History,
Culture
and
Economy
Mui
Ne
means
"sheltered
peninsula,"
and
indeed,
is
used
as
a
seasonal
harbor
by
local
fisherman.This
area
was
previous
occupied
by
the
Cham
Kingdom,
as
testified
to
by
the
Cham
Towers
overlooking
Phan
Thiet.
The
towers
were
built
in
the
8th
century
to
worship
Shiva,
and
are
said
to
be
among
the
oldest
in
Vietnam.
Beside
these
three
towers,
there
was
once
a
temple,
but
it
has
been
buried
in
the
ground
for
more
than
300
years.
There
is
now
a
modern
pagoda
beside
them.
Inside
the
main
tower
is
an
altar,
on
which
a
couple
of
Liga-Yoni
sit.
In
Binh
Thuan
Province
(where
Mui
Ne
is
situated)
in
1306,
King
Tran
Nhan
Tong
agreed
to
the
marriage
of
princess
Huyen
Chan
to
King
Jaya
Sinhavarman
III
of
the
Cham
Kingdom.
The
area
is
rich
in
local
lore
and
superstition,
with
many
stories
of
ghosts,
fairies,
local
gods,
monsters,
magic
and
miracles,
both
ancient
and
recent.
In
1692,
Nguyen
Phuc
Chu
captured
the
area
and
named
it
Binh
Thuan
Dinh.
The
city
of
Phan
Thiet
is
very
new
however,
and
the
modern
occupation
of
this
area
is
only
within
the
last
century.
Phan
Thiet
is
the
provincial
capitol,
and
Mui
Ne
is
more
or
less
a
suburb.
Lonely
Planet
Vietnam
incorrectly
states
that
during
the
French
colonial
period,
Europeans
lived
in
a
segregated
area
North
of
the
Ca
Ty
River
(Phan
Thiet
River),
while
Vietnamese,
Cham,
Southern
Chinese,
Malaysians
and
Indonesians
lived
on
the
southern
side.
While
Cham
and
Chinese
individuals
do
live
in
the
city,
there
are
not
currently
any
ghettos
or
active
minority
communities
within
Phan
Thiet.
However,
just
outside
the
city
there
are
several
little-known
ethnic
minority
villages.
Binh
Thuan
province
has
27
ethnic
groups
living
together,
including
Kin,
Cham,
K'ho,
Rai,
Chan
Ro,
Nung,
Tay.
Minority
peoples
total
nearly
76,000
persons
and
account
for
over
7%
of
the
province's
population.
The
ethnic
minority
people
mainly
inhabit
15
separate
communes
and
20
mixed
villages.
Eleven
of
the
fifteen
are
mountainous
groups
with
2,669
households
and
14,044
persons,
and
the
remaining
four
are
Cham
with
3,623
households
and
20,714
persons.
The
ethnic
K'ho,
Rai
and
Chan
Ro
today
carry
out
intensive
farming.
The
average
family
works
1.5
ha
Crops
also
include
cashew,
rubber
trees,
coffee,
mango,
orange,
lemon,
banana
and
dragon
fruit.
Binh
Thuan
has
6,500
ha
of
wet
rice
fields,
1,000
ha
of
corn
fields
and
3,000
ha
of
orchards.
The
electronic
age
has
come
to
Vietnam's
minorities
as
well.
Among
the
minority
groups,
90%
of
the
households
having
radios
and
televisions.
Ho
Chi
Minh
spent
a
year
in
neighboring
Phan
Thiet
City.
Duc
Thanh
School,
cultural
and
historical
relic,
situated
at
Number
39,
Trung
Nhi
Street,
was
built
in
1907.
In
1910,
teacher
Nguyen
Tat
Thanh
(later
President
Ho
Chi
Minh)
stayed
and
taught
at
Duc
Thanh
School
for
one
year.
Presently,
the
School
has
preserved
many
objects
that
relate
to
the
life
of
life
of
Ho
Chi
Minh,
such
as
a
writing
table,
an
ink-slab,
and
a
wooden
bed.
The
Ho
Chi
Minh
Museum
is
next
door.
Several
military
installations
have
existed
throughout
the
province,
including
those
at
Thap
Cham
(the
Prince's
Castle)
as
well
as
a
nearby
hill,
Whiskey
Mountain,
LZ
Judy
near
Muong
Man,
and
the
largest;
the
LZ
Betty,
held
first
by
the
French,
later
the
Americans
during
the
recent
war.
The
LZ
Betty
was
located
on
the
bluffs
Southwest
of
Phan
Thiet
near
present
Ganh
Son.
