Last week, local authorities in Ly Son District, Quang Ngai province broke ground on the island’s new port.
The VND200 billion (US$8.8 million) port, named Ben Dinh, will be able to simultaneously hold one 2,000-ton vessel, one 1,000-ton vessel and a 400-seat ship, reports Vietnam News. The port will be three hectares wide and include a 1,000-square-meter station. The new facility will be completed in 2018.
According to Ha Hoang Viet Phuong, director of the Quang Ngai Department of Transport, apart from serving as a tourism amenity, Ben Dinh will also be a part of the country’s maritime defense in the East Sea. He added that VND100 million (US$4,400) originally meant for the groundbreaking ceremony budget was instead channeled to the island’s welfare fund to support accident victims and students from poor families.
Recently, island officials also sought aid from Japanese specialists to help develop Ly Son into an ecotourism destination.
Ly Son received over 100,000 domestic and foreign visitors last year, and nearly 150,000 in the first 10 months of 2016.
[Photo via Ivivu]
