The moss beach near Hong Chinh village is surrounded by small stones of various colors and shapes. (Photo: Doan Sy)

Phan Duc Thinh, one of the founders of the Stop and Go Fishing Village Resort in Hong Chinh village, said on his business trip to Hoa Thang commune, he lived with the local fishermen and often went out to sea with them. There, he had fist-hand experience of the rustic beauty of the Hong Chinh fishing village.

At dawn, moss-covered stones and coral shimmer under the sun. As the sun sets, the sea possesses a silver bright color with light waves. Everything looks very dreamlike. After a visit in 2019, Thinh and his friends in Ho Chi Minh City returned to the village to develop a tourism project.

“The areas around Hoa Thang and Bau Trang while sand dunes are very beautiful and primitive. Once the place is upgraded, I’ll organize more events to attract more and more visitors. In that way, Hong Chinh village will be better known and become a new tourist destination in the province,” said Thinh.

Cao Ha Tan, Director of Vietnam Aviation Sports Training Company, said after many times staying at resorts in Hong Chinh, he has discovered many interesting attractions.

In particular, Hong Mountain has become a more popular tourist destination which offers paragliding, a sport that draws an growing number of players.

Tan recalls, “My friends in HCMC and I have known the Hong Mountain for more than decade. The best time for paragliding is from March to November. The terrain of the sand dunes in the Hong Mountain is quite safe. Many people who learn paragliding in HCMC come to Hong mountain to practice.”

The area around Hong Mountain has recently been chosen to practice paragliding.

Hong Chinh fishing village has more than 500 households living along the Hoa Thang-Hoa Phu coastal road which is considered the most beautiful dual carriageway in Vietnam.

In the past, on top of fishing near the coast, the locals grew melons and manioc in the sandy soil.

Since the Prime Minister approved the Mui Ne National Tourism Site Development master plan in Binh Thuan four years ago, the local people began engaging in tourism development.

Tang Tien Vinh, Vice Chairman of Hoa Thang commune’s People's Committee, said many other households in the locality offer accommodation services in addition to the Stop and Go resort.

“Under the commune’s Party Congress resolution, we will gradually change from an agricultural economy to trade, service, and tourism. We will diversify tourism products to include sand tours, cruises, and garden tours, expand our services of restaurants, hotels, and motels, and promote local cuisine,” said Vinh.

Hong Chinh fishing village is the meeting points of popular tourist attractions in Binh Thuan. From the village, visitors can go to the white sand dunes, dubbed “sub-Saharan Desert,” in a brief 5-minute drive.

Ranked as a national heritage site, in recent years, the village has attracted an increasing number of tourists. In the first quarter of this year, the village welcomed nearly 27,000 visitors, up nearly 40% against last year. Many of them have chosen Hong Chinh as their destination.

Bui The Nhan, Director of Binh Thuan province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says Hong Chinh fishing village and Bau Trang tourism site are the highlight in the Mui Ne National Tourism Site development master plan.

Nhan said, “We want to turn the nature-endowed treasures into regular venues for cultural, tourist and sports activities. The local government and people will work together to preserve the landscape, the environment, and cleanliness of the white sand dunes to attract more tourists.”