Tam Thanh: the fishing village that art saved from oblivion

Hoi An is one of Vietnam's most beloved destinations — lanterns, covered bridges, tailors — but its own success has transformed it. Forty kilometres to the south, along a coast of dunes and palms, the fishing village of Tam Thanh has found a different way to exist.

A village painted by the sea

In 2016, a public art project promoted by Korean and Vietnamese artists transformed the fishermen's houses into open-air canvases. The murals tell the story of the sea: fish, waves, nets, boats. But this is neither a museum nor a theme park — it is a village where people continue to live, to dry fish in the sun, to mend their nets. The basket boats (thúng chai) dot the beach like giant walnut shells.

The beach and the river

Tam Thanh's beach is long, wild and empty. There are no resorts, no sunbeds — only sand, casuarina trees and the sound of the wind. The Truong Giang river separates the village from the mainland, creating an amphibious landscape of rice paddies, marshes and canals where boats glide in silence.

From Tam Thanh to Hoi An by bicycle

The coastal road between Tam Thanh and Hoi An is one of the most beautiful in central Vietnam: it winds through rice paddies, fishing villages and deserted beaches. By bicycle it takes 2–3 hours, with stops for Vietnamese coffee at local cafés. The route is flat and almost traffic-free.

Practical information

Tam Thanh is 7 km from Tam Ky, the capital of Quang Nam province. From Hoi An: taxi or motorbike (40 min). From Da Nang: 90 minutes. There are no hotels in the village — you stay in Tam Ky or make a day trip from Hoi An. The best time to visit is February–May (before the rains).