Sights in Mekong Delta
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An Thoi Islands
Off the southern tip of Phu Quoc are the tiny An Thoi Islands . These 15 islands and islets can be visited by chartered boat, and it's a fine area for sightseeing, fishing, swimming and snorkelling. Hon Thom (Pineapple Island) is about 3km in length and is the largest island in the group.
Other islands here include Hon Dua (Coconut Island), Hon Roi (Lamp Island), Hon Vang (Echo Island), Hon May Rut (Cold Cloud Island), Hon Dam (Shadow Island), Chan Qui (Yellow Tortoise) and Hon Mong Tay (Short Gun Island).
Most boats depart from An Thoi on Phu Quoc, but you can make arrangements through hotels in Duong Dong. The Tropicana Resort has a large boat for charter that can make t…
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Guangzhou Assembly Hall
In a fantastic location facing the Can Tho River, Chua Ong (Ong Temple) is set inside the Guangzhou Assembly Hall and is one of the most interesting religious sites in town. It was originally built in the late 19th century to worship Kuang Kung, a deity symbolising loyalty, justice, reason, intelligence, honour and courage, among other merits. It is designed to symbolise the Chinese character for nation, with rows of enclosed sections laid out symmetrically. Approaching the engraved screen, the right side is dedicated to the Goddess of Fortune and the left side is reserved for the worship of General Ma Tien. In the centre of the temple is Kuang Kung flanked by the God of …
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Long Beach
Long Beach is indeed a long, spectacular stretch of sand from Duong Dong southward along the west coast, almost to An Thoi port (20km). The southern end of the beach is known as Tau Ru Bay (Khoe Tau Ru). The water is crystal clear and the beach is lined with coconut palms.
Long Beach is easily accessible on foot (just walk south from Duong Dong's Cau Castle), but you will need a motorbike or bicycle to reach some of the remote stretches towards the southern end of the island. The beach around the family-run guesthouse area is a particularly popular spot. There are a few bamboo huts where you can buy drinks, but bring water if you're planning a long hike along this beach.
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Nguyen Trung Truc Temple
This temple is dedicated to Nguyen Trung Truc, a leader of the resistance campaign of the 1860s against the newly arrived French. Among other exploits, he led the raid that resulted in the burning of the French warship Esperance. Despite repeated attempts to capture him, Nguyen Trung Truc continued to fight until 1868, when the French took his mother and a number of civilians hostage and threatened to kill them if he did not surrender. Nguyen Trung Truc turned himself in and was executed by the French in the marketplace of Rach Gia on 27 October 1868.
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Rung Tram
Southeast of Cao Lanh and accessible by boat tour is the 52-hectare Rung Tram near My Hiep village. The area is one vast swamp with a beautiful thick canopy of tall trees and vines. It’s one of the last natural forests left in the Mekong Delta and by now probably would have been turned into a rice paddy were it not for its historical significance. During the American War the Viet Cong (VC) had a base here called Xeo Quyt, where top-brass VC lived in underground bunkers. But don’t mistake this for another Cu Chi Tunnels – it’s very different.
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Bai Sao
A beautiful white-sand beach with a couple of beachfront restaurants. There are several places to rent kayaks along Bai Sao beach, and its protected, fairly calm waters make for a smooth ride. In addition to locals who hire out boats, you can ask at either restaurant along the beach: My Lan (990 779) and Ai Xiem (990 510).
South from here is undeveloped Bai Khem, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island and also, sadly, a military area that's closed to the public.
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Cau Castle
According to the tourist brochures, Duong Dong’s main attraction is Cau Castle. In fact, it’s less of a castle, more of a combination temple and lighthouse. It was built in 1937 to honour Thien Hau (Goddess of the Sea), who provides protection for sailors and fishermen. The ‘castle’ is worth a quick look and gives you a good view of the harbour entrance. Around sunset, locals stroll along the promenade leading from the castle to Ð Tran Hung Dao.
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San Chim Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary
The locals make a real flap about the storks that nest at San Chim Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary, as a stork sitting on the back of a water buffalo is the quintessential image of the Mekong waterways. The sanctuary is 38km east of Ben Tre town. Ben Tre Tourist has speedboats that can make the round trip in about two hours, or slow boats that take about five hours. Compare the going rates at Ben Tre Tourist with what freelance boat operators charge.
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Van Thanh Mieu Temple
One surprise in Vinh Long is the large and beautiful Van Thanh Mieu Temple by the river. It’s unusual as far as Vietnamese temples go, as it’s a Confucian temple, which is rare in southern Vietnam. The front hall honours local hero Phan Thanh Gian, who led an uprising against the French colonists in 1930. When it became obvious that his revolt was doomed, Phan killed himself rather than be captured by the colonial army.
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Cantonese Congregation Pagoda
Occupying a splendid location facing the Can Tho River, this small Chinese pagoda, the Cantonese Congregation Pagoda, was built by the Cantonese Congregation. The original one was constructed on a different site about 70 years ago. The current pagoda was built with funds donated by overseas Chinese more recently. Can Tho used to have a large ethnic-Chinese population, but most of them fled after the anti-Chinese persecutions (1978-79).
