Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm
Encyclopedia
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm, also called Panduranga, is a new city in Vietnam
and the capital of Ninh Thuan province
. The community has a population of 161,000 (2004), of which 91,000 (2004) live in the main city.
During the Vietnam war
, Phan Rang was the site the United States Air Force
's Phan Rang Air Base
. The airfield had been established by the Japanese in World War II
and was later used by the French
.
was located where Phan Rang is now.
Phan Rang Town was established in 1917 following an order by the Khai Dinh
Emperor.
Phan Rang was the provincial capital of Ninh Thuan Province
until 1976, when it lost this status because of the province's merger with Binh Thuan Province
to form Thuan Hai Province.
The town was divided into Phan Rang in the east, which became part of Ninh Hải District and Thap Cham in the west, which became part of An Son district (huyện An Sơn). The two parts were again combined to become one town in 1992, when Phan Rang - Thap Cham again became the capital of Ninh Thuan Province.
It achieved city status in February 2007.
towards the north and Ho Chi Minh City
to the southwest, while the latter crosses into the Central Highlands
towards Buon Ma Thuot
.
The city is connected to the North-South Railway at Thap Cham Railway Station
; express passenger trains (SE1/2, SE5/6) stop regularly at the station. The station once served as a terminus for the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway
, a rack railway
which opened in 1932. The railway was abandoned during the Vietnam War
and dismantled after the North Vietnam
ese victory in 1975, to provide materials for the restoration of the heavily damaged North-South line. A proposed renewal project, backed by provincial and local governments, aims to restore the entire Đà Lạt–Tháp Chàm railway to handle both passenger and cargo transportation.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and the capital of Ninh Thuan province
Ninh Thuan Province
Ninh Thuận is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam .-History:The Cham principality of Panduranga had its center in Ninh Thuan Province, but also included much of what is now Binh Thuan Province. Panduranga became the political centre of Champa after the fall of Vijaya in 1471...
. The community has a population of 161,000 (2004), of which 91,000 (2004) live in the main city.
During the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Phan Rang was the site the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's Phan Rang Air Base
Phan Rang Air Base
Phan Rang Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield in Vietnam. It is located north-northwest of Phan Rang-Thap Cham in Ninh Thuan Province....
. The airfield had been established by the Japanese in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was later used by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The ancient Panduranga, the capital of the southernmost of city-states of ChampaChampa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
was located where Phan Rang is now.
Phan Rang Town was established in 1917 following an order by the Khai Dinh
Khai Dinh
Emperor Khải Định was the 12th Emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty in Vietnam. His name at birth was Prince Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Đảo. He was the son of Emperor Đồng Khánh, but he did not succeed him immediately...
Emperor.
Phan Rang was the provincial capital of Ninh Thuan Province
Ninh Thuan Province
Ninh Thuận is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam .-History:The Cham principality of Panduranga had its center in Ninh Thuan Province, but also included much of what is now Binh Thuan Province. Panduranga became the political centre of Champa after the fall of Vijaya in 1471...
until 1976, when it lost this status because of the province's merger with Binh Thuan Province
Binh Thuan Province
Bình Thuận is a province of Vietnam. It is located on the country's South Central Coast, not far from Ho Chi Minh City. It is sometimes seen as part of the Southeast Region. Binh Thuan is known for its scenery and for its good beaches...
to form Thuan Hai Province.
The town was divided into Phan Rang in the east, which became part of Ninh Hải District and Thap Cham in the west, which became part of An Son district (huyện An Sơn). The two parts were again combined to become one town in 1992, when Phan Rang - Thap Cham again became the capital of Ninh Thuan Province.
It achieved city status in February 2007.
Transport
Phan Rang-Thap Cham is located at the junction of National Routes 1A and 27; the former connects the town to HanoiHanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
towards the north and Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
to the southwest, while the latter crosses into the Central Highlands
Tây Nguyên
Tây Nguyên, translated as Western Highlands and sometimes also called Central Highlands, is one of the regions of Vietnam. It contains the provinces of Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng....
towards Buon Ma Thuot
Buon Ma Thuot
Buôn Ma Thuột or sometimes Buon Ma Thuat or Ban Mê Thuột, is the capital city of Dak Lak Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Its population is approximately 300,000...
.
The city is connected to the North-South Railway at Thap Cham Railway Station
Thap Cham Railway Station
Thap Cham Railway Station is a railway station on the North-South Railway line in Vietnam. It serves the city of Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm in Ninh Thuận Province.-References:...
; express passenger trains (SE1/2, SE5/6) stop regularly at the station. The station once served as a terminus for the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway
Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway
The Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway or Da Lat-Phan Rang Railway was an rack railway connecting the city of Da Lat to the main North-South Railway at Thap Cham in Ninh Thuan Province. It was established by the French administration of Indochina in 1932 after thirty years of construction in phases,...
, a rack railway
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
which opened in 1932. The railway was abandoned during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and dismantled after the North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese victory in 1975, to provide materials for the restoration of the heavily damaged North-South line. A proposed renewal project, backed by provincial and local governments, aims to restore the entire Đà Lạt–Tháp Chàm railway to handle both passenger and cargo transportation.