Hai Hoa Beach

Not every beach has kéo rùng. And not every place that has it still keeps it the way Hải Hòa does.

Kéo rùng is a way of fishing close to shore, practiced for a very long time by the coastal people of Nghi Sơn. It usually happens in the morning, just as the sun comes up. Two long lines of net are set out in an arc out at sea. Then both ends are hauled toward the shore, with about ten people at each end, stepping together in rhythm. There are no machines, only hands and shoulders. As the net slowly closes in on the sand, fish, squid and shrimp come in with it.

On the right morning, at the right spot, a way of life that has lasted for generations among the sea villages of Thanh Hóa comes into view.

Hải Hòa Beach lies in the Nghi Sơn area. That area is in Thanh Hóa province. Its old administrative name was Hải Hòa ward in Nghi Sơn town. Today it belongs to Tĩnh Gia ward. It is about 50 kilometers from the center of Thanh Hóa, and about 15 kilometers from the Nghi Sơn Economic Zone.

On March 25, 2025, the People's Committee of Thanh Hóa Province issued Decision 872, officially recognizing Hải Hòa as a provincial-level tourist area. Since then, this small beach has entered a planned stage of tourism development. It is no longer only a destination for people from the surrounding area.

Hải Hòa has a gently sloping beach, fine white sand, clear blue water and cool, fresh air. It has kept a simple, quiet character. Unlike the noisy tourist beaches, it is gentler and less crowded. It is a place to slow down by the sea, to stroll, to look at the rows of phi lao trees and to listen to the waves.

Early in the morning, a fish market sets up right on the beach. The fish and shrimp have only just been hauled ashore. The market gathers, then breaks up when the sun climbs high. It is not a service for tourists. It is the natural rhythm of the sea villagers' livelihood, and it depends on the tide and the weather.

Hải Hòa is also a gateway to the culture and history of Nghi Sơn. Nearby are Am Các Pagoda and Lạch Bạng Temple. There is also the Nghi Sơn peninsula. Trường Lâm Cave is close by. So is the craft village of Do Xuyên Ba Làng. Even one or two of these stops give a trip to Hải Hòa more depth than a rest by the sea alone.

Visitors come in growing numbers. Even so, Hải Hòa has not lost its peace. It is a place for people who want to leave crowded, noisy resorts behind and find a slower rhythm of the sea.

A morning watching the net come in to shore. A midday meal of seafood fresh off the boats. An afternoon along the row of phi lao trees, with salt wind passing and waves breaking evenly at the feet.