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Uncle Ho Temple
The highly unusual (particularly in these southern parts) Uncle Ho Temple is dedicated, of course, to the late president Ho Chi Minh, and contains a shrine to Ho as well as a small museum displaying photos of his life. The temple was built in 1971, while the war was still in progress, and there’s a downed US aircraft on the grounds. The Uncle Ho Temple is at Long Duc commune, 5km north of Tra Vinh town.
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Ong Pagoda
The very ornate, brightly painted Ong Pagoda is a fully fledged Chinese pagoda and a very active place of worship. The red-faced god on the altar is deified general Quan Cong. He is believed to offer protection against war and is based on a historical figure, a soldier of the 3rd century. You can read more about him in the Chinese classic The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
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Tam Bao Pagoda
Founded by Mac Cuu in 1730 is the Tam Bao Pagoda. It is now home to several Buddhist nuns. In front of the pagoda is a statue of Quan The Am Bo Tat standing on a lotus blossom in the middle of a pond. Inside the sanctuary, the largest statue on the dais is of A Di Da, the Buddha of the Past. It is made of bronze, but has been painted. Outside the building are the tombs of 16 monks.
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Cai Be Floating Market
This bustling river market is worth including on a boat tour from Vinh Long, but it is best to arrive early in the morning. Wholesalers on big boats moor here, each specialising in just a few types of fruit or vegetable. Customers cruise the market in smaller boats and can easily find what they’re looking for, as larger boats hang samples of their goods from tall wooden poles.
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Ca Mau Market
This is a wholesale market and not really a place for people to shop. The animal life on display – such as fish and turtles – is cleaned, packed into crates, frozen and sent to Ho Chi Minh City by truck. It’s an interesting place to wander around – it certainly bears little resemblance to the supermarkets at home. However, animal rights advocates will not be pleased.
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Dong Thap Museum
The impressive looking Dong Thap Museum is among the best museums in the Mekong. The 1st floor displays an anthropological history of Dong Thap province, with exhibits of tools, sculpture, models of traditional houses and a few stuffed animals. The 2nd floor is devoted to war history and, of course, to Ho Chi Minh. All interpretive signs are in Vietnamese.
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Mubarak Mosque
The Mubarak Mosque, where children study the Koran in Arabic script, is also on the river bank opposite Chau Doc. Visitors are permitted, but you should avoid entering during the calls to prayer (five times daily) unless you are a Muslim.
There are other small mosques in the Chau Doc area. They are accessible by boat, but you'll need a local guide to find them all.
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Long Xuyen Crocodile Farm
For a close-up view of the reptile that once ruled the Mekong, this farm is home to thousands of crocodiles ranging in size from 10cm to 4m. The meat and skin of these animals is largely exported, though some Vietnamese drop in to buy fresh or frozen crocodile meat (50,000d to 150,000d per kilogram). The farm lies 8km south of town on the road to Can Tho.
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Vuon Co
On the road between Can Tho and Long Xuyen, Vuon Co is a 1.3-hectare stork sanctuary. It is a popular stop for group tours coming to view the thousands of resident storks, but is often closed due to a bird flu risk. There is a tall wooden viewing platform to see the storks chattering away in their nests; the best times of day are around dawn and dusk.
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Vien Minh Pagoda
In the centre of Ben Tre is the Vien Minh Pagoda, which is also the head office of the Buddhist Association of Ben Tre province. An interesting feature of pagoda is a large white statue of Quan The Am Bo Tat (Goddess of Mercy), set in the front courtyard. The Chinese calligraphy that adorns the pagoda was written by an old monk.
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Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary
One of more interesting sights in this sleepy corner of the Mekong Delta, Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary is notable for its 50-odd species of bird, including a large population of graceful white herons. It is surprisingly popular with Vietnamese tourists, but foreign visitors are rare, probably because Bac Lieu is so out of the way.
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Munirangsyaram Pagoda
The ornamentation of pagoda is typical of Khmer Theravada Buddhist pagodas: it doesn’t have any of the multiple Bodhisattvas and Taoist spirits common in Vietnamese Mahayana pagodas. In the upstairs sanctuary a 1.5m-high representation of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, sits serenely under a Bodhi Tree.
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Kh’leang Pagoda
Except for the rather garish paint job, this pagoda could have been transported straight from Cambodia. Originally built from bamboo in 1533, it had a complete rebuild in 1905 (this time using concrete). There are seven religious festivals held here every year, drawing people from outlying areas of the province.
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Bai Thom
Being a remote beach in a military area, rest assured that it is not crowded. The military usually opens Bai Thom to civilians on Sunday but you must leave your passport with the military receptionist while you're on the base. In any event, do not try to sneak onto the beaches: make local inquiries and obey the rules.
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Dam Doi Bird Sanctuary
About 45km southeast of Ca Mau lies Dam Doi Bird Sanctuary. Storks are the largest and most easily spotted birds here, making their nests in the tall trees. Remember that birds will be birds – they don’t like humans to get too close and they leave their nests early in the morning in search of food.
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