The beautiful site of Dragon Fin Cape. — Photo truyenhinhdulich.vn

By Thanh Giang

Mũi Vi Rồng (Dragon Fin Cape) is a giant cliff reaching out to the sea that looks like a giant dragon in the south-central coastal province of Bình Định.

The scenery has a mysterious wild beauty that leaves visitors a wanting to explore every nook and cranny on offer. The cape forms a rocky mountain in Tân Phụng Village of Mỹ Thọ Commune in Phù Mỹ District, located about 70km from Quy Nhơn City to the north, about 20km from Phù Mỹ Town.

As you reach the end of the village, Dragon Fin Cape appears majestic surrounded by crystal clear blue waters.

Arriving at Tân Phụng on a peaceful day just before the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, our first feelings were of the whistling of the wind, the salty taste of the sea and the strong smell of dried fish wafting from the shacks of local fishermen’s houses.

The people here mainly live off fishing. As the most abundant fishing waters in the region, the Tân Phụng sea is always crowded with large and small fishing boats.

Legend has it that the mountain was once a giant block that had the shape of a fish's fin. People thought it looked like it had dragon scales and called it "Dragon Scale Rock".

Cao Biển, a general at that time, felt that the mountain had much spiritual energy, so cast a spell to cut off the dragon's scales to eliminate any evil. When slashing the scales, the dragon's blood poured down, falling onto the many small ochre stones mixed in the nearby sandbanks.

 If you walk on the sand, there are times when you see the vermillion stones, which are said to contain the blood of the dragon.

A corner of the beach with moored boats viewed from Dragon Fin Cape. — Photo vietgiaitri.com

Seen from afar, the cape stands proud as an indomitable rock amid the vast ocean waves. The dragon seems to want to escape its captivity, craning forward to the sea. Waves crashing into the cliffs form white foam that looks like the dragon's mouth is spewing water.

We climbed to the highest point of the mountain, enjoying the panoramic view of the sea. The fishing boats were busy in and out, sailing between the undulating rocky ridges that overlap with each other, while the white sandy beach stretched out, with green trees planted along the shore. We felt relaxed, comfortable, immersed in nature.

Right at the foot of the mountain, there is a beautiful arcing beach. It has pure white sand dunes, with cool blue water where you can see through to the bottom.

In the winter, it is an ideal place for windsurfing for those who love such adventure.

Vũng Mới Lighthouse is just off Tân Phụng Village, Mỹ Thọ Commune, Phù Mỹ District, Bình Định Province. — Photo addflag.com

After a pleasurable swim, we continued to conquer Vũng Mới Lighthouse, also located in Tân Phụng. This lighthouse was built during the French colonial period on Vũng Mới Bay, with a light tower 16m high, built of dark grey stone. The height of the light centre above sea level is 62m. To get to the lighthouse, you must go down a narrow path with high, sloping steps.

From the lighthouse downward, we saw large and small rocks welcoming the white waves. This was at Bãi Bàn, a sandy beach marked with unusual rocks of pristine beauty. Walking, and then immersing ourselves in the deep blue water, diving to see the many fish among the coral reef, we felt revived and renewed.

Of course, going to Dragon Fin Cape we wanted to enjoy the rich choice of seafood such as shrimp, fish, squid and, especially, huỳnh đế crab and sea urchin. By going to Tân Phụng Village and exploring the market here, we could see and enjoy the vast array of seafood caught fresh every day.

Huỳnh Đế crab is a specialty with high economic value of Bình Định. — Photo dulichtoday.vn

With the blue sky, white clouds, golden sunshine, long white sand beaches and beautiful mountain scenery, Dragon Fin Cape is a pitch-perfect place for tourists to wander through and discover at their leisure. There is even an annual fish worshipping festival in May, with exciting water sports such as boat racing and diving.

The terrain here is a wonderful combination of mountains and sea, ideal for making visitors forget the chaos of the city and immersing themselves in the hidden, magnificent beauty of the legendary Dragon Fin Cape. VNS