While I’ve lived in Seattle for more than half of my life and I consider the city my second hometown, my first hometown where I was born and raised is Phan Thiet, a coastal city in Southeast Vietnam and the capital city of what used to be Binh Thuan Province before the restructure in 2025.

Being a coastal city, Phan Thiet is known for fishing villages with vibrant colorful boats and outdoor fish markets where the locals would buy and sell fresh seafood everyday. As a child, I remember days where my family would go to the beach as early as 5am where I and my siblings would go play in the water and the sand while my mom would go shop for seafood. Phan Thiet has a tropical savanna climate, characterized as hot, dry and windy. In contrast to Seattle or the U.S. where people would go to the beach when it’s hot and sunny out, Phan Thiet locals go to the beach early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid sun exposure.

Phan Thiet is also famous for red and while sand dunes located 25 kilometers from the city center where tourist can enjoy jeep tour riding through the desert or sliding down the sandy hills. It is a perfect destination for photography and capturing the sunset.

The city also offers rich culture and history with famous landmarks such as Poshanu Cham Towers and Ta Cu Mountain & Lying Buddha.

Poshanu Cham Towers are a symbol of Champa culture influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. These towers are characterized by ancient red-brick structures built by the Champa Kingdom in the 8th-century to worship Hindu deities.

Ta Cu Mountain is home to Linh Son Truong Tho Pagoda and the longest Lying Buddha statue in Vietnam. The Lying Buddha statue is surrounded by lush green forest and sacred spiritual atmosphere. Visitors to the mountain and choose to hike, which takes an average between 2-3 hours, or enjoy a 10-minute cable car ride up to the temple.

Phan Thiet is becoming a popular tourist destination in recent years with lots of new resorts being built for private beach experience. I haven’t had a chance to revisit some of these places since moving the States but I would hope the city is able to retain its natural beauty alongside boosting tourism.