La Gi – From Memories to the Coastal Town of Today
La Gi once possessed a beauty that was quiet and understated: the salty scent of the sea carried into town by the wind, familiar streets and rooftops glimpsed through rows of trees. Amid today's changing pace of life, traces of the old La Gi remain—a place known for its simplicity, gentleness and strong community spirit.
A Land Defined by Human Warmth
The former La Gi township was established in 2005 through the separation of part of Ham Tan District's land area and population. From a coastal settlement, La Gi gradually developed into a new urban center.
We returned to La Gi on an autumn morning, before the sun had fully risen, when the seafront was already bustling with activity. Fishing boats returned from their trips, while buyers and sellers exchanged calls. Voices, motorbikes and the sound of waves blended into the distinctive rhythm of a coastal town.
Life here once seemed to move at a slower pace. People knew one another through familiar streets and small neighborhoods. Mothers waited anxiously for their children as the fishing seasons came and went. Men devoted their lives to boats, fishing nets and journeys out to sea. As evening fell, the coastal town grew quieter. Children played in front of their homes, while adults sat together, sharing brief conversations that sustained the bonds between neighbors.
La Gi of those days had few modern buildings and had yet to take on the appearance of a tourism-oriented urban center. Yet it possessed something in abundance: memories. These were the memories of a land shaped by the sea, by hardworking hands and by generations of residents who chose to make this place their home.
Today's La Gi has wider roads, busier streets and more spacious homes. Commerce, services and tourism have become increasingly visible in daily life. Local specialties, including fish sauce, dried seafood and traditional products, are also being introduced to wider markets through commercial activities. The sea remains unchanged, but people's perspective on it has evolved.
In the past, the sea was primarily a source of livelihood. Today, it is also a resource for developing tourism and services and expanding urban spaces. La Gi has been identified as an area with considerable potential for coastal tourism, and transport infrastructure and connectivity are gradually receiving greater attention to help realize that potential.
We sensed that La Gi is entering a new chapter. Since July 1, 2025, administrative restructuring has led to the establishment of La Gi Ward under the new two-tier local government system. These changes have opened up a new framework for local governance, while the story of La Gi's land, people and collective memories continues.
Preserving the Spirit of the Sea in Modern Life
I have a particular fondness for La Gi in the late afternoon. As the sun loses its intensity, the coastal town slows after a busy day. People ride their motorbikes through the streets, small eateries begin to light up, and beyond them, the sea continues its tireless rhythm against the shore.
Nguyen Van Hoi, a resident who has lived in La Gi for decades, recalled that the streets were once much quieter than they are today, and the market was different, too. Trading was built on familiarity and trust. Often, people did not need many words; a glance was enough to understand one another. Life now moves faster, but many of the longtime residents remain. They are living witnesses to a La Gi that has weathered countless fishing seasons.
After a night at sea, fishing boats return to shore with holds full of fish and crews whose skin has darkened under the sun and wind. At the landing, people quickly unload, sort and weigh the catch. The work proceeds at a brisk pace, yet everyone seems accustomed to the rhythm.
Some fishermen have spent nearly their entire lives at sea. They know how to read the color of the water to anticipate the weather and observe wind direction to judge whether a voyage will be favorable or difficult. To them, the sea is not simply a landscape to admire. It is a great companion—generous at times, yet unforgiving at others.
La Gi today is different from the town of years past. Yet in the salt carried by the sea breeze, in the footsteps of people working at the fishing port and in the stories of residents who have devoted their lives to this land, the familiar spirit of La Gi remains intact. Its memories are not confined to the past; they continue alongside the coastal town as it moves forward.
Perhaps La Gi's most enduring beauty lies precisely here: its ability to welcome new possibilities without losing sight of its roots, and to look toward the future while cherishing the simple values that have shaped its identity.