Chinese Villages

On December 9, 2024, I flew from Nha Trang across Vietnam with a stopover in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) to Phu Quoc Island. It is located in the Gulf of Thailand, is popular among Chinese, Russian, and local tourists, and is boldly marketed in Vietnamese media as the 'second most beautiful island paradise after the Maldives.' I have read that it is supposed to be sunny and warm in Phu Quoc from December to March.

'This rain is quite unusual,' insists hotel manager Tam. I sit in the restaurant of my beautiful, modern hotel Stella Marina in a completely anonymous new building district by the sea, soaked to the skin from the pouring rain at a humid 28 degrees, and I console myself with an Irish whiskey. Frank Sinatra wails from the speaker, 'Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!' – If only I knew whom I could strangle, I would.

So, I couldn't really enjoy Phu Quoc. On top of that, an outrageous construction boom has erupted on the island, mainly financed by Chinese ventures. Phu Quoc promotes idyllic beaches and unspoiled island life. What the visitor encounters are gigantic new developments instead of an authentic Vietnamese experience: Potemkin or, in this case, Chinese villages.

Moreover, the investors have a penchant for Italy. A new neighborhood located on a hill resembles Italian cities; the streets bear names like 'Amalfi' or 'Portofino'; in the center, there is even a campanile. Another development is inspired by Venice. Gondolas with gondoliers travel along a canal.

This concentrated architectural kitsch is definitely not my world. Although I was ready for the island, I imagine island vacations differently. Therefore, I left quite frustrated, especially since a gastrointestinal upset had also set in.