Vung Tàu - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam

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 –...

. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is 140 km² (54.1 sq mi) including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province

Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province

Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu is a province of Vietnam. It is located on the coast of the country's southeastern region. It also includes the Côn Đảo islands, located some distance off Vietnam's southeastern coast...

, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam

Vietnam

. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism in Vietnam

Vietnam

. Located near
Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong province, Vũng Tàu in association with these two places forms a triangle of economic power.

History

During 14th and 15th centuries, the cape that would become Vũng Tàu was a swamp which European trading ships visited regularly. The ships' activities inspired the name Vũng Tàu, which means "anchorage". The Portuguese navigators passed Vũng Tàu many times and named it after Saint Jacques

Saint James

-Saints:*James the Just, considered the author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament, and the first bishop of Jerusalem*James, son of Zebedee, apostle, brother of John the Apostle, sometimes called "James the Great"...

. The French invaded Vietnam afterwards and called it Cape Saint Jacques

Saint James

. The cliff of Vũng Tàu is now called Mũi Nghinh Phong (literally meaning "Cape of breeze welcome").

Vũng Tàu was originally referred to as Tam Thắng ("Three Boats") in memory of the first three villages in this area: Thắng Nhất, Thắng Nhị, Thắng Tam. It was within the province of Biên Hòa

Bien Hoa

Biên Hòa is a city in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, about east of Ho Chi Minh City , to which Bien Hoa is linked by Vietnam Highway 1.- Demographics :In 1989 the estimated population was over 300,000. In 2005, the population wss 541,495...

under the Nguyễn Dynasty. Under the reign of king Gia Long

Gia Long

Emperor Gia Long , born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh , was an emperor of Vietnam...

(1761–1820), when Malay pirates built a base here and subsequently became a danger to traders in Gia Dinh city, the king sent 3 troupes of army to crack down on the pirates. The pirates were ousted and soldiers of these troupes were given the land as a reward.

10 February 1859 marked the first use of cannons by Nguyễn's army, when they fired at French battleships from the fortress of Phước Thắng, located 100m from Vũng Tàu's Front Beach. This marked an important period in Vietnam's war against French invaders in South Vietnam (then called Cochinchina

Cochinchina

Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam whose principal city is Saigon. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bộ...

).

In 1876, according to a decree by the French colonialists, Vũng Tàu was merged in Ba Ria

Ba Ria

Bà Rịa is a town in Ba Ria–Vung Tau province in the southeast of Vietnam. Ba Ria is split from Vung Tau by a river crossed by Co May Bridge....

county, under Saigon's administration .

On May the 1st 1895 the governor of Cochinchina

Cochinchina

established by decree that Cape Saint Jacques

Saint James

would thereafter be an autonomous town. In 1898, Cape Saint Jacques

Saint James

was merged with Ba Ria County once again but was divided again in 1899.

In 1901, the population of Vũng Tàu was 5,690, of which 2,000 persons were immigrants from 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...

. Most of the town's population made their living in the fishing industry.

On April 4, 1905 Cape Saint Jacques was made an administrative district of Ba Ria province.
In 1929, Cape Saint Jacques became a province, and in 1934 became a city (commune).

The French governor of Indochina

French Indochina

French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....

, Paul Doumer

Paul Doumer

Joseph Athanase Paul Doumer, commonly known as Paul Doumer was the President of France from 13 June 1931 until his assassination.-Biography:...

(who later became President of France), built a mansion in Vũng Tàu that is still a prominent landmark in the city.

During the Vietnam War, Vũng Tàu was home to the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

and American support units, and was a popular spot for in-country R&R

R&R

R&R may refer to:* R&R , a music trade magazine* R&R , acronym for Rest and Recuperation* "R&R" , an episode of the science fiction TV show*R&R , a fictional nightclub in EastEnders...

for U.S. combat troops. After the war, Vũng Tàu was a common launching place for the Vietnamese Boat People

Boat people

Boat people is a term that usually refers to refugees, illegal immigrants or asylum seekers who emigrate in numbers in boats that are sometimes old and crudely made...

fleeing the communists.

On May 30, 1979, Vũng Tàu town was made the capital of Vũng Tàu-Côn Đảo Special Administrative Zone.

On August 12, 1991, the province of Ba Ria-Vũng Tàu

Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province

was officially founded and Vũng Tàu town officially became Vũng Tàu city.

Shipping and oil exploration

The city is located in the south of Vietnam, situated at the tip of a small peninsula

Peninsula

A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....

. It has traditionally been a significant port, particularly during Vietnam's period of French rule

French Indochina

French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....

. Today, the city's importance as a shipping port has diminished, but it still plays a significant role in Vietnam's offshore oil

Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

industry. Vũng Tàu is the only petroleum base of Vietnam where crude oil and natural gas

Natural gas

Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

exploitation activities dominate the city's economy and contribute principal income to Vietnam's budget

Economy of Vietnam

The economy of Vietnam is a developing planned-market economy. Since the mid-1980s, through the "Đổi Mới" reform period, Vietnam has made a shift from a highly-centralized planned economy to a socialist-oriented market economy which use both directive and indicative planning . Over that period, the...

and export volume.

Vũng Tàu shipyard

Shipyard

Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...

's reconstruction is scheduled to be completed in 2008, supplied with up-to-date anchor handling supply vessels of Aker

Aker

Aker is a surname.Aker can also refer to:In places:* Aker, Norway, a former municipality in NorwayIn other uses:* Aker , mentioned only in the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra* Aker , a god in ancient Egyptian mythology...

