Thị Nại Lagoon

Thị Nại Lagoon opens onto the central Vietnamese coast near Quy Nhơn and the former Cham centre of Vijaya. The port of Thị Nại was an important outlet for Champa from the eleventh to the later fifteenth century, connecting its hinterland to trade across Asia. It continued as a trading port after Vietnamese conquest changed the region's political order. During the struggle between the Tây Sơn and Nguyễn forces, the lagoon also became a naval arena. In 1801 Nguyễn forces attacked the Tây Sơn fleet and defences there, using fire in a major battle. The lagoon's sheltered waters thus linked the coast to both long-distance exchange and the conflicts of the surrounding region.