Quang Ngai
The capital of the province of the same name, Quang Ngai (aka Quang Nhia or Quangai) was only officially awarded city status in 2005, so the impression of a big country town is justified. The city itself offers no obvious attractions and those few travellers that venture here generally come to pay their respects to the victims of the most famous atrocity of the American War. Perhaps it’s the sombre mood induced by the Memorial that has caused tourists to overlook one of Vietnam’s best and least developed beaches, less than 2 kilometres away.

Even before WWII, Quang Ngai was an important centre of resistance to the French. During the Franco-Viet Minh War, the area was a Viet Minh stronghold. In 1962 the South Vietnamese government introduced its ill-fated Strategic Hamlets Program. Villagers were forcibly removed from their homes and resettled in fortified hamlets, infuriating and alienating the local population and increasing popular support for the Viet Cong. Some of the bitterest fighting of the American War took place here.

---

Getting there & away
Contents
Land
Bus
The Quang Ngai bus station (Ben Xe Khach Quang Ngai; Ð Le Thanh Ton) is situated to the south of the centre, 50m east of Ð Quang Trung. Regular buses head to all the major stops on Hwy 1A, including Sa Huynh (20, 000d, 1½ hours) and Quy Nhon (60, 000d, 3½ hours). If you’re on an open-tour you should be able to leave the bus as it passes through town, but a pick up from here is difficult to arrange.

Car & motorbike
From Quang Ngai road distances are: 889km to Hanoi, 100km to Hoi An, 174km to Quy Nhon, 412km to Nha Trang and 860km to HCMC.

Train
Reunification Express trains stop at Quang Ngai Train Station (Ga Quang Nghia; 820 280; 204 Ð Nguyen Chi Thanh), 1.5km west of the town centre. Destinations include Hanoi (350, 000d, 19½ to 23½ hours, four daily), Danang (47, 000d, 2½ to four hours, six daily), Quy Nhon (40, 000d, 5½ hours, one local train daily), Nha Trang (146, 000d, six to 8½ hours, six daily) and HCMC (300, 000d, 13½ to 20 hours, six daily).

---

 See more Viet Nam

About Hanoi Vietnam | Around Ho Chi Minh City | About Halong Bay Vietnam | Ba Be National Park | Ba Vi National Park | Bac Lieu | Bai Tu Long Bay  | Bo Nau Cave (Pelican cave) |  Beaches North of Nha Trang |  Ben Tre | Buon Ma Thuot | Ca Mau  | Dien Bien Phu | Dong Hoi | Ha Giang | Haiphong | Halong City | Ho Coc Beach | Dong Hoi | Kon Tum | Kim Quy Grotto | Lang Son | Lao Cai | Long Hai | Luon Grotto | Long Xuyen | Mai Chau | Mekong Delta | Mui Ne Beach | My Tho | Phan Rang & Thap Cham | Phan Thiet | Phat Diem | Phong Nha Cave | Phu Quoc Island | Pleiku | Quang Ngai | Rach Gia | Soc Trang | Song Cau | Tam Coc | Tam Dao  | Tay Ninh | Thay & Tay Phuong Pagodas | Tra Co Beach | Tra Vinh | Tuy Hoa  | Van Don Island  | Vinh Long | Vung Tau |