Beaches

To most tourists, however, Vũng Tàu is more interesting for its extensive beaches. Tourists often prefer swimming at Back Beach (Bãi Sau) but sightseeing in Front Beach (Bãi Trước). Back Beach is well-known for its over 10 km of fine sand. As Vũng Tàu is only 130 km away from Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...

, it is a favourite resort

Resort

A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....

destination for those wishing to get away from the city. In recent times, the number of foreign tourists visiting Vũng Tàu's beaches increased.. Vũng Tàu also allows access to nearby less visited beaches like Long Hai

Long Hải

Long Hải is a township and town in Long Điền District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, in Vietnam....

, Ho Tram

Ho Tram

Ho Tram is a small beach town located in Vietnam's Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, in Xuyen Moc district. It is situated about 125 kilometers South East of Ho Chi Minh City . Ho Tram’s pristine, undeveloped beachfront sits at just 2 hours from HCMC by car or 90 minutes via the ferry from HCMC to Vung Tau...

and Ho Coc

Ho Coc

Ho Coc is a small beach community located in Vietnam's Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, in Xuyen Moc district. It is situated about 125 kilometers South East of Ho Chi Minh City...

Golf course

Vũng Tàu is also home to one of Vietnam's most well-known golf course

Golf course

A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...

s located at Paradise Vũng Tàu Golf Resort.

Resorts and theme parks

A big resort project has just been licensed by the Vietnamese government, the Saigon Atlantis. Upon competition, this entertainment project worth US$300 million in capital investment will include resorts, shopping, sailing. The investor of this project is proposing to raise the investment capital to US$4 billion.

Two other noteworthy entertainment projects awaiting licensing are Vũng Tàu Aquarium

Aquarium

An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...

, which will cost USD 250 million, and Bau Trung, a Disneyland-like entertainment park which will cost US$250 million. This project includes Landmark Tower, a 88-story skyscraper

Skyscraper

A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

proposed to be built and completed by 2010 in Vũng Tàu by a USA-based company, Good Choice Import – Export Investment Inc, once built will likely be the highest building in Vietnam. The project is under consideration for approval by the local provincial government.

Media

Vung Tau is the home of the provincial media agency Ba Ria Vung Tau Daily Newspaper

Ba Ria Vung Tau Daily Newspaper

Ba Ria Vung Tau Daily Newspaper is a newspaper agency in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam. As an official newspaper in Ba Ria, Vung Tau, the newspaper gives easy access to various topics, such as economy, culture, and life in the province.-Timeline:...

. The newspaper gives easy access to various topics, such as economy, culture, and life in the province.

Local cuisine

Cuisine

Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...

here is characterized by fresh seafood

Seafood

Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...

(lobster

Lobster

Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...

, crab

Crab

True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...

, fish

Fish

Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...

) and traditional Southern Vietnamese foods.

Holidays and festivals

In Vũng Tàu, one of the most widely celebrated holidays is Lễ hội Cá Ông (Whale Holiday). Festivals in the region include the Kite Festival

Kite festival

The Bali Kite Festival is an annual international kite festival held in July in Padang Galak area, Sanur Beach, Bali. Traditional giant kites are made and flown competitively by teams from the villages of Denpasar...

and World Food Festival Culture Australian tourists come to Vũng Tàu in August to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan

Battle of Long Tan

The Battle of Long Tân was fought between the Australian Army and Viet Cong forces in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tân, about north east of Vũng Tàu, South Vietnam...

Religion

Vũng Tàu is also of interest for religious

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

reasons. Like mostly provinces and cities in Vietnam, Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

is the predominant religion. Mahayana Buddhism, the dominant form of the religion in Vietnam, was brought to Ba Ria-Vũng Tàu by the Vietnamese settlers from the north at the beginning of the 17th century during the expansion of the Nguyễn Lords. When they came bringing their original religion they built many Buddhist pagodas, temples and statues in the city. The Thich Ca Phat Dai and Niet Ban Tinh Xa temple, both Buddhist sites, are significant and draw pilgrims from around the country. Before the area was settled by ethnic Vietnamese, the Khmer people practiced Theravada Buddhism.

It has about 14 Catholic wards with active services. A notable monument in the city is Christ of Vung Tau

Christ of Vung Tau

Christ of Vung Tau is a statue of Jesus, standing on Mount Nho in Vung Tau, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Dong Nam Bo, Vietnam. The Catholic Association built the statue in 1974 and it was completed in 1993....

, a large statue of Christ

Christ

Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

on a hilltop built by Vietnam's Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

minority. It was completed in 1974, with the height of 32 metres and two outstretched arms spanning 18.4 metres. It is considered to be among the tallest statues of Christ

Christ

Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

in Asia.

There has been a Russian village in Vũng Tàu ever since the Soviet era; these Russians generally worked for the Russian-Vietnamese joint venture

Joint venture

A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...

VietSovpetro. It is believed that these "Russians", or "citizens of the former Soviet Union", were once the most dominant group of foreigners in Vũng Tàu. Some have remained in Vũng Tàu after the fall of the Soviet Union. They formed a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church

Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...

Transport

From Ho Chi Minh City, one needs two hours to reach Vũng Tàu by road (51A Expressway) or an hour and fifteen minutes by hydrofoil

Hydrofoil

A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...

Tourism

Vung Tau has four beaches: Front Beach, Back Beach, Strawberry Beach and Pineapple Beach. There are two local mountains, Small Mountain and Big Mountain.

External links

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