Over recent years, Da Nang has been attracting people from other localities across Viet Nam who want to come to work and settle down in this peaceful city.

Le Thi Luyen selling fried corn

Residential group No 78 in Son Tra District’s An Hai Dong Ward is now home to around 100 people from Hue City.  The majority of the men earn their living as manual labourers, whilst the women sell ‘banh bao’ (dumplings), ‘banh chung’ (sticky rice cakes), or ‘cha ca’ (fish cakes).

Many people from Quang Binh Province are now living in residential group No 18 in Hai Chau District’s Thuan Phuoc Ward.

Ms Nguyen Thi Tuan said “I and my fellow country persons from Quang Binh Province decided to settle down in Da Nang because the city’s residents are very kind-hearted, and they are always helpful to those from other localities”.

A large number of poor people from Ha Noi’s districts of Dong Anh, Chuong My, Thanh Tri, Tu Liem and Ung Hoa, along with those from the provinces of Nam Dinh, Bac Ninh, and Ha Giang, are earning their livings by selling street food near the city’s inner areas, local parks, supermarkets, and markets.

Their dishes include ‘pho’ (Vietnamese noodle soup), ‘dau khuon chien’ (fried tofu), ‘bap xao’ (fried corn), ‘xuc xinh chien’ (fried sausage), and ‘hat de rang’ (roasted chestnuts). 

24-year-old Le Thi Luyen from Ha Tay Province is a typical example.  In 2011, Luyen and her husband came to Da Nang to sell fried corn and fried sausages in the city.  Their children are still living in their home province with relatives.

Over the past 5 years, they have worked very hard and have now earned quite a lot of money.  They intend to bring their children to Da Nang to stay with them once they can afford to buy a small apartment.

Many people from the Mekong Delta region are now living near the Bac My An market in Ngu Hanh Son District.  The majority of them are earning their living by selling regional specialities near the local markets and schools.

A typical example is Mr Le Minh Trieu from Tra Vinh Province.  Trieu and his wife have been living in Da Nang and selling baked cassava cake for the past 10 years, and their living conditions have improved significantly.

Da Nang is attracting people from all across the country.  As an saying goes, ‘If the land is good, the birds will come’.