There
was
an
active
air
field
at
the
base.
LZ
Betty
was
attacked
during
the
Tet
Offensive,
and
later
a
large
battle
was
waged
at
the
base
on
May
3.
The
city
of
Phan
Thiet
is
the
provincial
capital
of
Binh
Thuan,
with
an
estimated
population
of
nearly
240,000
people.
On
November
28,
1933,
Phan
Thiet
City
was
established
as
a
French
administrative
center
by
the
French
governor
of
Indochina.
It
celebrated
its
100th
anniversary
in
1998
and
was
officially
upgraded
from
a
town
to
a
city
in
1999.
While
these
dates
are
noted
in
the
historical
annals,
their
importance
should
not
be
heavily
weighted,
since
the
city
has
been
occupied
for
hundreds
of
years.
Phan
Thiet
is
situated
between
mountains,
rivers,
sand
dunes
and
the
ocean.
It
has
the
lowest
annual
rainfall
of
just
about
anywhere
in
the
country
and
a
true
desert
region.
Due
to
the
low
rainfall
and
cool
ocean
breezes,
Mui
Ne
has
some
of
the
best
weather
in
all
of
SE
Asia.
Mui
Ne
is
just
"over
the
ridge"
from
Phan
Thiet,
locked
behind
the
sand
dunes
and
pressed
up
against
the
sea.
The
local
economy
depends
upon
Fishing
(and
most
notably
fish
sauce
or
"nuoc
mam"),
agriculture
(mostly
green
dragon
fruit),
and
tourism.
In
what
it
does,
it
excels!
Binh
Thuan
province
is
the
world
capitol
of
dragon
fruit,
produces
the
country's
most
prized
fish
sauce,
and
has
70%
of
the
country's
total
resorts
sitting
on
its
beaches.
According
to
local
statistics,
nearly
100
different
varieties
of
fish
are
harvested
here
with
an
annual
yield
of
more
than
70,000
tons.
Phan
Thiet
also
produces
about
16-17
million
liters
of
fish
sauce
each
year.
Products
are
shipped
not
only
around
Vietnam,
but
throughout
Asia,
and
may
even
find
their
way
to
your
home
country.
Salt
is
also
an
important
product
(you
can
see
may
salt
fields
in
Phan
Thiet
and
South
of
Khe
Ga).
You'll
find
prices
much
cheaper
than
Siagon
or
Nha
Trang
here.
People
are
also
much
more
poor
in
this
area.
On
October
24,
1995,
thousands
rushed
to
Phan
Thiet
and
Mui
Ne,
after
scientists
announced
Binh
Thuan
would
be
the
only
place
in
Vietnam
where
people
can
perfectly
observe
a
full
solar
eclipse.
It
is
said
that
this
is
the
day
the
tourist
industry
in
Binh
Thuan
began.
On
the
tenth
anniversary
of
this
event
the
"Binh
Thuan
Tourism
Festival"
was
born.
Mui
Ne
and
Phan
Thiet
are
quickly
developing.
All
the
resorts
and
restaurants
in
Mui
Ne
are
less
than
20
years
old.
Mui
Ne
Bay
is
quickly
becoming
a
new
land
for
windsurfing
and
kitesurfing
enthusiasts
in
South
East
Asia.
With
perfect
weather,
lots
of
sunshine
and
wind
year-round,
Mui
Ne
Bay
is
perhaps
the
best
spot
for
kiting
in
the
region.
There
are
a
number
of
new
and
exciting
projects
in
development
that
will
change
not
only
this
area
permanently,
but
will
also
benefit
the
entire
country
and
this
region.
Stay
tuned
to
this
website
to
learn
about
these
projects.
Binh
Thuan
Province
Festivals
Local
officials
estimate
there
are
as
many
as
50
folk
festivals
celebrated
within
the
Province.
Each
is
associated
with
a
tradition
and
belief
of
local
ethnic
communities.
Many
are
associated
with
a
specific
ethnic
group,
and
many
are
only
celebrated
locally.
Local
festivals
tend
to
be
associated
with
a
specific
location
(temple
or
pagoda),
and
many
originated
in
the
Cham
culture.
A
number
of
the
festivals
are
connected
to
whale
worship,
and
many
are
tied
to
Budhism
or
find
their
roots
in
ancient
Hindu
(Cham)
beliefs
or
local
legend.
Foreign
holidays
are
gaining
popularity,
including
Valentine's
Day,
and
the
Januray
1st
New
Year.
The
Muslim
Cham
celebrate
Ramadan
(written
Ramawan).
