Where am I again?
Region: North Central Vietnam> Province: Nghe An>Location: Vinh
Vinh sights and attractions
Ancient Citadel Gates, Xo Viet Museum, War Vestiges - A quick and easy cultural tour
Description
If you have nothing better to do in Vinh, a quick and easy cultural tour is available. Find Dao Tan Street, which is just north of the Saigon Kimlien Hotel and head east. Along the road on the right you'll find an American plane and a missile sitting in front of a government building. Along the road you'll also pass through pretty much all that remains of Vinh's ancient citidal -- two stone gates, the left gate and the right gate. On the same road is the Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Museum. It's a small museum detailing the struggles of the Vietnamese revolutionary movement during the French occupation. There's a heavy emphasis on inconsequential artefacts, as well as pictures and biographies of martyrs and heroes most travellers will have never heard of. But there are a few disturbing photos of revolutionaries being imprisoned by the French or executed by firing squad. There's also a black-and-white photo on the second floor that gives a good sense of what the Citadel looked like before it was destroyed -- an impressive star-shaped fortress that must have been a sight to see in its day.
Central city park and amusement park - Good for the kids
Corner of Le Mao and Tran Phu, Vinh
Description
It's hard to miss the monumental statue of Uncle Ho at the north east side of the park. It's surrounded by a promenade, and it makes a fine place for a stroll on a summer evening, when the statue is colourfully lit up. The south-western corner of the park is dedicated to an amusement park, with some rides for the kids and swan boats can be rented to paddle around the pond. Here as elsewhere in Vietnam, admission is based not on how old you are, but how tall you are. Seems odd, but it simplifies matters considerably.
Opening Hours: 15:00 to 23:00 daily
Kim Lien - Ho Chi Minh's birthplace
14km from Vinh
Description
Ho Chi Minh was born and raised in Kim Lien (Que Ngoai Bac Ho), a small hamlet 14 km to the northwest of Vinh, making it 'hallowed ground' for patriotic Vietnamese. You won't find much there but a few huts with thatched roofs -- there's a loom, a spinning wheel, the family kitchen, etc., all carefully preserved. A third building houses the family temple for honouring their ancestors. It sits on the family plot of land, which is still tended and sown by caretakers to this day.
For Vietnamese visitors, its an object lesson in how such a great man can come from such humble beginnings. Uncle Ho is so much larger than life in the Vietnamese imagination, they never tire of remarking that he was, in fact, one of the people. Most foreigners won't really feel the need to visit here, but if your stay in Vietnam has made you curious about the man behind the personality cult, it helps give a more complete picture.
Admission is free, though at peak times you may be obligated to buy three bouquets of flowers for 10,000 VND each, to be laid at certain altars throughout the site. On our visit in low season, this wasn't the case. The site closes during mid-day, so it makes sense to plan your trip so that you don't have to wait around for two hours.
To get here, head west from the roundabout at the base of Quant Trung street (Dang Thai Than Street is the most direct route) till it meets Highway 46. Follow that for about 12 more kilometres west to where you'll see a big sign announcing that Uncle Ho 'warmly welcomes' you to his homeland -- in English. Take a left there. You may see signs along the way prompting you to take a right towards Mo Ba Boan Thi Loan, the tomb of Ho Chi Minh's mother, but ignore those if you just want to head to the birthplace.
Opening Hours: 07:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00