Xa No Canal – Rice way of Hau Giang Region

XA NO CANAL – RICE WAY OF HAU GIANG REGION

(Published by Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper on 19/11/2009)

*Trinh Quang Hung (Vice-Chairman of People’s Committee of Hau Giang province)

According to previous documents, Hau Giang region– an immense plain region located in the right bank of Hau River spread out towards the end of Ca Mau cape. With the area of 2 million hectares approximately, holding 1/3 the total area of South Viet Nam, Hau Giang region can be divided into 2 geographic areas: The first is a strip of high and dry alluvial soil from Chau Doc to Long Xuyen and most the territory of Can Tho and Soc Trang. The second is a strip of salty- alum and low-lying land due to the effects of the tide in Xiem La sea area, belonging to the territory of Rach Gia, a part of Can Tho and almost the area of Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau peninsula. Hau Giang province located in this area.

Named as Hau Giang region – Perhaps, in ancient times when the broadening and reclaiming campaign succeeded, the people’s social – economic life developed rapidly, which created a special impression and made Hau Giang land – people affirmed, and this land has become a familiar place-name gradually. In Sai Gon, there is a big street named “Hau Giang” in 06th District which has been existed for more than half the past century.

Nowadays, the phrase of “Hau Giang region” only remained in the elders’ memory. In the new situation of economy, culture, society, national defence, security, ... strategic planners have changed the concept of “Hau Giang region” into “West Hau River” still located in former geographic area. Especially the past years, in social-economic planning projects in the Mekong Delta, the concept of a new territory named “Western sub-region of Hau River” stated, including the right bank of Hau river and a part of Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ca Mau provinces. Hau Giang province considered as the center of this Sub-area because it is located in the middle and covers Xa No canal, a strategic agricultural hydraulic and waterway works with the effects on the whole sub-area and one of the first canals in Viet Nam digged by dredges in the early 20^th century.

When the colonial regime established by French (1867), the achievements from the policy on “breaking fresh ground, setting up hamlets, building farms” of Nguyen dynasty began to be harvested in South Viet Nam - Hau Giang region. Clearing the whole area of 2 million hectares in Hau Giang region– outside the right bank of Hau river along Chau Doc, Long Xuyen and Ha Tien, … has been completed basically, and about 300 thousand acres on the wild and large fields between Can Tho and Rach Gia (including Hau Giang province and most the territory of Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau province currently) has been used for production with the output obtained nearly equal half the total ouput in South Viet Nam (200/500 thousand acres). Hau Giang is still a sparsely population area with the large land area resulting in rice excess. Thanks to that, Hau Giang supplied the whole country in generally and South Viet Nam in specifically with 500 thousand rice tons for export in 1898.

The potential and the plentiful interest sources of Hau Giang region recognized by the French with the view that this was mainly the big granary of Indochina. So, after the government had became stable, with carrying out investigation campaigns in wild lands, the French government set up a careful plan for the great exploitation of salty, alum and waterlogged immense fields in Hau Giang region, with 3 plans executed daringly: Digging channels, setting up market and towns, embanking streets for the vehicle transport. Certainly, digging channels considered as the key plan. Since 1893, the call for montvenoux Company won in the call. Since the dry season in 1901, the plan of digging Xa No channel had performed with a prompt speed by modern and large scale. Next, they mobilized 4 big dredges including My Tho I, My Tho II, Loire Dredge, Nantes Dredge. Each dredge operated with the horsepower of 350HP and driven by steam-boiler. There were about a thousand engineers technicians, logistic and medical workers, and construction workers to serve digging the channel. They stayed on the houseboats towed by the dredges; and sought firewood ashore for cooking. Until July 1903, the channel completed with 34 km in length and created the straight line from the mouth of Can Tho arroyo, a branch of Hau river, to the head of Cai Tu arroyo, a branch of Cai Lon river. The channel covered 12 km in the territory of Can Tho; and 22 km in the territory of Rach Gia. The total costs is 3 million 680 thousand Francs. This considered as the French special success at the initial steps in the mechanical exploiting work. In the work of digging Vinh Te channel carried out by manual method, 80,000 laborers were mobilized so that the channel completed within 5 years. So, the inauguration day of Xa No channel had been organized solemnly. The Governor-general of Indochina and many officials of localities and provinces also presented at the said ceremony at the first time.

To develop the utility of Xa No canal, the French continued to plan for digging by-channels entering deeply into fields, with small channels separated 500 metres; and big channels separated 1,000 metres (At present, there are place-names such as Mot Ngan, Bay Ngan,Tam Ngan,.... belonging to Chau Thanh A district, Hau Giang province). Digging measure by “xôm lươn” pattern as well-known, means the channel on this side not crossed the channel on the other but deflected with a far distance resulting in uncreating intersection - crosspoint. This was also a “agricultural hydraulic” technique calculated carefully for adjusting the stream flow with intaking and draining off the water the fields regularly.

According Son Nam writer’s comment, for the French digging Xa No canal which connects Can Tho with Rach Gia, could be considered as a “strategic punch” in economy and politics because it not only shew the Occidental mechanical strength; but also opened a new prospect in the formation process of the granary in Hau Giang.

Up to 1910, besides “the Occidental farms”, new villages also formed, which attracted a large number of people’s coming for doing business, and made the rice area and the rice output in Can Tho – Rach Gia provinces shoot up: with 142 thousand acres in Rach Gia province, in comparison with 100 thousand acres in 1894. And 171 thousand acres in Can Tho province, in comparison with 98 thousand acres in 1894; until 1930, Rach Gia became the top province on the rice area of 319 thousand acres and the rice output of 344 thousand tons in South Viet Nam. Before digging Xa No channel, the population of Rach Gia province was only about 90 thousand people, but in 1930 this number was up 338 thousand people, increasing tenfold in comparison with the time when the French just came (1867). After Xa No channel had been digged for 4 years, the French government set up further 3 new districts, including Long My, Go Quao, and Giong Rieng, in Rach Gia province. Chau Thanh district, Can Tho was more and more developed with Cai Rang market and nearly the province; this was also the junction of junks and boats from Xa No channel.

