A popular food court in front of Sun World Park, a well-known attraction in Bai Chay Ward, was destroyed as the typhoon made landfall in Quang Ninh Province on Saturday, bringing heavy rains and strong winds to the region.
Quang Ninh, home to the UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay, was among areas hardest hit by the typhoon.
Bai Chay, known as Ha Long's most vibrant tourist area, is home to high-end entertainment complexes, the bustling Cai Dam market, beautiful beaches, and a wide range of guesthouses, hotels, and bars offering full services.
A once-bustling neighborhood, where restaurants are closely packed together, is left in ruins after the typhoon.
Aluminum frames and signs were torn apart by strong winds, leaving the road littered with broken glass. Many restaurants' decorations were completely destroyed.
It is estimated that each business suffered damages amounting to hundreds of millions of dong (VND100 million equivalent to US$4,054).
At Minh Phi 2 Restaurant on Hoang Quoc Viet Street, only the iron frame remains standing two days after the typhoon passed.
Ho Van Hoc, the owner of a nearby restaurant, reported that dozens of adjacent restaurants had completely collapsed.
In the pouring rain on Monday afternoon, Hoc (pictured) and his wife ventured out to check on their restaurant.
"For now, my family's livelihood is completely gone," he said.
Next to Hoc's restaurant, a group of workers sifted through the rubble of a restaurant that once spanned hundreds of square meters, searching for anything salvageable.
Many streets in Bai Chay, once bustling with visitors during national holidays or weekends, are now strewn with debris.
Fallen trees have made it difficult for people to move around.
The Sea Star Hotel in the Cai Dam Urban Area, Bai Chay Ward, suffered extensive damage, with many glass doors shattered by the typhoon.
The high-end accommodation system in Bai Chay Ward, particularly four- and five-star hotels, saw broken glass, damaged signs, and aluminum panels torn from their facades.
A representative from a five-star hotel with nearly 100 rooms in the Bai Chay tourist area described the damage as "very severe," with most rooms affected.
As of Monday, many hotels have yet to finish assessing the full extent of the damage.
