Peaceful Ba Ria Vung Tau

As a developing coastal city with a lot of tourists, Vung Tau is quite bustling at night. Along the road in Bau Sau of Vung Tau city, I am really flooded in colors. The souvenir vans display a great number of art crafts, from the simple looking gifts to the fanciful gifts. These foods are still vaporing hot, giving out very fragrant dishes and naturally, the seafood specialties of Vung Tau are indispensable. It’s a mistake if you visit a coastal area without trying the typical seafood there. That’s the reason why I have come to a restaurant on Truong Cong Dinh Street (Vung Tau city) to enjoy these dishes. This street is famous for a very delicious dish. It’s stingray hotpot.

I am front of a building with the typical architecture of the Southerners. It was built hundreds of years ago. The owner brought it from the Mekong River Delta and restored it. The building follows the ancient feng shui philosophy of our ancestors: leaning on the mountain and facing the sea. That creates a firm position and cool space for the building. The atmosphere is so pure and I feel very peaceful.

We can see these are solid natural cliffs. They have protected the house from a big storm. Its tile was swept away into the sea, but its foundation as well as its architectural frame still stood firm.  After that storm, the owner of the tourist center decided to restore this house again. It is not by chance that I choose Binh An village as a destination in our program. It stands with the ancient look among hundreds of luxurious resorts in Vung Tau city. Looking at the house’s ancient architectural features, nobody could understand that it had stood to the harsh climatic conditions of the coastal area and to the big storms. 11 ancient houses have been brought here from different villages in the South. The owner has spent much effort and time to maintain the cultural quintessence in architecture. Modernity is seen in the heart of ancientness, the artificial feature is mixed with the natural feature, but all is not done by force. This can be regarded as the top harmony.

Going along Bai Truoc of Vung Tau city on the Lon mountain foot, we’ll see an ancient white building that carries cultural and historical values of the city. It is considered one of the special features of Vung Tau city. It is called White Palace. It is located on the South of Lon Mountain at an attitude of 27m above sea level. The building has the European architecture in the late 19th century that is reflected via decorative patterns. The attraction of White Palace lies not only in its beautiful appearance and space but also in its historical values. The building was built by the French in 1898 and it was completed in 1916. Through the historical vicissitudes, white Palace has been used for different needs and purposes. Since 1926, it has become a holiday home for King Bao Dai and his family.

White Palace is now used as a museum where various are kept such as ancient pottery objects of the Kangxi Emperor time that were fished out from a wreck at Hon Cau, Con Dao and many other valuable objects found in an excavation in Ba Ria Vung Tau. White Palace is 19m high. It consists of 3 storeys: the basement for cooking, the 1st floor for festivals and the 2nd floor where I am standing for relaxation. Entering the building, we feel as if came back to the past. All the objects here seem to keep the old days. Changes of life outside seem making no influence on this place. Everything in this building is covered with the color of time. The atmosphere recalls nostalgia. That may be the feeling of my own. This place holds great appeal to those who love adventure like me. Even though I am not a researcher, but who knows if one day I will come back here to learn more about historical stories associated with this area. From here, we can cast our eyes to contemplate the whole scenery of Bai Truoc. It is so fresh and tranquil.

I am now at the Platform of Shakyamuni Buddha, one of the famous places of scenic beauty of Vung Tau. This is an original architectural and sculptural complex in combination with beautiful natural scenery. It covers an area of 6 ha. Here visitors can contemplate architectural and sculptural works that recreate life of Shakyamuni Buddha, from birth to death. They have created the sacredness for this place. With its lasting history and cultural and spiritual values, the Platform of Shakyamuni Buddha deserves to be a cultural and historical relic site of Vung Tau city.

This is a tower that contains the sarira of Shakyamuni Buddha. 3 sarias are placed here in a gold box. This is the pride of the Buddhists in Vung Tau city in particular and the Buddhists nationwide in general. The Buddhist architectural complex at the Platform of Shakyamuni Buddha is a spiritual destination, a “must” for both the Buddhists and also the visitors who want to find a place of peace in the hectic city.

Source: VTC10 - NETVIET