Vung Tau’s iconic beach reborn : cleared, revitalized, open to all
Once cluttered and overrun by vendors and unlicensed businesses, Vung Tau’s Back Beach has transformed in recent years into an open public place that welcomes both locals and tourists.
On a morning in late August, the beach along Thuy Van Street was teeming with visitors, joggers, cyclists, and playing children.
« Today, this beach truly belongs to everyone, » Huynh Van Tuoi, 71, who has lived in Vung Tau for four decades, says.
« I never imagined I would see such a sight. »
Stretching nearly four kilometers, Back Beach (Bai Sau) has long been the most popular beach in Vung Tau, the erstwhile city that has now become a ward of Ho Chi Minh City.
Its gentle slope and central location made it the heart of Vung Tau’s tourism.
But for years, it had been overrun by messy seafood vendors, trash and unauthorized stalls run by tourism businesses.
In 2016, the Vung Tau government launched a campaign to clean up the beach, banning all cooking, vending and dining on the beach.
« Beaches are for swimming only, not for any other activity, » it declared.
The decision was controversial, especially among vendors who feared loss of livelihood.
« We spent a lot of time persuading people that a clean, civilized beach would benefit not just the community, but the service providers themselves, » Mai Ngoc Thuan, former secretary of the city Party Committee, recalls.
« That was the first and critical step in transforming Back Beach. »
For years, a two-kilometer stretch of the beach from La Van Cau to Nguyen An Ninh streets was blocked by concrete fences put up by the tourism businesses, and accessing the beach required long detours or squeezing through narrow gaps.
In 1996, a 28-hectare parcel of beachfront land was handed to Ba Ria – Vung Tau Construction Company, which was then a state-owned company, before it officially became a joint stock company in 2005, to develop Thuy Van Beach at a cost of VND122 billion (US$4.62 million).
It subleased the land to eight businesses, who in turn rented to various others, often without formal contracts.
Over two decades, many companies failed to pay land rent to businesses under Ba Ria – Vung Tau Construction Company, totaling over VND320 billion by 2017.
A 2018 government inspection found most construction to be illegal or violating zoning plans.
In 2021, it decided to take back the land to restore the beach for public use.
It then began clearing the place.
Meetings and negotiations were held with the businesses, but disputes and resistance caused delays.
It was not until April 2023 that authorities started dismantling the fences, bamboo huts and thatched structures to reclaim the space.
It has since been transformed with public restrooms, freshwater showers, motorbike parking lots, and shaded areas, making the beach more comfortable for everyone.
« When the province approved nearly VND1.1 trillion for the Back Beach renovation, I was overjoyed, » Thuan says.
Still, not all businesses agreed to vacate.
Some filed complaints for compensation or requested to continue operations. This held up full clearance, affecting the beachgoer experience.
In some cases, authorities had to enforce evictions to meet project deadlines.
A new face for Vung Tau’s coastline
But now, after nearly a year of work, Back Beach is again uncluttered with stone-paved walkways and also has plazas, a seaside park, public facilities including rest areas, and a pedestrian tunnel under Thuy Van Street.
Architect and urban planning expert Ngo Viet Nam Son commends the provincial government’s bold move, saying: « Their determination to clean up and beautify Back Beach is commendable and hugely beneficial. »
But he points to the need for easy transportation.
« With such a long beach, … an unbroken path for walking and cycling, with rest stops and parking, is essential. A coastal electric shuttle, ideally free, would be a game changer. »
He also hopes that, as Vung Tau merges with HCMC, a metro line from the city to Vung Tau takes shape.
In the meantime, he calls for introducing a fast bus service directly from the city to Back Beach to ease weekend traffic and improve access for the hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting the place.
For sustainable development, he stresses the importance of a master plan that puts community and tourist needs at the center while mobilizing investments through a public-private partnership model.
« If done right, Back Beach won’t just be a beautiful coastline, but a vibrant, dynamic space that is capable of growing far beyond what we see today. »
By Truong Ha – VnExpress.net – September 16, 2025