The village is compared to a child protected and nurtured by two mothers that are the Chua and Ba rivers. Silt of the two rivers has raised the level of its land. This has allowed Ngoc Lang to become the village providing the largest amount of vegetables in Phu Yen Province. With fertile land and knowledgeable villagers, the vegetables of Ngoc Lang village are also sold throughout Vietnam.

Locals grow vegetables year round except in September and October due to the rain season.

At only 4am, when the whole city is not yet awake, locals head to the fields to care for their vegetables. Some growers harvest vegetables and some work on land.

The flood at the end of 2009 destroyed all vegetable fields. However, one year later, the vegetable fields have once again grown thanks to all effort of hard-working growers.

Lying near National Road 1A and the North-South railway, through windows, passengers can have a chance to enjoy vast vegetable fields on which growers with white conical hats are working.

It is a serene sight that makes passengers forget about the long journey and reflect on the beauty of the village and its villagers.

Mang Lang church was built in 1892 and covers 5,000 square metres. An example of Gothic architecture, the church is richly decorated and has a cross is positioned in the middle of two steeples on the exterior.

Mang Lang is small, but it has a very large yard with many green trees. There is a small chamber built inside an artificial hill and a basement filled with sculptures about Saint Andre of Phu Yen.

Entering the basement, tourists can view relics related to the church’s history. Most notably, the first book written in quoc ngu, “Christianity in Eight Days,” has been kept here protected by a glass box. It was printed in 1651 in Rome, Italy. The book was written by Alexandre de Rhodes, the Jesuit priest who Romanized Vietnamese writing.

The Vietnamese alphabet, called Chu Quoc Ngu, is the current writing system. It is based on the Latin alphabet with some digraphs and the addition of nine accent marks or diacritics — four of them to create additional sounds, and the other five to indicate the tone. The many diacritics, often two on the same letter, make written Vietnamese easily recognizable.

With exceptional architecture and design, Mang Lang church is an excellent sight-seeing destination for visitors to Phu Yen Province.

Vung Ro was historically known as the very important port for shipping weapons from the North to the South in the war against the U.S. From November 1964 to February 1965, Vung Ro, an isolated bay on the rocky coast, received four unnumbered ships.

However, on February 16, 1965 Vung Ro entered the history books because of a particular incident; a U.S. Army officer flying his helicopter along the coast of south-central Vietnam spotted a large, camouflaged vessel perpendicular to the shore. Cargo was being unloaded and stacked on the beach. To keep the cache a secret, the north Vietnam army capsized and sank the ship.

As I left the coastal city of Nha Trang heading northward on National Road 1A for Phu Yen Province, the imposing landscapes along the road with the mountains and the sea were dazzling. Ca Pass looked like a hand on the Truong Son mountain range.

A little past the top of Ca Pass we turned into the valley on a winding mountain road, heading to Vung Ro Hamlet, located in Hoa Xuan Nam Commune, Dong Hoa District, Phu Yen Province. This was the first fishing village built in 1979 by a farmer named Chau Dinh Khang who brought his family of 11 children to set up business here.

When the car stopped on the hilltop one of us shouted “The sea, oh my God.” The clear blue water of the sea appeared peaceful, enticing us to soak in the cool waves and to play in the waves among the endless white sponges. As we rushed down, our shrieks drowned out the sound of the sea.

Recognized as a historical landscape, Vung Ro Bay is not also endowed with a magnificent landscape of mountain, forest and sea, but is also home to diverse flora and fauna as well as seafood.

Under the sunlight of dawn, Vung Ro Bay emerges as an immense green round plate, with Ca Mountain in the south, Da Bia Mountain in the west and Hon Ba Mountain in the north. Vung Ro Port, which is so deep that can receive ships weighing more than 10,000 tons, is linked to Van Phong Bay by a narrow seaport. Vung Ro Hamlet is also a key port.

From here, tourists can go to the pristine and endlessly fascinating Mon Beach, nestled at the foot of Mui Dien (Dien Cape). The arcshaped beach, which is surrounded by boulders and hills, has captured the attention of travelers who love to swim in turquoise waters and lie on white sandy beaches.

It was four years since my last visit to Vung Ro. There are many changes, it was a deserted land but today it is a peaceful village with hundreds of households. Many deluxe resorts have been built in Tuy Hoa City, but Vung Ro remains peaceful and pristine.

