Vung Tau: Coastal City on Vietnam's Southeastern Cape

Vung Tau occupies the southern tip of a peninsula jutting into the South China Sea, about 125 kilometers southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. The name itself—meaning "anchorage"—reflects its geography: a natural harbor that drew maritime traders, pirates, and eventually European colonial powers.

Ancient and Early Medieval Roots

Archaeological digs at Giong Lon, a sandbank on Long Son island, show humans lived here as far back as the 2nd millennium BC. Clay pots, jewelry, weapons, and burial sites suggest trade links with the Oc Eo culture and connections across the region. Between the 1st and 7th centuries, the area fell under the rule of Funan, later replaced by the Chenla Kingdom. Records from those periods are sparse.

In 1295, a Yuan Chinese diplomat named Zhou Daguan mentioned passing through a place called Zhenpu—possibly in this region—during a voyage to Angkor. By the 14th and 15th centuries, the cape had become a swamp that European trading ships visited regularly. Portuguese maps labeled it Oporto Cinco Chagas (or simply Cinco Chagas). Later, French cartographers called it Cap Saint-Jacques, a name the French Indochinese government officially adopted. The rocky headland is now known locally as Mui Nghinh Phong—"Cape of Greeting Wind."

Vietnamese Settlement and Fortifications

The 16th and 17th-century Trinh–Nguyen War displaced Vietnamese communities southward. Many settled near Vung Tau in three villages—Thang Nhat, Thang Nhi, and Thang Tam—collectively known as Tam Thang ("Three Boats"). The names commemorate the three founding settlements.

Under Emperor Gia Long (1761–1820), Malay pirates used Vung Tau as a base. The emperor sent troops to drive them out, then granted the soldiers land to protect the area permanently. Later emperors—Gia Long, Minh Mang, and Thieu Tri—invested heavily in coastal defense. A military fortress, Phuoc Thang bao, was built in 1839 on a hillside overlooking what's now called Buffalo Cape. It was equipped with six bronze cannons and served as both barracks and defensive stronghold.

Image by Tuong Lam Photos via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

French Colonial Period and Urban Development

On February 10, 1859, Vietnamese troops at Phuoc Thang fired cannons at French battleships—an early act of resistance during France's invasion of southern Vietnam. Over the following decades, the French transformed Vung Tau into a colonial resort town.

In 1876, the French merged Vung Tau into Ba Ria county under Saigon's administration. By 1895, Cap Saint Jacques was declared an autonomous town. It became a district in 1905, a province in 1929, and a city in 1934.

Between 1885 and 1934, French architects and engineers reshaped the waterfront. They laid out the Front Beach promenade (then called Baie de Cocotiers), built administrative buildings—the Post Office, Grand Hotel, Lighthouse—and created villas for colonial officials. In 1898, French Indochina's governor Paul Doumer (who later became President of France) built the Villa Blanche, which stands today as a landmark. Colonial Route 15 was paved in 1896 to connect the port with Saigon. A jetty built on Front Beach enabled regular ferry service to Saigon.

Image by Tuong Lam Photos via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

Modern Era and Recent Changes

After the Geneva Agreement (1954), South Vietnam resettled approximately one million people from the North, including over 800,000 Catholics. Three temporary camps in Vung Tau housed new arrivals.

For decades, Vung Tau remained known as a beach resort for Saigon weekenders and a center for crude oil extraction. The city's history as a defensive stronghold, resort destination, and oil hub gave it distinct character within the region.

As of July 2025, Vung Tau's administrative status changed. The independent city was legally dissolved and incorporated into Ho Chi Minh City. The name "Vung Tau" now refers to a ward-level subdivision covering the southern cape—the historical heart of the old city. Locals and visitors continue to use "Vung Tau" colloquially for the entire peninsula area, a common pattern when major Vietnamese provincial cities merge into larger metropolitan zones.

What Visitors See Today

The colonial-era lighthouse, the Villa Blanche, and Front Beach remain the primary landmarks. The landscape still reflects its past: harbor views, rocky outcrops (including Mui Nghinh Phong), and tree-lined promenades built by French engineers. Whether you arrive as a day-tripper from Ho Chi Minh City or stay longer to swim and explore the cape, the physical imprint of 4,000 years of settlement—from Bronze Age fishermen to 19th-century European traders to modern weekend visitors—shapes what you encounter.