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May to August is the beach season at Cửa Lò, with hot, sunny weather. The summer also brings a hot dry wind from Laos. September to November is wet and typhoons are possible. Winter from December to February is cold and drizzly.

• Old Citadel of Vinh is a small ruin of the old Vinh citadel, built in the early 19th century.
• Independence and Freedom Monument is a monument in Vinh city centre.
• Hải đăng Cửa Hội is a lighthouse at the river mouth near Cửa Lò.

Kim Liên, Hồ Chí Minh's home village, is about 14 km from Vinh. Cửa Lò Beach is about 15 km north-east. Pù Mát National Park lies in the west.

• Visit Kim Liên: See the thatched house and the village.
• Swim at Cửa Lò: A long beach, busy in summer.
• Eat local specialities: Try the eel soup and orange-flavoured sweets.
• Walk in Vinh: The citadel and the riverside are easy to see in half a day.

• Kim Liên: Hồ Chí Minh's home village, with a replica of his childhood home.
• Cửa Lò: The beach resort, about 20 minutes from Vinh.
• Ha Tinh: Hà Tĩnh is the next province south.
• Thanh Hoa: Thanh Hóa lies to the north.

• North: Thanh Hoa is the next province.
• South: Ha Tinh and Dong Hoi are on the coast road.
• Capital: Hanoi is about 5 hours north by road.

• By air: Vinh Airport (VII) has flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
• By train: Vinh station is on the north–south line. Vietnam Railways
• By bus: Buses run along Highway 1 from Hanoi in about 5 hours.
• To Cửa Lò: Buses and taxis take about 20 to 30 minutes.

• Taxi and ride-hailing: Available in Vinh and Cửa Lò.
• Motorbike hire: Good for Kim Liên and the coast.
• Bus: Local buses link Vinh with Cửa Lò.

• Is a car worth it? For Kim Liên, Cửa Lò and the coast, a car or motorbike is the easiest.
• Roads: Highway 1 is busy. Mountain roads in the west are winding.
• Summer weekends: Traffic to Cửa Lò is heavy.

Nghệ An food is strong and salty. The most famous dish is súp lươn, eel soup. Try also cháo lươn, eel porridge, and bánh mướt, thin steamed rice sheets. Cam Vinh oranges and tương Nam Đàn, a local soybean sauce, are common gifts.

Nghệ An is safe for visitors.

• Swim only in marked zones at Cửa Lò. Currents can be strong.
• Typhoon season runs from August to October.
• The hot wind from Laos can bring heat in summer. Drink water.
• Mountain roads in the west can be slippery.

Nghệ An has been a centre of Vietnamese history for centuries and was the base of many uprisings. Hồ Chí Minh was born in the province in 1890 and spent his childhood in Kim Liên.

Vinh was almost completely destroyed in the war and rebuilt in the 1970s and 1980s with help from East Germany. The old citadel survives only as a small ruin.

Quick practical facts for Vietnam at a glance: