The port city of Vinh is the capital of Nghe An Province. Apart from lashings of dreary Soviet-style architecture, there is almost nothing of interest in the city itself, but there are a few sights in the surrounding area. Vinh's economic fortunes have recently been greatly improved by the sharp increase in traffic on National Highway I. For travellers, the town is a convenient place to stop for the night if you are on the overland route between Hue and Hanoi. Vinh is also an essential transit point if you're heading overland to from Tha Khaek in Laos.

Nghe An and neighouring Ha Tinh province have been lumped with poor soil and some or the worst weather in Vietnam; the area frequently suffers from severe floods and devastating typhoons. The locals say, 'The typhoon was born here and comes hack often to visit'. The summers are very hot and dry, while in winter the cold and rain are made all the more unpleasant by biting winds from the north.

As a result of the poor climate and many years of half-baked collectivized farming policies, Nghe An Province and Ha Tinh province are among the most destitute regions in Vietnam. The recent economic reforms have greatly improved things, but nobody has yet figured out a way to reform the lousy weather.

History
Vinh's recent history has not been the happiest. It was a pleasant citadel-city during colonial days, but was destroyed in the early 1950s as a result of French aerial bombing and the Viet Minh's scorched-earth policy. Vinh was later devastated by a huge fire.

The Ho Chi Minh Trail began in Nghe An Province, and much of the war materiel transported on the Ho Chi Minh Trail was shipped via the port of Vinh. Not too surprisingly, the US military obliterated the city in hundreds of air attacks and naval artillery bombardments from 1964 to 1972, which left only two buildings intact. The Americans paid a high price for the bombings - more US aircraft and pilots were shot down over Nghe An Province and Ha Tinh province than over any other part of North Vietnam. The heavy loss of planes and pilots was one reason why the USA later brought in battleships to pound North Vietnam with artillery shells fired from offshore.

Entertainment

Vinh is not exactly known for its raging nightlife, which is probably the reason why a British expat decided to open the funky Zulu Bar (51 D Quang Trung) Vinh's first (and only) Western-style watering hole, this unique little haven is the antithesis to the run-of-the-mill karaoke joints in town, and the place to be if you're overnight in Vinh. 

- Nghe An Province 

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