The rice was valuable, which excited the landowners and the farmers from neighbor provinces to break fresh ground rapidly after the channel digged. The rice output in Hau Giang was more and more increasing. In 1908, the total export output in South Viet Nam was 1 million 300 thousand tons; in which there were 900 thousand tons from Hau Giang. With the great rice output, Hau Giang in general and Rach Gia, Can Tho, Bac Lieu,…in specifically became the rice production center, an actual granary of the whole Indochina.

After Xa No canal, many other interlaced channels digged by “the Occident landowners ” or the local government, entered deeply into the new villages, so trading and transporting rice carried out easily and conveniently. Specially, the formation of rice husking and processing center in Cai Rang market – the bridgehead of Xa No canal, excited rice production and transport concentrated in the common junction for husking and then exporting in Cho Lon. In Cai Rang market, trading activities had become animatedly with properous streets since the first decade of the 20^th century. Rice husking industry formed at the time when the positive results obtained thanks to getting Xa No canal. In here, besides tens of rice-mills with the great capacity, there were also large rice stores and granaries which could contain 100 thousand bushels of rice. Besides, hundreds of fishing junks and sampans arranged by the owners of factories and stores for purchasing the rice from distant villages and hamlets.

“Rice way” –Xa No canal also started the new values of culture – civilization: The inhabitants liked living concentratively along the two sides of the canal. The rich tried to purchase the land on the canal sides for gardening and building houses. “The land on the canal sides” has regularly been the most valuable because it located in high-dry and front places with easy cultivation. Xa No canal, which is busy with boats, canoes, crowded with people, is a good condition for a development of water trade, Cai Rang floating market gradually formed. Besides, there are lots of special folk songs formed with the subject of the canal! whether Xa No canal has formed character of “canal’s people”, ‘ Hau Giang’s people” – “ Hau Giang region”. From the rice way, new values, “a civilizational and cultural way of the canal” have been formed so far, bold in many people’s memory; as well as in the modern life.

In the war time, Xa No canal became a “military way” of both sides: for us and emeny.

In 1952, Vi Thanh people’s and army defeated a dreadnought of French troop, killed 400 enemies. French Ong Kho plantation used to be occuppied by us. In the anti-American resistance war, the liberation troop used to wiped out Mot Ngan base branch, the campaign “ Xa No ‘s wave” made the great feat of arms. At the beginning of the the anti-American resistance war, The puppet government of Ngo Dinh Diem established Vi Thanh-Hoa Luu populous area, invested for dredging Xa No canal. Then Chuong Thien, base branches of Duc Long, Mot Ngan by Xa No canal were set up to obstruct the revolutionary forces from U Minh (Rach Gia). Also from Xa No canal, our army troops with hundreds of boats led to liberate Can Tho town on April 30, 1975.

After the liberation day of the south Vietnam, the travel was mainly water way. “ The Rice Way” continues to be developed.; essential consumer goods were shipped through Xa No canal providing the rural area residents’ demands. Towns, markets were along Xa No canal busy with thousands of boats of water traders. From Vi Thanh town to markets of Bay Ngan, Vam Xang, Cai Rang…rice mills, granaries were in busy operation. Rice is a key commodity in the market. A great effect was brought from Xa No canal, mostly “ The Rice Way” of Hau Giang region, making a lever for the development of economy, culture, society of Hau Giang region as well as the western sub-region of Hau river.

Nowadays, Xa No canal’s position is more definite, thanks to the connection of projects, works developing the western sub-region of Hau river and Ca Mau peninsular. All is shown obviously: The indispensableness of Xa No canal’s key role in the course of formation and development of Hau Giang region and the western sub-region of Hau river. The situation is definite, Xa No canal’s position is more and more arisen. Xa No canal is called as “strategic water way”, “highway on river” – but mostly Xa No canal is “The Rice way of Hau Giang river”. Nowadays, there are many “new rice ways”, and other “rice centers” – however, Xa No canal is The life line “rice way” of the western sub-region of Hau river. Hundred thousands of rice soil hectares are being developed for production, a high technology is gradually towards to; as well as the inhabitants have a strong attachment to this hundred year canal.

In the scope of the first Vietnam National Rice Festival in Hau Giang, we hope that in the seminar of “ Xa No Canal- Rice Way of Hau Giang Region”, there shall be many co-reports of researchers, managers distributing more brainpower to clear up the matter; a definition of Xa No canal’s position and key role- “the rice way of Hau Giang region previously and the western sub-region of Hau river now. The Organization Board hope to get recommendations of delegates for Xa No canal’s fresh and stable development; in order that there shall be perfect breakthroughs and growth from Xa No canal - the western sub-region of Hau river./.


REFERENCE MATERIALS:

- Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi, Trinh Hoi Duc, Educational Publisher (1988).
- Learning about Hau Giang Land, Son Nam, Phu Sa Publisher (1959).
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- Old and Present South Vietnam , HCMC Publisher and Old and Present Managine (1999).
- The Mekong Delta Economic and Social Data 2000-2004, Statistic Bureau (2005).
- Formation and Development of Cai Rang, Nham Hung, Van Nghe Publisher- HCMC (2007).
- History of Chau Thanh District’s Party Committee – Can Tho (1999)