Con Dao - pilgrimage place in July

Pier 914 and Con Dao Passenger Port lie side by side, demonstrating the image of Con Dao in the past and present.

Con Dao and contrasting images

Around noon, two ships, Superdong Con Dao and Mai Linh Express, arrived at the Passenger Port, bringing nearly 600 tourists from Soc Trang province to the island district. Stepping off the ship, looking out towards Ton Duc Thang Street, Ms. Thu Thanh (Tien Giang province) exclaimed: "Con Dao is as beautiful as I imagined."

Con Dao Passenger Port has been operating on a trial basis since mid-April 2023. This is the first dedicated port to receive passenger ships in the locality. This project is located right in the center of Con Dao, making it much more convenient for tourists to come here by sea. The architecture of the wharf is also highly appreciated for its aesthetic value. The entrance gate and the service blocks on both sides are designed in a soft symmetry, with colors that are in harmony with the surrounding landscape, ensuring uniqueness and a beautiful space for the beach in front of Con Son Bay.

More specifically, just a few hundred meters from the new pier is one of the historical sites that tourists to Con Dao often visit. Pier 914, a place that, a few decades ago, was the place to “welcome” ships carrying hundreds of revolutionary prisoners to “hell on earth”. 914 is an estimate of the number of prisoners who lost their lives when forced to carry out this project.

Here, every day, in front of the monument's memorial stele, groups of people respectfully bow to the deceased, especially the revolutionary soldiers who heroically sacrificed their lives.

Two piers with the same purpose of receiving ships, located almost parallel but completely opposite, and along with many other special locations, as further evidence of the history of Con Dao. A beautiful land that has experienced pain, but always strongly looks towards a bright future.

Con Dao has invested in a spacious infrastructure, thanks to which, it attracts many tourists.

Beautiful Con Dao

The weather in July in Con Dao is not the most beautiful of the year, but it is especially ideal for those who love to experience. The sun is hot, but the rain is pouring down, making the air cool. Depending on your needs, visitors can wander through the picturesque roads, exploring the beautiful places of Con Dao by different means, from electric cars, motorbikes or even bicycles. Following the coastal road to the south, I passed the scenic spots of Bai Da Trang, Mui Ca Map, Dinh Tinh Yeu... and Ben Dam Bay.

From above, Ben Dam Bay looks like a watercolor painting. In the distance are deep green mountains sloping gently, below is the vast, emerald green ocean. This is also the anchorage for fishing boats from all over the country when visiting Con Dao.

Leaving Ben Dam, I continued to explore the untouched roads in Con Dao such as Co Ong road connecting the town center to Con Dao airport. In particular, the Northwest Con Dao road, which was put into operation a few years ago, contributed to completing the transportation network around the island, creating favorable conditions for traveling and transporting goods.

In addition to its beauty, Con Dao is a rare place with diverse marine forest biological resources ranked at world class. The fauna and flora in the forest under the sea has many endemic species that are well protected. This is also a point that makes Con Dao attract many tourists.

Beautiful Con Dao from above

Con Dao is bustling

In recent years, Con Dao’s technical infrastructure has been heavily invested. The island district is no longer in difficulty or lack of everything, but has become spacious and complete. With its inherent advantages in landscape, climate and especially historical value, Con Dao has become a “pearl”, attracting a large number of tourists.

Con Dao Market is perhaps one of the places that most clearly shows the changes in the locality. Previously, the market only opened in the early morning and late afternoon. But now, to meet the needs of tourists, the market is open from morning to night. It is summer, the tourist season, so Con Dao Market is very busy. Customers come and go, bargaining is lively, but buyers and sellers are happy, smiles are always on their faces.

At night, Con Dao market becomes more vibrant and bustling with many shops and a variety of delicious dishes to serve tourists. Of course, seafood in Con Dao is still the most popular.

Con Dao in July is brilliant with banners, flags, and flowers to celebrate the War Invalids and Martyrs Day.

Con Dao has now also formed many tourist routes, with bustling and busy restaurants and eateries such as Ton Duc Thang, Nguyen Duc Nhuan... Many locations are designed and decorated beautifully and impressively, suitable for all types of tourists, from the elderly, family vacationers to young people coming here to explore and experience.

And of course, Con Dao with the orientation of developing high-class resorts, has focused on the depth of service quality, providing international standard amenities with many high-class tourist areas and hotels such as: Six Senses Con Dao Resort, Poulo Condor tourist area, The Secret Con Dao hotel, Saigon-Con Dao hotel...

In July, many people and tourists of all ages and backgrounds came to Hang Duong Cemetery to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs.

Con Dao full of gratitude

In the days of July, the time considered as the “Tet” of gratitude for the great contributions of the heroic martyrs, the generation of fathers and brothers who bravely sacrificed for the independence of the nation, the longevity of the Fatherland, the atmosphere in Con Dao becomes even more special. On both sides of the main roads, banners and slogans with meaningful content, rows of national flags, and Party flags fluttering, seem to add to the inherent beauty of Con Dao.

In Hang Duong Cemetery, groups of people came from all over the North, Central and South with flower baskets and small fruit baskets respectfully offered to the Common Monument and the graves of tens of thousands of patriotic revolutionary soldiers, whether they had names or not. Among them, there were heroes such as Le Hong Phong, Cao Van Ngoc and "Miss Sau" as the locals affectionately called them. Before the souls of those who had fallen, everyone respectfully bowed to remember their merits and prayed for their families' luck and peace.

Mr. Phan Ngoc Doi, Me Linh District, Hanoi City said that he especially loves Con Dao. Since the first time in 2017, every year, he and his family and relatives have come to travel here. “From just a few relatives in the family at first, now we have also established a “club” of people who love Con Dao. Every year, whenever we can arrange the time, we come here together, visit historical sites and experience the beautiful, peaceful scenery,” Mr. Doi shared.

Since 2017, every year, Mr. Phan Ngoc Doi (Hanoi) and his family return to visit Con Dao.

Elsewhere, in a small house in group 7, residential area 7, soldiers of the 792nd Engineer Battalion chatted and helped with small household chores while listening to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Vien (former political prisoner in Con Dao) and his wife recount tragic stories of the past. The eyes of the young men in their twenties could not help but shine with admiration and pride. This was just one of many meaningful activities to show gratitude for the contributions of previous generations to make Con Dao what it is today.

And at the end of July, Con Dao will hold many gratitude activities to celebrate the 76th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, with the participation of leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, ministries, departments and central agencies; leaders of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and especially former political prisoners of Con Dao. They will once again return to the "hell on earth" of which they themselves were historical witnesses to review the tragic memories, and most of all, to feel the daily changes of the pearl island.

According to Ba Ria-Vung Tau electronic newspaper