Geographical location – Population and national conditions

Hau Giang is the large plain located in the South of Hau river. This river is a branch of Cuu Long river which is from Nam-Vang downstream to our country by Northwest – Southeast direction. From Cambodian border to the sea gate. The river is about two hundred twenty kilometers in length ... (Study of Hau Giang – Son Nam).

I. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION – POPULATION AND NATIONAL CONDITIONS:

At present, Hau Giang is the province located in the central of the Mekong Delta, and Vi Thanh township is 240 km from Ho Chi Minh city towards the southwest; bounded by Can Tho city in the north; bounded by Soc Trang in the south; bounded by Hau river and Vinh Long province in the east; bounded by Kien Giang and Bac Lieu provinces in the west.

Geographic coordinates: From 9030’35’’ to 10019’17’’ by the northern latitude and from 105014’03’’ to 106017’57’’ by the eastern longitude. The administrative boundary is bounded by 5 provinces: bounded by Can Tho city in the north; bounded by Bac Lieu province in the south; bounded by Kien Giang province in the west; and bounded by Soc Trang province in the east. The natural area of Hau Giang is 160,058.69 hectares, holding 4% the area of the Mekong Delta and about 0,4% the total natural area of Viet Nam.

Hau Giang is located in the central of the Mekong Delta, among the interlacing channel and river network including: Hau river, Can Tho river, Cai Tu river, Quan Lo channel, Phung Hiep channel, Xa No channel, Cai San river, ... The main routes passing through the province include national road 1A, national road 61, and national road 61B.

In Hau Giang, there is temperate climate with two seasons (without cold season), rarely storm, and damp heat all year round. The rainy season lasts from May to November, and the dry season is from December to April of the following year.

In investigation and survey findings dated 01/04/2009, the population of Hau Giang province is 756,625 persons.

The three ethnic groups including Kinh, Khmer, and Chinese in Hau Giang have united, diligent and creative traditions on fatherland construction, which creates the diversity of culture, religion, manner and custom.

In Hau Giang, now there are 7 administrative units, including 5 districts: Phung Hiep, Long My, Vi Thuy, Chau Thanh, Chau Thanh A and two townships: Vi Thanh and Nga Bay. There are 75 communes and wards among the seven administrative units.

1. Vi Thanh township

Vi Thanh township is about 65km from Can Tho city towards the south. Since the old days, this land has been one of the rice centers of the Western South Vietnam, and now Vi Thanh township is still one of the localities that have the greatest rice export and production output in the whole country. Nowadays, Vi Thanh township is the political, administrative, economic, cultural, scientific and technical centre and the traffic joint of Hau Giang province, and it is also the important sustainer for promoting the stable development of Hau Giang province and the western subarea of Hau river, with the important position of security and national defence. The economic structure of Vi Thanh township is developing by the orientation of industry – services - agriculture. In developing process, Vi Thanh township has the great capital demand for the social and economic infrastructure of the developing township.

Vi Thanh is focusing in completing the criteria as provided to become the III type city.

2. Nga Bay township:

Nga Bay township is bounded by Soc Trang province in the east, Phung Hiep district in the west and the south, and Chau Thanh district in the north. Nga Bay township is 49km from Vi Thanh township in the east, with the convenient features of geographic position and trade developing conditions: it is located on the route of national road 1A, between the central of Can Tho city and Soc Trang province (it is 30km from the city and the province). Nga Bay township is characterized by the fairly flat terrain and the beautiful landscape with the convergement of 7 river branches, and it is also one of well-known tourist places in Viet Nam (Nga Bay floating market, trade village on traditional junk and jolly-boat building… ). In here, there is also the plentiful speciality source of plants and animals (tropical fruit trees, shrimps, river fishes, … ). At present, Nga Bay is being planned with investment incentive and encouragement to become the satellite town of Can Tho city, and the second commerce – tourist center of Hau Giang province.

