Timeless Charm.......Northern Vietnam (Part 2): Hai Phong City

Hai Phong is a coastal city located at the mouth of the Cấm River, in north east of Vietnam and about 120 km east of Ha Noi. It is the third largest city of Vietnam and the north's most important seaport with its deep-water anchorage. The city's name actually means "coastal defense". Hai Phong is not listed as one of the tourist heavens in Vietnam, nevertheless it can be a good city to explore the Vietnamese lifestyle and culture.

The street vendors in Hai Phong market near Tam Bac

A dose of snooze to energize the afternoon job

Hai Phong flower market 

In 1881, at the early years of French conquest, a devastating typhoon ravaged the area, whipped up to 1/4 million of lives. Nevertheless, Hai Phong was redeveloped by the French to serve as the main naval base.

The wall of Naval and seaport office in Hai Phong

Late in the Vietnam War, Hai Phong was subjected to heavy bombing by US Navy and Air Force because it was North Vietnam's only major harbor. The city, however, was completely unaffected by the war due to the establishment of a prohibition zone surrounding it. After the war, the city recovered and became a significant industrial center. To understand the history of war and industrial development in Hai Phong, it is recommended to visit the local museum, almost all the exhibits come with English descriptions. The opening hours of this museum are quite unusual and the admission fee was RM0.70 (USD0.25; VND5000). Other attractions of the city include the Hai Phong Opera House, the flower market and Tam Bac Lake. What I noticed from my visit,  most of the architecture here are strongly influenced by the French similar to that of other major cities in Vietnam. 

The Hai Phong city museum

The unusual opening hours of the Hai Phong City Museum

The Hai Phong Opera House

Hai Phong city post office

Walking at night surrounding the city is quite safe. The local people love to spend their night outside. The street vendors are very popular with their beef noodles or locally known as "Pho Bo". This maybe the staple food for the locals, every single corner of the street you can see this vendor. If you look for your basic supply for food and others, go to one of the medium sized supermarket at Minh Khai street near the Hai Phong City Museum.

Street vendor selling 'pho bo' or the Vietnamese beef noodle

A typical dinner scene in Vietnam, this include Hai Phong. Street vendor can be found at every corner of the streets

The easiest and cheapest way to travel from Ha Noi to Hai Phong is by bus. Frequent buses run from Lương Yên station in Hanoi (south of old quarter) to Tam Bạc station in the centre of Hai Phong (RM10; USD3; VND70,000 one way). Just remember to buy the ticket from the ticketing counter or booth. 

The man-made Tam Bac Lake......Tam Bac bus station is located at the other end of this lake

By my observation surrounding the Tam Bac lake, the city residents take seriously healthy lifestyle practice as an afternoon exercise looks like a must for everybody.

Early training on the ride