Dong Thap Tourism

Neither any mountains like in An Giang province nor large sea like in Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Tra Vinh; without floating markets like in Can Tho, Soc Trang, Tien Giang etc. Dong Thap provides tourists a contemplation of specific natural sights, rich rice, sweet fruits, immensely green good-looking indigo forest and attractive cultural historical monuments of the South.

Generous nature, flooded ecosystem offers the people here so many precious resources associated with human ecology and environment where the national bird indigo forest locates in Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province and is the geographic name known by lot of domestic and foreign tourists.

National bird indigo forest

Locating in the flooded area of Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds), the Tam Nong bird indigo forest has an natural area of 7,612 hectares belonging to 5 communes: Tan Cong Sinh, Phu Duc, Phu Tho, Phu Thanh, Phu Hiep and Tram Chim (Bird Indigo Forest) town, Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province. This is a model of natural landscape of primitive Dong Thap Muoi where there is very beautiful natural landscape with infinite waterways, immensely green indigo forest and plentiful floristic composition of 130 different species. This land of “6 months of dry field and sunburn grass and 6 months of flooded field” is also a living place of hundreds species of vertebrate animals, tens of fish species and more than 198 species of water birds which makes up about ¼ of all bird species in Vietnam.

In flooded season lasting from August to November, traveling by boat around, you well feel the beauty that the nature generously offers this place a view ahead of lotus, nenuphar, rice, nang, rush etc. and animals such as eel, snake, tortoise, python and fresh water fish species, birds and beasts like stork, heron, wild duck, cormorant etc. many of which are valuable and rare bird spices in the world such as cairina scutulata, grey-headed lapwing, pelican, Java bird and especially, grus antigone. They are in the animal protecting list because they are at risk of being extinct in the world. The grus antigones fly back to the indigo forest for residence from the late December to early May every year. Coming here at this time, you will witness every flock of grus antigones flying back with other bird species for food, which is a particularly interesting sight infatuating tourists’ hearts

Coming to Dong Thap and visiting the Tam Nong bird indigo forest to see grus antigones dancing in pairs, hearing the indigo forest rusting, which surely is unforgettable memory.

(dongthap.gov.vn)

Gao Giong tourism area in Dong Thap

Belonging to hamlet 6, Gao Giong commune, Cao Lanh district, the time when the area looks most beautiful is the both lively and silent dawn or crepuscle with bird sound and each flock of white storks’ return to their nest. In flooded season, in the fields after harvesting with remained rice stubbles, a flock of thousands of white storks search for food in the green background, which creates a quaint sight. Lotus ponds where thousands of red crest birds (red crest trich) gather and dance pleasantly whole day. In the feed field, thousands of trich are hardy with red crest in turquoise plumage leisurely pick up young fresh eleocharis dulcis and sometimes they start chirping with nice dances.

 (Source: the Nhan Dan newspaper)

Xeo Quyt revolutionary vestige area

Coming here, you will feel a beautiful natural environment, fresh cool breeze in the middle of hollow area with many kinds of trees: indigo, gao, reed, combretum quadrangulare Kurz, lotus, nenuphar etc. Visiting Xeo Quyt in dry season, you can hustle in the zigzag tracks under the cool shade of indigo. If tourists tire their legs, they can set a hammock and lie looking at tree leaves. In the flood season, female guerillas on a canoe in black ao ba ba (kind of shirt used by South Vietnamese people) with bandanna, hat will take you to thread the way in a rivulet to reach vestiges which locate hiddenly in the vast indigo forest. The water murmurs, fishes whisk their tails and birds sing in the high green trees covered by supple liana, which brings relaxed quiet time for tourists.

(vietbalo.vn)

Junior doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac imperial tomb (President Ho’s father)

Locating in ward 4, Cao Lanh town, the whole vestige area of 3.6 hectares is divided into 2 parts: his imperial tomb, President Ho’s house on stilts and lotus pond. The highlights on the green of hundreds of precious ornamental plants are the white color of works including tomb vault, lotus pond, a house displaying President Ho, a house displaying and introducing Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac and Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan (the father and mother of President Ho) and commemorative room. All manifest both impression but simplicity, and both pureness, being solemn but closeness. Millions of domestic and foreign tourists come and visit the imperial tomb of Junior doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac, which represents gratitude to the persons who gave birth and a settled position to our beloved President Ho.

(dongthap.gov.vn)

Go Thap Oc Eo cultural vestige area in Thap Muoi

The Go Thap vestige area locates in both My Hoa and Tan Kieu communes, Thap Muoi district, Dong Thap province, 11 kilometers from Thap Muoi district capital to the North and 43 kilometers from the Cao Lanh town to Northeast (in accordance with road and waterways). Coming to Go Thap, you will be surprised because this is not only a vestige area but also a natural beautiful landscape with ecological environment traced neglectedly. With the length of 500 metres and width of 200 metres, many big and small sand mounds bend tortuously and make a floating mound area where there are many ancient trees with hundreds of ages creating shadows and are imposingly high. In the flood season, the water is immense and is intermingled with green trees, which form a grandiose natural landscape. Go Thap consists of 5 typical vestiges in an area from My Hoa road: Thap Muoi mound, Co Tu tower, tomb and temple of Doc Binh Trieu, Minh Su mound, Ba Chua Xu shrine.