3. Chau Thanh A

Chau Thanh A district is located on national road 1A, bounded by Can Tho city in the south and more than 10km from the center of this city, and 25km from Vi Thanh township towards the northeast. Now, in the promotion of Hau Giang province, Tan Phu Thanh industrial cluster is going to be built in this place with the area of 220 hectares, which will bring about planning and building a new metropolitan area (resettlement and trade area). Besides, Chau Thanh A also has the strength of agriculture such as breeding (pigs, oxes, chickens, ducks) and cultivation (mango, Five stick grapefruit (Nam Roi grapefruits, mangoteens, oranges, mandarin oranges, … ).
Chau Thanh A is also known as the place where there is the ecologic tourist model united by orchard tourist form and traditional culture one: Tam Vu ecologic tourist area, orchards, Tam Vu victory monument zone…

4. Chau Thanh

Chau Thanh district is located on national road 61, the South Hau River national road (Nam Song Hau national road), bounded by Can Tho city in the South and more than 10km from the center of this city, and 64km from Vi Thanh township in the northeast. Now, in the promotion of Hau Giang province, Hau River industrial cluster is going to be built in this place with the area of 291 hectares associated with planning and building a new metropolitan area (resettlement and trade area). Besides, Chau Thanh also has the strength of agriculture including breeding and cultivation. Phu Huu Five Stick grapefruit, a speciality of Hau Giang, is grown popular in Chau Thanh district.

5. Phung Hiep

Phung Hiep is about 30km from Can Tho city and 38km from Vi Thanh township in the south. In Phung Hiep, there are the potentiality on economic development and the tradition on long-standing farming with the system of fruit trees and sugar-canes. In here, the center of industry – small scale industry (CN - TTCN) is being planned by the local scale including food processing industry, garment industry, mechanics, household utensils,…

The greatest strength of Phung Hiep is orchard tourist form associated with ecologic tourist one. In Phung Hiep, there are Tay Do ecologic recreation area, natural conservation zone of the flooding land in Ngoc Hoang swamp, … To meet development requirements, the infrastructure in Phung Hiep is being reformed such as the upgrading of water plant, the construction of Phung Hiep commercial zone, and the building projects of Lung Ngoc Hoang (Ngoc Hoang swamp) ecologic tourist village and a 36 holes golf playground in the buffer zone of Ngoc Hoang swamp,…

6. Vi Thuy

Vi Thuy is 9km from Vi Thanh township in the southeast. In here, there is an indigo forest with varieties of wild birds and storks which often gather and nest seasonal. This is an advantage so that the countryside cultural tours in Vi Thuy can be combined together. In the future, in Vi Thuy, the trade center with the area of 18 hectares in Mang Mau town, and a district health center and Vi Thuy indigo forest ecologic tourist zone will be built.

7. Long My

Long My is about 21km from Vi Thanh township in the south, and 60km from Can Tho city. Besides common features such as rice farming, breeding, fruit tree farming in comparison with other places, Long My is also the revolutionary base area of Can Tho province and the Western South Viet Nam area in the two anti-French and anti-American resistance wars. In here, a lots historical monuments such as the Temple of Uncle Ho in Luong Tam commune, the monument zone (with the area of 2 hectares approximately) in Vinh Vien commune where 75 enemy battalions were annihilated formerly are still conserved. Besides traditional values, in Long My there is also the stork garden that has been formed since 1986 in Xa Phien commune, with tens of thousands of storks (all types) and 30 species of special birds. Long My will be an attractive cultural and ecologic tourist place in Hau Giang.

(For more information about the tourist places as well as the specialities in Hau Giang, please access the next section of Web site rice-festival.com at the page: Service information, including items: Tourism, Specialities and Destinations).

The images of tourist places in Hau Giang province

The monument of Can Tho provincial committee of the Party base – Phuong Binh commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province

The Temple of Uncle Ho in Luong Tam commune, Long My district.

The monument zone of the 75 enemy battalion victory in Vinh Vien commune, Long My district has been acknowledged
as a national historical and cultural monument by Ministry of Culture and Information.

The monument of the South Viet Nam uprising in 1940

 “Historical – cultural vestige, Can Tho provincial committee of the Party base” - Tam Vu Statue Photo: Ms. Su

 
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