Christmas
is
the
second
largest
holiday
celebrated
in
Phan
Thiet
(after
Tet),
with
lots
of
lights,
decorations,
nativities
and
elaborate
pagents.
The
week
of
Christmas
leading
up
to
the
week
of
Tet
(more
than
a
month)
is
a
fun
time
in
Phan
Thiet,
with
cafes
and
restaurants
open
late,
lots
of
holidays
treats,
and
people
out
late
with
friends.
Birthdays
are
typically
celebrated
in
cafes
with
friends.
It
is
Vietnamese
tradition
for
the
one
celebrating
the
birthday
to
pay
all
expenses
and
arrange
the
party
themselves.
Tet
(Lunar
New
Year
Celebration)
Lion
Dancers
at
Tet
in
Phan
Thiet
In
Western
Countries
like
the
USA,
the
"holiday
season"
is
over
after
January
1.
Not
so
in
Vietnam.
Here
the
holiday
season
is
extended
for
another
month
or
more
as
families
prepare
for
Tet,
the
lunar
new
year.
Contrary
to
popular
misunderstanding,
Tet
is
not
a
single-day
affair.
Traditionally
an
entire
month-long
festival
is
celebrated
from
the
15th
day
of
the
twelfth
month
to
the
15th
day
of
the
first
month,
but
the
first
3
days
of
the
new
year
are
the
most
important.
The
first
day
of
the
new
year
falls
on
January
29
this
year.
Click
Here
to
read
more.
The
Mid-Autumn
Festival
Children
Carrying
Dragon
Fruit
Lanterns
for
the
Mid
Autumn
Festival
(Trung
Thu)
15
day
of
the
8th
month
(lunar
calendar)
2010:
September
22
The
Mid
Autumn
Festival
(Trung
Thu)
is
also
known
as
the
Moon
Festival,
and
is
a
popular
Chinese
celebration
dating
back
over
3,000
years
to
China's
Zhou
Dynasty.
The
Festival
falls
on
the
15th
day
of
the
8th
lunar
month
of
the
Chinese
calendar.
The
traditional
food
of
this
festival
is
the
moon
cake,
of
which
there
are
many
different
varieties.
Cakes
usually
have
at
least
one
dried,
salted
egg
yolk
and
come
with
fillings
of
coconut,
yellow
or
green
bean,
lotus
seed
or
minced
pork.
All
are
sweet.
The
Mid-Autumn
Festival
is
one
of
the
most
important
holidays
in
the
Chinese
calendar.
Farmers
celebrate
the
end
of
the
summer
harvesting
season
on
this
date.
Brightly
lit
lanterns
are
often
carried
around
by
children.
The
Vietnamese
version
of
this
holiday
is
said
to
have
originated
in
the
8th
century,
during
the
reign
of
Emperor
Minh-Hoang.
Legend
says
that
the
Emperor
took
his
Empress,
Duong
Quy
Pho,
to
a
lake
where
he
read
a
poem
that
he
had
composed
to
her
by
the
light
of
the
moon.
A
more
popular
version
of
the
holiday
recounts
the
legend
of
Thang
Cuoi,
whose
banyan
tree
was
uprooted
after
his
wife
accidentally
urinated
on
it
and
took
him
with
it
to
the
moon.
Every
year,
on
the
mid-autumn
festival,
children
light
lanterns
to
show
Cuoi
the
way
to
get
back
to
Earth.
Binh
Thuan
Province
was
nationally
recognized
and
awarded
for
its
extravagant
celebration
of
the
Mid-Autumn
Festival
at
the
2006
Vietnam
Guide
Awards.
Nghinh
Ong
Celebration
16
/
8
to
18
/
8
Lunar
month
(August,
September
or
October)
2010:
August
30,
31,
September
1
(last
day
is
the
parade)
“Nghinh
Ong”
is
devoted
to
whale
worship
and
is
celebrated
at
the
Ong
pagoda
by
thousands
of
Chinese
and
Vietnamese
participants
in
Phan
Thiet.
People
gather
to
pray
for
happiness,
health
and
good
fortune
for
family
and
friends.
Ong
Pagoda
was
built
to
worship
Quan
Kong
and
was
built
in
November
1770
(Year
of
the
Tiger),
in
Duc
Nghia
Precinct,
Phan
Thiet
City.
It
has
a
beautiful,
Chinese
architecture.
A
statue
of
Quan
Kong
and
an
old
bell
cast
in
Guang
Tung
(China)
are
preserved
here.
On
festival
days,
the
pagoda
is
decorated
with
flower
garlands.
Colorful
lanterns
are
hung
during
the
night.
