Cat Ba Square

Cát Bà Square is an open space on the bay, right next to the passenger boat dock in Cát Bà town. There is no gate and no ticket. It has a fountain, an open-air stage and some patches of green, with the water in front. People come to stroll and watch. The eating happens in the night market and the food stalls around it.

Cát Bà Square: an old stone under new lights

The thing most worth finding here is the one thing that doesn't light up: a stone placed in 2009 to mark where Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh, as Vietnamese affectionately call him) came ashore on the island in 1959. The bayfront around the square was refurbished in 2025. The square itself was there before that, and it still plays its old role as the place where islanders and visitors gather. It has also been where the island opened its tourist season. In a town that has just had a facelift, have you ever wondered what gets kept? Here, the answer is right under your feet.

If you're hungry, walk a few more steps. Right beside the square is a small strip of night market selling souvenirs and snacks. It runs from early evening until late, and its customers include schoolkids, students, xe ôm drivers (motorbike-taxi drivers), locals and tourists. Carry on toward the central bay and you reach the VUI-Fest food area nearby. Shrimp, squid, oysters and sea fish are grilled on the spot, and the smoke drifts out over the street. There is also hand-held food to eat as you walk: grilled skewers, sausages, fries and ice cream. Many stalls set small tables and chairs out front for anyone who wants to sit. Hand-held food is cheap to moderate, while seafood ordered for a group costs more. If you want seafood, ask the price before you choose, because not every stall offers a good price.

The square keeps a small-town rhythm. Early in the morning, people come out to exercise. During the day it is open and quiet. It comes alive in the evening: people stroll, children play, and others sit in the sea breeze watching the town light up. Plenty of electric carts wait around the square to take visitors sightseeing, and there is a place renting mini electric cars for children that foreign visitors love. Some evenings bring live music and fireworks, scheduled by the resort area. Next time you step off the boat at Cát Bà, will you head straight into town, or stop a few steps away to find the stone that marks where Uncle Ho came ashore?

Enough to decide whether to go

What it is

An open bayside square for strolling and watching; food is in the night market and food area beside it

Where

Right next to the passenger boat dock in Cát Bà town, Cát Hải special administrative zone (đặc khu), Hải Phòng, on an island within the Ha Long Bay – Cát Bà Archipelago World Heritage area

Worth finding

The stone placed in 2009 marking where Uncle Ho came ashore in 1959

When to go

Evenings are the liveliest; early mornings bring people exercising; daytime is open and quiet

How much

Hand-held food is cheap to moderate; seafood for a group costs more

Entry fee

None: no gate, no ticket