Coming to Xuan Dai, you will see a beautiful landscape with mountains and blue water:  the ocean, a green coconut and casuarinas forest, high mountains and a deep blue sky. Peaceful hamlets are blanketed under the palm forest, while white sand-banks merge with reefs. Sailing in Xuan Dai bay, you get a view of ranges of identically high mountains to the West, and towards the East are the Tu Nham dunes with green hills on Xuan Thinh peninsula which runs like a white ribbon to adorn the natural scenery.

Charming and interesting scenery

Located between the districts of Tuy An and Song Cau in the northeast of Phu Yen Province, and about 45 kilometers from Tuy Hoa City in the north, Xuan Dai Bay is home to about 8400 ha of water surface. It has a temperate climate with an annual average temperature of 26.5⁰C. On National road 1A passing Gang slope, from a distance travelers can enjoy almost a panoramic view of Xuan Dai Bay looking out at several mountains stretching out to the water where small pools are formed: Lam, Mam, Dong, Su, Chua, Me, and La.

 
Xuan Dai Bay is really a complex of original landscapes in Phu Yen Province. It is blocked by Taramind Mountain at the shore where the mountain's foot has been weathered by wind and waves into big flat rock-beds. Among them is Den (Lighthouse) Reef which has been formed by light pink rocks stacked into small caves. The reef has a vertical slope where the waves crash creating dazzling white foam. Under the water's surface, dense seaweed rises like a velvet carpet intermittently moving with the waves. The lighthouse located on the Den Reef guiding boats in and out of the bay.    

Tien Chau port is on the west of Tamarind Mountain where Cai River discharges into Xuan Dai Bay. During the reign of Nguyen, Tien Chau was a seaport and naval base. Tien Chau seashore village is one of the oldest villages in Phu Yen. Today, it still retains some titles conferred by the Minh Mang, Tu Duc and Dong Khanh reigns.

Towards the East of Tien Chau port, Binh Sa plain is located right in the middle of Xuan Dai Bay and next to Binh Ba River. Binh Sa plain is covered with green casuarinas which rustle in the sea-breeze throughout the year. At the bottom of the mountains, there are reefs combining with small sand-banks. A large pink-white reef, called Red Reef (Ganh Do), comes into view at the bottom of Cam Mountain. There the plains of Lo Tra, Than, Nhau, and Bang lie at the foot of Hon Bo and Mu U Mountain. Although these plains are not so big and are rather isolated, the fine white sand between the big reefs makes it a very impressive place to visit.

If you would like to delve into the locals' lives while you are there, it’s recommended that you visit the fishing villages in the Bay. From Red Reef to Cay Sung Reef, spreads An Thanh Village, where houses sit close together. The traditional fish sauce trade village here is quite famous in Vietnam. Up north, next to Lam pool, Tan Thanh Hamlet is covered with a green coconut forest, and the stretch of road from Cay Sung to the cape of Stork Neck (belonging to Song Cau administration centre and Xuan Phuong Village) is curved around the coast. There are also several populated residential areas around here including Song Cau Town.      

In the North of Xuan Dai bay, there has long existed a salt field called Trung Trinh- Le Uyen. The pass of Van Luong is nearby. It is said that the road was used to transport rations during the battle of Tay Son and Nguyen Anh at Xuan Dai bay and Cu Mong lagoon at the end of the 18th century. The road from Van Luong pass to La pool goes along the Bay’s bank then comes to the high pass between the two mountains of Hon Tac and Hai Phu. Standing on the Pass peak, you come into view of a big sea area in the South-East of Xuan Dai bay. From the cape of Stork Neck to Cot Co Mountain (in Xuan Phuong village), by the Bay gate, are several mountain jaws stretching out over the water's surface. Trees are here verdant year round and sometimes you can find waterfalls falling into small fresh water wells. An ideal place for a picnic is at the East bank of Xuan Dai Bay.

A forgotten historical vestige

Looking backwards into history, Xuan Dai Bay formerly known as “Ba Dai” (Ms Dai) was for a long time an administrative centre of ancient Phu Yen. As history documents, “... in 1629, the governmental center of Phu Yen was Hoi Phu, built at Tien Chau port. The citadel existed up to 1836, then moved to An Tho, 2km away from the old citadel in the west. By the end of the 19th century, after setting up the protectorate over Trung Ky area (the Center of Vietnam), France placed their Embassy right in Vung Lam in 1887, and also placed the Trade Department for controlling trade there.”

Vung Lam, located in Xuan Dai Bay and once serving as the first-class commercial port of Phu Yen, was a commercial gateway between Phu Yen and abroad. In the late 18th century to the early 19th century, a Chinese community immigrated to Vung Lam. Their business has made Vung Lam more bustling.

      
Xuan Dai Bay is a place that was involved historically in several events in Phu Yen and relating to Vietnam in general. Throughout the war period of the Tay Son and Nguyen Lords, Xuan Dai Bay became the battlefield of big maritime wars.

Xuan Dai Bay was also where the first foreign affairs took place between Vietnam and the US. “In 1832, the US diplomacy delegation of Edmund Robert and George Thompson brought the letter of President Andrew Jackson to Vung Lam. Officials Nguyen Tri Phuong and Ly Van Phuc assigned by Minh Mang King together with Phu Yen officials came onto the boat for a banquet and asked about the purpose of the delegation’s visit. The US delegation advised that their aim was to participate in friendly commercial exchanges”

In April, 1945, vessels of the Japanese Lords’ forces entered Xuan Dai Bay to attack and occupy a position of disembarkation to head inland. However, the vessels were sunk in the Bay by the Union aircrafts. The hull was sunk deep in the water, with the flagpole and observatory still visible. These vestiges remained in Xuan Dai Bay until the late 80s and early 90s of last century.         

           
Xuan Dai Bay once held a regional strategic place in history but has since been forgotten about. These days, Xuan Dai Bay is turning into an exciting tourism destination. Xuan Dai Bay combined with the landscapes along Phu Yen seashore such as Da Dia Reef, O Loan Lagoon and Cu Mong Lagoon, form a complex system of original sights. There are attractions for tourists at every turn in Phu Yen.

Further information:

Xuan Dai Bay is between Song Cau and Tuy An districts, located in the north-east of Phu Yen province. Heading from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, you can follow National Highway 1A about 45km from Tuy Hoa town heading north, before arriving at Gang slope. Suddenly Xuan Dai Bay will come into view. Tuy Hoa is 561km away from HCMC. 

Some other landscapes in Xuan Dai Bay

-          Hon Yen is located next to the bay gate. Its total area is around 4ha, where big rocks stand vertically and where many swallows make their nests.

-          Ong Xa Island: its area of 10ha is opposite Red Reef. It is 200m off-shore. The East of Ong Xa Island looks like vertical jaws and its North has a white long sandy expanse. Ong Xa Island stands like a fort in front of Vung Lam.

-    Nhat Tu Son Island: its appearance looks like the character â€œNhat” in Han script, therefore, it is named Nhat Tu Son. Nhat Tu Son is the most beautiful island in Xuan Dai Bay. The island's total land area is 6ha and it is located 300m from the shore. When the tide is out, you can wade from the shore to the island. The island is covered in a green verdant forest made up of an abundance of ancient trees. Surrounding the island are many ideal places for excursions and fishing tours. In the north of the island, reefs stack up as steps; near the water's edge, rocks rise up through the surface and form small water clefts. At present, Nhat Tu Son Island and its surrounding area is being invested in and preserved as an ecological tourist site.