Sam Son attracts tourists with its charm all day. At sunrise,  tourists are strongly impressed by the breathtaking scenery formed by a miraculous change of colours of sunlight, from light red to bright yellow, which spreads over the sea.

In the afternoon, the atmosphere is like a festival. The 6km long beach becomes more crowded with tourists. Hundreds of plastic colourful weathercocks are arranged into different shapes and  several sand castles are built on the beach while kites of different sizes are flying in the blue and clear sky.

It is a wonderful time for tourists to enjoy the exciting   atmosphere,  swim in the cool sea and play in the big waves.

Offering rites in Doc Cuoc Temple

A destination of spiritual tourism

During the trip to discover the Thanh area, tourists will visit “Vong Phu” Mountain which is related to a local legend about a woman carrying her child to the mountain peak to wait for her husband’s return from the sea until she turned into a stone. Her tears become the Truong Le Mountain Range. Therefore, on this mountain range there is a system of temples, pagodas and relics showing the religion and spiritual culture of local fishermen. One of the relicts is the sacred temple of Doc Cuoc. Legend has it that there was a strong man who divided his body into two parts, one with locals going to the sea to catch fish and kill sea monsters and the other standing at the beginning of the Truong Le Mountain Range. To commemorate the man, the locals built Doc Cuoc Temple. 

Every year,  the residents hold their festival, Day Cake and Chung Cake, on May 11-13 according to the lunar calendar to pray to Doc Cuoc Genie for good weather and a bumper crop. The festival falls during the tourist season so it has become a spiritual tourist product of the locality.

On the road through the Truong Le Mountain Range, tourists can stop at Trong-Mai Mountain, Co Tien Temple and To Hien Thanh Temple to behold beautiful stone grounds in unique shapes and enjoy the cool winds from the sea.

Going to the sea using bamboo rafts

In March 1993, explorer Tim Severin from Ireland arrived in Sam Son to learn about going to the sea using rafts. He and the locals built a large raft to take  a trip across the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, the trade of making rafts in Sam Son has been well known worldwide. It now is still practiced by the locals. To make a raft, it is necessary to select fresh Luong and Buong trees in mountainous area of the Thanh  which then undergo some stages before being woven together as a means of transport on the sea.

Visiting the land, tourists will not only have a wonderful vacation in the beautiful coastal city but also have a chance to learn about the culture and spiritual life of the locals.