Nha Trang
Nha Trang Overview
The port city of Nha Trang is the largest city in Khanh Hoa province, located at the mouth of the Cai River, 256 miles (412 km) northeast of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Khanh Hoa is dotted with over 200 picturesque islands, and its 200 km coastline abounds with beautiful white sand beaches. The Khanh Hoa coast is the first place in Vietnam to welcome the morning sun and enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year, with a comfortable average temperature of 26.5°C.
The name Nha Trang is a Vietnamese pronunciation of the Cham word “Ea Tran” or “Yja Tan.” “Ea” or “Yja” means river, and “Tran” means reed. According to locals, there were once many reeds along the Ngoc Hoi River, which winds through the city. The Ngoc Hoi was later renamed the Nha Trang River.
Another theory about the origin of the name has a more amusing twist. Long ago, in this part of the country, all houses were made of reeds and mud from the river. The only house made of brick belonged to Dr. Yersin, a French immunologist who made his home here. The house was painted a prominent white and could be seen by ships from afar. Once, a foreign ship was passing by, and the captain asked his translator where they were. Not knowing the exact location, the translator blurted out “Nha Trang”—meaning “White House” in Vietnamese. The captain noted “Nha Trang” in his logs, and the name stuck.
Brief History
Its history is recorded as far back as the 3rd century AD when, as part of the independent land of Kauthara (a Champa kingdom), it recognized the sovereignty of Funan. In 1653, it was incorporated into the territory of the Nguyen Lords of South Vietnam and after 1802 into the Kingdom of Vietnam due to its strategic value, possessing two large rivers and a well-protected port.
After 1862, Nha Trang was acquired by the French. In July 1891, Alexandre Yersin, a ship’s doctor seeking adventure, made his first landing here. Eight years later, he returned to found the now-famous Pasteur Institute for research into tropical diseases, remaining in the city until his death in 1943.
In 1912, the Saigon-Hanoi railway reached Nha Trang, then known as a fishing port with oil storage facilities. It also boasted a fine sandy beach and, under French rule, became a popular seaside resort. On the north bank of the Cai River sits the village of Thon Cu Lao, behind which, on a granite hill, stands Po Nagar (“Lady of the City”), a well-preserved cluster of four Cham shrines dedicated to Shiva, built or rebuilt between the 7th and 12th centuries. Today, Nha Trang is also the site of the University of Fisheries and Marine Products.
