Xuan Thanh Beach

Xuân Thành is a place to rest by the sea in northern Hà Tĩnh. It lies in the land of Nghi Xuân, which is tied to the name of the great poet Nguyễn Du.

It is not a closed-off resort. Xuân Thành has the plain beauty of a beach on the central coast: a stretch of fine sand about five kilometers long, a green row of casuarinas along the shore, and a freshwater stream winding close to the beach. Vietnam Airlines calls the stream the Mỹ Dương River. The mix of sea, sand, casuarinas and fresh water is what sets Xuân Thành apart from other beaches.

The city of Vinh is about 12 kilometers from here. It is not far, yet the shift from a noisy city to a calm seaside is easy to feel.

Nghi Xuân holds a special place in Vietnamese culture. It is the home region of Nguyễn Du, author of the Tale of Kiều, a masterpiece of Vietnamese literature. From 2016, the tourism sector of the province has aimed to link the beach with the nearby memorial site for Nguyễn Du, a world cultural figure.

The beach season at Xuân Thành usually opens around April or May. In the festival season, the seafront square offers local food, cultural events and a lively crowd. Outside the festival season, the beach returns to the calm that is typical of a fishing-village shore.

Along the shore, in the hours when crowds gather, lifeguards keep watch over every wave. The sea of the central region is lovely but moody, and it can change its look very fast. So the lifeguards in their bright shirts are a familiar part of Xuân Thành each summer.

In the late afternoon, the sun fades over the long stretch of sand. The wind slips through the casuarinas and sounds like a second set of waves, while the freshwater stream flows quietly out to merge with the sea. Fine sand runs between the toes of anyone who stands there, the salt of the sea wind rests on the lips, and Xuân Thành settles into memory as one unhurried afternoon.