Vinh
Vinh is a major city in Central Coast Vietnam.
Understand
editVinh's role as an industrial port city led to heavy destruction by aerial bombing during the Vietnam War. As a result it has remained a drab, rather uninteresting place. However, there are some sights around such as some old citadel gates and a square which can be seen. It also makes for a good pitstop for the train journey between Hue and Hanoi as there is a recreation centre near the train station which provides some leisure activities.
Get in
editBy bus
editBy train
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The train line between Vinh and Dong Hoi to the south takes an inland route different from Hwy 1. There is some excellent scenery along the way. If you're travelling along the coast by bus, consider taking a break here and going by train. There are trains daily from Hanoi to Vinh.
By plane
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Get around
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- 2 Vinh bus station. There does not seem to be information on the public bus routes.
Otherwise, walking, taxi and Grab/Uber are available as always.
See
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- There are three old citadel gates: 1 the front gate, 2 the western gate and 3 the eastern gate. There are some informational plaques at the gates which are only in Vietnamese. The gates are marked with signs in Chinese (前门, 左门, 右门).
- 4 Ho Chi Minh Square. Has a statue of Ho Chi Minh and a fountain.
- 5 Ho Chi Minh's childhood home (Hoàng Xuân Đường) (some distance away).
- 6 Pù Mát national park (in the vicinity of Vinh).
Do
edit- 1 Vinh Recreation Centre. Indoor pool, cinema, gym, children's playground, arcade and karaoke machine.
Buy
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There are small shops and convenience stores dotted around.
- Train Station Market
- 1 Chợ Ga Vinh (near the station as well as Vinh Recreation Centre). It has various stalls.
Eat
editWhat
edit- Chao Luon (the local specialty of eel porridge) may be found at various roadside stalls or small eateries.
- Banh Muot (rice rolls with fried onion and Vietnamese pate) may be found at roadside stalls.
Where
edit- Vinh Recreation Centre has a Breadtalk, King BBQ (Korean BBQ) and Highlands Coffee.
Drink
edit- Highlands Coffee at Vinh Recreation Centre
Otherwise, there are numerous coffee and beer shops dotting the city, as with most other cities in Vietnam.
Sleep
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There are several Khách Sạn (hotels) near the train station.
Stay healthy
edit- Paris Dental Implant, 143 Nguyen Van Cu Street, ☏ +84 2473022226, +84 943776699.
Go next
edit- Hanoi – The tourist-loaded capital
- Dong Hoi – A sleepy beach and seaside town on the way to Hue with all the necessary infrastructure; laid back, authentic and genuinely friendly, with at least half a dozen hostels, convenient for accessing Phong Nha Ke Bang national park.
Laos:
- Phonsavan, Laos – The bus leaves every second day at 06:00 and costs 850,000 dong for foreigners. As of December 2022, visa on arrival is not available and e-visa is not accepted.