Local people call the island Cu Lao Mai Nha for the simple reason that it looks like the roof of a house if it is viewed from afar. The attraction of the island lies not only in its name but also what can be found on and around it.

White-sand beaches can be seen from the inland part of An Hai Commune in Tuy An District. The more visitors approach Cu Lao Mai Nha, the more attractions they discover there.

Visitors can hire a fishing boat for a three-hour journey at around VND300,000. It takes less than half an hour to travel from the inland part to Cu Lao Mai Nha. Usually, the owner of the boat will dock at a longest beach of the island for guests to swim or dive to see coral reefs far from the shore, but this should be done at the end of the journey.

It is a good idea to ask the boat owner to make a cruise around. Rock cliffs carved and polished by the waves into different shapes and colors often arouse inspiration and curiosity among guests about how and when these were created.

The rocks look as if someone has skillfully arranged them because there are lines between them, like people of Egypt in the ancient time built the pyramids. But rocks and cliffs on and around Cu Lao Mai Nha have been laid naturally and beautifully by nature, making the stone wonders the center of great attractions to visitors.

For locals and people living near Phu Yen, the rocks serve as a base for fishing. On sunny weekends groups of fishermen often hire boats to go fishing on Cu Lao Mai Nha. They sit on the rocks for a day to fish as well as enjoy the pleasant sound of waves and freezes from the ocean.

After a trip around Cu Lao Mai Nha, the boat docks in front of the longest beach and guests are then transported by small bamboo boats to the shore. Good swimmers can see coral reefs at the seabed while swimming through a short distance from the boat to the shore.

The white-sand beach is not ideal for swimming as it does not slope gently, and there are sometimes seaweeds and dead corals on the seabed. However, it is safe to swim because the water is calm and clean.

There are just a few families living on the island who farm and breed cattle. They are hospitable and willing to provide visitors sheets free-of-charge to sit on or rest during their trip to the island.

As there is not any restaurant on Cu Lao Mai Nha, do not forget to bring food and water for eating and drinking when staying on the island.

There is a slope at the top of the mountain which bears a resemblance to a lion lying on its side, and from the Hao Son – Dap Han T-junction, one can make out a shape that looks like a tower. From Xep and Bai beaches, the mountain looks like the figure of a seated man, while from Hoa Tam School, it resembles a Buddha standing.

Da Bia Mountain is also called Thach Bi Son (Thach Bi Mountain). Legend has it that in 1471, after defeating Cham army, King Le Thanh Tong made a stop here. He had writing carved on the rocks as a stele to mark the country’s boundary.

It has also been known as “Thien Nam De Nhat Tru” (the highest pillar of the southern region) because it stands at a height of 706 meters above sea level. When viewed from offshore, the huge 80-meter-high rock on the top of the mountain looks like an index finger pointing high into the sky, which is why French sailors back in 19th century referred to Da Bia Mountain as a “God’s Finger” (le Doigt de Dieu).

But no matter how you view it, Da Bia Mountain is a beautiful spot, with ranges of primeval forests and diverse flora and, it is thought, some plants with medicinal value.

The scramble up the top of the mountain is a 2.2-kilometer trek undertaking on 2,071 stone stairs. On reaching the top, one is rewarded with a panoramic view of Vung Ro, Ca Pass and Hao Son Lagoon.

The mountain is also home to many animal-shaped rocks like rabbits, chicken, tortoises, carp as well as many caves and waterfalls hidden in the immense forests.

Dubbed “the land between two mountain passes”, Phu Yen is one of the most geographically isolated provinces of the country, bordering Cu Mong Pass to the north and Ca Pass to the south, both of which skirt the coast, affording breathtaking mountain-and-sea views.

According to historians, in 1611, Lords of Nguyen, who ruled the south during the feudal partition of the country, established the Phu Yen Prefecture then built a frontier outpost to mark the territory as part of the southern drive.

So, while the province is looking forward to its fourth centenary, it’s worth a trip to explore early marks of Vietnamese people’s exploration during a time of historic upheaval and westerners’ arrival.

Mang Lang Church

Thirty kilometres to the north of Tuy Hoa City, the provincial capital, where Ngan Son Bridge crosses Ky Lo River, turn right to go off-the-beaten track to Mang Lang Church in An Ninh Tay Commune, Tuy An District.

The church is the oldest remaining in the province, where Christianity started to take hold 400 years ago.

The dirt-track runs through central villages and green rice paddy fields. Sights of kids riding buffaloes, haystacks and young boys splashing in the river are a reminder of less hurried times.

