The shipyards founder was Nguyen Phuc Anh, after reoccupying Gia Dinh from the Tay Son rebellion 1790, he established the royal naval workshops in Ben Nghe (Saigon) to assemble a fleet of of modern warships. These ships were used to fight the rebels. After 1862 the shipyard was taken over by The French who stationed their East Asian fleet there. According to Eugene Bonhoure (Indo-Chile, 1900), ” The dry dock is 168 meters long and can receive the largest ships of war, ensuring our squadrons a perfectly safe and convenient re-fuelling and re-habilitation point”.
At the time, the French were fighting for control of the SEA region. The British had Hong Kong and Singapore, so Saigon was the perfect location for the French to occupy , providing protection for the safe passage of resources taken back to France. The French name for dry dock is “basin de radoub”, which in tern gave the Vietnamese name Ba Son. The Site has since been redeveloped as a residential area and the dry dock filled in, which is surprising as it would have made a unique feature.
COCKTAIL
Inspired by the race to the tropics by the European sea powers of Europe, the Bason Shipyard cocktail is an adaptation of the classic dark and stormy. Added spices of clove and cinnamon add zing and zest to the old classic.
INGREDIENTS
50ml Gold Rum, 150ml Ginger Beer, 20ml Fresh Lime Juice, 15ml Fresh Ginger Juice, 20ml Clove Syrup.
METHOD
Build all ingredients except cinnamon foam in a copper cup over one large ice cube. Add cinnamon foam. Garnish and serve in a mini sailing ship representing the rush to the tropics.
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