Nghi Xuan

Introduction

Nghi Xuân is a rural district in Hà Tĩnh province, on Vietnam's North Central Coast. Its seat is the town of Nghi Xuân, and the surrounding countryside spreads across a modest area of the province. This is a quiet, landlocked part of the region rather than a beach destination, so come expecting rice fields, villages and a slow pace.

The district's main draw is literary: Nguyễn Du and Nguyễn Công Trứ, both accomplished writers, were born here. If you have an interest in Vietnamese letters, Nghi Xuân is worth a detour as a place of origin for two of the country's celebrated authors.

Three days in Nghi Xuan

Day one: Start in Nghi Xuân, a district of Hà Tĩnh on Vietnam's North Central Coast, and take your time getting oriented. This is Nguyễn Du country, so begin with the places associated with the poet and let the landscape set the pace. Keep the day short and unhurried.

Day two: Turn to Nguyễn Công Trứ, the other figure tied to this stretch of the North Central Coast. Spend the day following his connections through Nghi Xuân and the wider Hà Tĩnh area, reading what you can about both men before you arrive so the sites mean more.

Day three: Use your last day to slow down and take in the district as a whole. If you have time, look into the wider Hà Tĩnh region, but keep Nghi Xuân as your base and let the Vietnamese countryside around you fill the hours.