Situated at the heart of a village, the brick church stands around 15m tall with two parallel square bell towers.

Time has left its own marks on the church’s façade with the lime paint flaking here and there, revealing stark brown patches.

The church shines when sunlight reflects off the white lime walls.

Given that it looks to the south-west, the best time in the day to appreciate it is early afternoon when the façade reacts fully with sunlight.

Elements of East and West meet with French architecture bearing typically Vietnamese patterns.

“It was built in 1892 by French priest Joseph de la Cassagne and modeled after the Notre Dame de Paris,” says priest Nguyen Cap, who is in charge of the parish, noting that it has not changed much since then.

However, the church has as much significance as substance, and people are drawn here not only to admire its beauty but also to learn about stories of two great figures who left marks in Christian and cultural histories of the country.

They are Andrew Phu Yen, the first Vietnamese martyr who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000 and who is in the process of canonisation, and Alexandre de Rhodes, a French missionary who invented chu Quoc ngu, or the Romanised Vietnamese script.

Rhodes arrived in Phu Yen around 1641, according to priest Nguyen Cap, and baptised around 90 locals, including Andrew Phu Yen, whose real name is unknown.

Andrew Phu Yen became a catechist two years later, using Rhodes’ hand-written Cathechismus (Catechism), the very first document written in chu Quoc ngu, and he was martyred in 1644 at the age of 19.

An artificial lawn hill in front of the church hides within its belly a shrine built in 2006 in dedication to the martyr and serves as a chapel for pilgrims.

The temple leads guests through chronologies of the two figures with pictures and objects, including a painting drawn in 1652 describing the execution of Andrew Phu Yen, some of his hairs taken from Rome, where his remains are kept, and copies of Cathechismus and Vietnamese-Latin-Portuguese Dictionary by Alexandre de Rhodes.

“We received pilgrims all year round, especially from May to September,” says priest Nguyen Cap, pointing to a new building behind the church to accommodate pilgrims.

They usually pray to a 2-metre bronze statue of the martyr in men’s long dress standing solemnly in the church yard which is the prototype of a smaller gilded statue offered to Pope Benedict XVI, Cap says.

Da Dia Rock Cliff (Ghenh Da Dia)

Ten kilometres on from Mang Lang Church, at An Ninh Dong Commune, is considered as one of the most beautiful stepping-stone rock beaches in the country.

A camping ground is on top of the cliff. Campers can sleep in the middle of nowhere, under the star-studded sky listening to the ocean.

Naturally formed stone steps lead you down to the base of the cliff where a stone reef like a giant honey comb runs out to the sea.

The cliff is like myriad rocks leaning on one another in a strange symmetry as if someone took pains to arrange them.

These ebony and brown rocks range from 10 to 50cm in diametre, and are hexagon, square, round or rectangular in shape. Guests should watch their steps because some rocks have been worn slippery smooth by the ocean.

According to scientists, Da Dia Rock Cliff was formed by flowing lava from volcanic eruptions which solidified when it reached the sea, cracking vertically into columns.

The tracks leading to the church and the cliff are really bumpy, but a new road under construction from Tuy Hoa will facilitate accesses, given that the beautiful beach is attracting attention from investors.

Some other tourist sites are recommended for tourists when visit Phu Yen such as: Cham Tower, Da Trang Pagoda, Xuan Dai Bay – which is being proposed as one of the world’s most beautiful bays, Vung Ro, Long Thuy Beach, Mui Dien Lighthouse and so on.

Phu Yen is getting ready for activities of the 400th founding anniversary of the province (1611 – 2011) and the national tourism year. To prepare National Tourism Year 2011 in Central and Southern coastal provinces and Phu Yen, a plan for promotion from now to 2011 is being established, including advertisements on Phu Yen’s tourist sites.

How to get there:

+ Tuy Hoa City is one of main stops of North-South Express trains and on National Highway No.1A.
+ There are four to five flights a week from Ho Chi Minh City to Tuy Hoa and vice versa.

From October 24th, 2009, Vietnam Airlines will operate direct flight linking Ha Noi and Tuy Hoa and vice versa with three flights a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

Depart from Ha Noi at 7h30 and arrive Tuy Hoa at 9h10; vice versa depart from Tuy Hoa at 9h55 and arrive Ha Noi at 11h35.

During the opening period from now to October 30, 2009, Vietnam Airlines offers promotional fare of VND705,000  for one-way ticket of this route.