VUNG TAU CITY
Vung Tau is located at the tip of a small peninsula in southern Vietnam, 90 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Peninsula is surrounded by Ganh Rai Bay, and the Saigon and Mekong rivers flowing into the bay. Vung Tau is a major holiday destination for residents of Ho Chi Minh City, both for weekend breaks and just a day trip as it is not far from Ho Chi Minh City. Vung Tau is famous for its beaches where you can enjoy the sunrise on one side of the peninsula and the sunset on the other. Vung Tau has a tropical climate with rainfall mostly from May to November and a dry season from December to April with an average annual temperature of 26.6°C. Vũng Tàu – Wikipedia
ANCHORAGE
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the peninsula was an important landing place for merchant ships from Europe, and the name of the town, Vung Tau, translates as “anchorage”. Once upon a time, centuries ago, this place was also called swampland. In the 17th century, it was settled by the Vietnamese, who built many new Buddhist temples and monuments on their arrival. Under the reign of King Gia Long in the 18th century, pirates from the Malay Archipelago established their base on the peninsula, which later they caused problems for the merchant ships. The king sent an army to get rid of the pirates, which was successful operation. As a reward, the soldiers were given lands. During the reign of the Nguyễn dynasty, the province was called Biên Hòa and the village was called Tam Thắng (“Three Boats”) which consisted of three villages Thắng Nhất, Thắng Nhị, Thắng Tam.
CAP SAINT-JACQUES
The French Indo-Chinese government renamed the town Cap Saint-Jacques (VN. “Cap Xanh Giắc”) where in 1901 lived 5,690 people of whom 2,000 had arrived as immigrants from North Vietnam. On 4 April 1905, Cap Saint-Jacques was designated an administrative district of Bà Rịa Province. In 1929, Cap Saint Jacques was granted provincial status, and since 1934 it has been known as the town of Vung Tau. The mansion of the French Indochinese governor Paul Doumer is still a tourist attraction in Vung Tau, who later became the president of the France.
During the Vietnam War, Vung Tau was the headquarters for Australian logisticians and also the base for various US forces at various times. After the war, however, it was a hiding place for people who hid itself from the communists. From 1979 onwards, Vung Tau was the capital of the Vung Tau – Con Dao Administrative Zone. In 1991, the name was changed to Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province where Vung Tau officially became Vung Tau City, with an area of 140 m2, consisting of thirteen districts and one commune on Long Son Island.
CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS
Today, the role of the city port in the maritime sector has diminished, but the Vung Tau city still plays an important role in Vietnam’s offshore oil industry as the peninsula is home to the only base for Vietnam’s crude oil and natural gas. The peninsula is also home to a large number of Russian citizens since the headquarters of the Vietsovpetro corporation, established in 1981, is located in Vung Tau, which is a Russian-Vietnamese oil and gas joint venture. In addition to the headquarters, the town has shops, cafes, a Russian cultural centre, a Russian-language school, taxi drivers and also an Orthodox church. More than 600 professionals and their families populate this Vung Tau commune, which is also believed to be the largest commune of Russians in Vietnam.
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