Quang Ngai province has enhanced its efforts to become a tourist destination with diverse attractions, making sea and island tourism the spearhead, cultural tourism the focus, and ecotourism the foundation for sustainable tourism development.
The Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers (Photo: VOV)
Ly Son island district has always been a popular place in Quang Ngai. In addition to the natural scenery of sea and islands and majestic extinct volcanoes, visitors will discover the unique cultural treasure that the islanders have upheld for hundreds of years, such as the festival of praying for fish, racing boats of four sacred animals, and the Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers.
Le Van Ninh, Vice Chairman of Ly Son district’s People’s Committee, said the district will organize an exhibition of hundreds of historic items and documents proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over the islands in the East Sea.
“The exhibition presents the culture and people of Ly Son island, as well as historic evidence of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, to Vietnamese and foreign tourists.”
Another popular place in Ly Son is Sa Huynh in Duc Pho town, which has a long coastline with beautiful beaches, golden sand dunes, and vast white salt fields where tourists can experience the rustic life of the local residents and eat fresh seafood.
Boat tour in An Khe lagoon in Sa Huynh (Photo: VOV)
The natural landscapes of Sa Huynh include the Sa Huynh and Kim Bong capes, the Dung and Chau Me hills, and An Khe lagoon – the largest saltwater lagoon in Quang Ngai province.
As this place was part of the Sa Huynh culture, around An Khe lagoon there are several valuable cultural relics. Close to the lagoon, in a valley by the Sa Huynh coast, is Go Co Community Tourism Village. Visitors are attracted by the rugged scenery and the customs, and lifestyle of the local people. There are many relics here associated with the ancient cultures of Sa Huynh, Champa, and Dai Viet.
Professor Dr. Truong Quoc Binh, a member of the National Council of Cultural Heritage, said, “The Sa Huynh culture was characterized by salt villages, which other cultures did not have. A salt route may have appeared before the silk and terracotta roads. Salt was vital to human survival. Salt was exchanged between the lowland and the highland, and between the north, south, and central regions. It was one of Sa Huynh's strengths."
"Sa Huynh had a busy exchange with other cultures in the Dong Nai river basin, and had the advantages of sea, mountains, and highlands,” Binh added.
Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of Quang Ngai province’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said the Sa Huynh was recognized as a national special relic site in December, 2022.
“It’s the responsibility of Duc Pho town to conserve and protect relic sites, particularly the national special relic site of the An Khe lagoon. We have to raise people’s awareness of protecting the environment and scenic tourism spots,” said Dung.
Tran Thanh Man, a tourist from Hanoi, said, “Quang Ngai has beautiful beaches and unique natural scenery. I came here to discover the sea and islands and heritages associated with Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, Sa Huynh culture, and old shipwrecks. There are many cultural treasures that I want to explore when I return next time.”
The program to develop Quang Ngai tourism until 2025, with a vision to 2030, targets raising the provincial tourism brand by promoting its sea and island advantages.
Vinh Thong