Human tsunami touches down on Vietnam beach

By Vy An June 15, 2016 | 03:27 am PT

Thanh Hoa Province's famous Sam Son Beach is being mobbed by 70,000 people per day, creating a man-made (literally) spectacle that stretches down the 3.5 kilometer coastline.

Located 150 kilometers to the south of Hanoi, the coastal province of Thanh Hoa has a strong tourism industry thanks to Sam Son Beach. Near the estuaries, the water at Sam Son is a reddy-brown due to the sediment in the river, which isn't all that appealing to most foreigners. However, any large body of saltwater is tempting enough for inland citizens craving the chance to cool off.

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According to the tourism center in Sam Son, since the start of June the number of beach-goers has been reaching 60,000 to 70,000 people on the weekends. Photo by VnExpress/Le Bich

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Weekdays are less crowded but still draw about 40,000 guests. Photo by VnExpress/Le Bich

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The recent heat wave is the obvious culprit for this temporary exodus to the beach, with temperatures in the north reaching up to 40oC. Photo by VnExpress/Do Dung

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Sam Son has 14,000 rooms available at hotels and guest houses, but all of those have been booked for the rest of June. Some hotels are even fully booked for July and August. Photo by vnExpress/Kim Anh

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Over one million people spent their holidays on the beach of Sam Son in May. Photo by VnExpress/Thu Le Nguyen

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Photo by VnExpress/Le Bich

Sam Son Beach used to be one kilometer long, but after improvements, the beach now stretches about 3.5 kilometers. Photo by VnExpress/Le Bich

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Photo by VnExpress/Le Bich

> Hanoians take cover as heat wave bakes city