There
are
some
cultural
activities
such
as
"hat
boi"
(classical
dramas
performances)
and
"hat
ba
trao"
(singing
traditional
local
folk
songs).
The
festival
continues
with
elaborate
parades,
costumes
and
an
enormous
dragon
dance.
Mbang
Kate
Festival
Cham
Elders
at
the
Kate
Festival
Date:
8th
and
9th
lunar
month
2010:
October
7
(most
important
day)
This
festival
holiday
is
an
adaptation
of
the
last
day
of
Muslim
Ramadan
(called
Ramawan
by
the
Cham)
The
festival
begins
in
the
towers
and
mausoleums,
and
then
moves
to
homes.
Locally,
it
typically
begins
at
the
Cham
Towers
overlooking
Phan
Thiet.
This
Cham
festival
is
an
occasion
to
celebrate
heroes
and
spirits
(Po
Nagar),
kings
of
merit
(Kings
Po
Klong
Garai
and
Po
Ro
Me),
and
their
people.
On
this
holiday,
the
Raglai
people
travel
to
the
Highlands
and
celebrate
together
with
the
Cham
people.
During
the
Festival,
there
are
offerings
made
to
the
genii,
and
hats
and
costumes
are
placed
on
statues.
At
the
end
of
the
ceremony,
people
recite
poems,
play
music,
and
participate
in
other
games
and
forms
of
entertainment.
Dinh
Thay
Festival
-
Festival
at
the
Magician's
Temple
Dinh
Thay
Thim,
La
Gi
Date:
15th
and
16th
days
of
the
10th
lunar
month
2008:
12-14
October
Every
year
on
the
15th
and
16th
days
of
9th
month
of
the
Vietnamese
lunar
year,
at
the
Magician's
Temple
(Thay
Thim)
in
La
Gi,
Ham
Tan,
there
is
a
big
Festival
on
the
death
anniversary
of
a
Magician
and
his
Wife.
The
Legend
says
that
in
the
19th
century,
a
married
couple
from
Quang
Nam
Province
came
here
and
cured
the
diseases
of
the
local
inhabitants
with
magic.
After
their
death,
the
local
people
built
a
temple
to
worship
them.
During
the
Festival,
many
local
people
go
to
the
temple
to
praying,
receive
tattoos,
consult
oracles,
have
their
horoscopes
told,
and
attend
banquets.
The
festival
is
held
in
Tan
Hai
Commune,
La
Gi
County.
Cau
Ngu
and
the
Ba
Trao
Opera
Performances
at
the
Van
Thuy
Tu
Temple
The
Cau
Ngu
Festival
is
a
fisherman's
festival
for
whale
worship,
and
alternates
years
with
the
Nghinh
Ong
Festival.
It
includes
a
parade,
dragon
boat
races,
traditional
games,
and
a
variety
of
performances
of
Ba
Trao
Opera,
the
most
notable
performance
being
around
the
clock
at
the
Van
Thuy
Tu
Whale
Temple.
The
Dua
Linh
or
Ba
Trao
Opera
is
originally
a
Cham
art
form
associated
with
whale
worship.
The
ritual
begins
on
the
riverbank
with
boatmen
singing
while
rowing;
praying
to
the
Whale
for
peace,
favorable
winds,
asafe
voyage,
and
a
good
catch
for
the
season.
Peace
Prayer
Ceremony
Once
yearly,
at
sunset
during
the
Kate
Festival,
the
Cham
People
celebrate
the
Peace
Prayer
ceremony;
saying
goodbye
to
the
bad
luck
of
the
previous
year,
and
pray
for
good
things
to
come
in
the
new
year.
After
the
ceremony
there
are
a
variety
of
games
and
traditions.
Ceremonies
such
as
Prayer
for
Rain,
Rija
Nuga,
Damp
Building
Festival,
and
the
Abstinence
Ceremony
are
also
held
yearly
by
the
Cham.
|
Other
Local
Holidays |
|
April
19 |
Binh
Thuan
Provincial
Liberation
(1975) |
|
Other
National
Holidays |
|
March
8 |
International
Women's
Day |
|
May
1 |
Labour
Day
(May
Day) |
|
September
2 |
National
Day
(Ho
Chi
Minh's
speech
in
1945) |
|
November
20 |
Teacher's
Day |
|
Other
Religious
Holidays |
|
15/4
(lunar) |
Buddha's
Birthday |
|
5/5
(lunar) |
Midyear
Festival |
|
15/7
(lunar) |
Full
moon
of
the
7th
month
(Mother's
Day) |
|
23/12
(lunar) |
Kitchen
Guardians |
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