The vestiges in Go Thap manifest lot of historical cultural value. Co Tu tower is 100 metres away from Thap Muoi mound towards North and legend has it that the tower existed in Thieu Tri reign (1841- 1847) and before this time, the tower is to worship Chan Lap. Past the pagoda is Dong Thap Muoi base of Doc Binh Kieu in the war resistance against the French colonialists. His tomb and temple are still here. Continue going, we will reach Ba Chua Xu shrine and Minh Su mound. Every year, so many pilgrims come here and attend her birthday ceremony. The Thap Muoi mound was a living place of ancient dwellers. Archaeologists has discovered many ancient cultural relics here especially the cultural relics of Oc Eo civilization. The Go Thap Muoi vestige was a base of agencies in the 2 wars of resistance against the French and the American.

 (According to General Department of Tourism)

Sa Dec flower and bonsai village

Sa Dec flower and bonsai village is one of the flower and bonsai centers in the South with an area of 60 hectares including 600 households and 3,600 labors who specialize in planting flowers and bonsai. When swallows fly back to give the signal of the coming spring, it is time for Sa Dec flower and bonsai village is in its operation. Boats and vehicles in great number return here. All kinds of beautiful flowers and bonsai are hurriedly transported to Ho Chi Mina City and other provinces to show their beauty and color in the Lunar new year holidays.
In this flower and bonsai village (the village has 4 springs), tourists can enjoy a view of flowers forest with all kinds of colors and scents in pleasure. Especially, the village still keeps 50 varieties of roses: velvety rose, Gờ-rơ-da rose with lotus violet; Cơ-lê-ô-bát rose with pink color; Cô-kết rose organ yellow, Bờ-ri-đích-bạt-đo rose with dark organ yellow; Phot-ti-ni trong rose with red inside and yellow outside; Ê-li-da-bét flesh-coloured rose; Mác-ca-ra rose with organ color; Mét-sai with white color; Công-phi-đan with chicken egg yolk color...
Sa Dec bonsai village, one of interesting tourist places, will surely satisfy tourist when visiting pink lotus Dong Thap.

 (vnexplore.net)

Huynh Thuy Le’s ancient house in Sa Dec

Locating in Sa Dec town on the Nguyen Hue street is Mr. Huynh Thuy Le’s house who was a great landlord in antique Sa Dec land. He is also a principal character mentioned in the famous novel of “Lover” (L’amant) of French repute woman writer Marguerite Duras. That is a real love associated with the memory of Marguerite Duras’s childhood. Mr. Huynh Thuy Le’s house was started construction in 1889 and then restored in 1917 with an area of 258 m2. Its architecture is a mixture of the East and West.
Besides, in Sa Dec town the Trung Vuong primary school is still remained (before its name was École De jeunes filles) and the school’s headmaster before was Mrs. Marguerite Duras. French architecture is still remained in this school. Therefore this is also a place where French tourists often come and exchange. Besides Mr. Huynh Thuy Le’s ancient house, tourists will see some ancient houses with French architecture around the town. In the town market area, blocks of houses with Chinese architecture proofs.
Visiting Sa Dec town of Dong Thap now, tourist will easily see the picture of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le’ house and learn about the famous historical love story.

(Summarized by Thanh Nguyen)

Dinh Yen night sedge mat market in Lap Vo district

This is a special market. People only exchange and trade only one kind of goods that is sedge mat. Only sedge mat and mat. The special thing of this market is that people do not trade in daytime but in night time only. The later the night becomes, the more bustling and crowded it is. In the sedge mat village, they mainly manage how to weave products in daytime and take them out for selling at the market in night time. At the wharf are boats from everywhere are berthed in close proximity to one another waiting for the mat. Another speciality is that mat sellers only use oil lamps with flicker light while buyers have to use flashlights to choose the mat.

(maxreading.com)

Ho Chi Minh Statue in the square of Sa Dec town centre

Locating in Chien Thang (Victory) park in ward I, Sa Dec town. The statue is 13.5 metres high with majestic but simple standing posture, a tender far look in his eyes, his hand placing on his heart to express his sentiment in receiving the South cadre delegation to the North. The statue is named “The South in my heart” and is one of the most beautiful statues in the Mekong delta.

(Wikipedia.org)

Kien An pagoda

Kien An Cung is an antique pagoda of nearly 100 years old. The specific architecture which manifests Chinese style creates specific features of a Chinese pagoda in the South. The pagoda has an area of over 1,000 m2 and locates at ward 2, Sa Dec town, Dong Thap province. The Kien An Cung pagoda was built in accordance with the word "Công" including 3 compartments. The tiling proof consists of 3 layers. The top layer is tiling one, the middle is made of brick and the other tiling.
The tiling is proofed according to the waving of a dragon and makes base for building curved high waving proof in “five basic elements” style. Each top of the waving is a tiny palace and includes 6 tiny palaces. The whole pagoda has no trusses but purlins which link to one another on tops of round wooden poles. On the front view wall are decorated with plants, birds, animals and human statues which are joined by small colorful porcelain pieces which create pictures lying along with the fillet in glass of 5 mm thickness. The proof at the entrance has 4 wooden flowerpots in red lacquer trimmed with gold which supports 6 objects carved with flowers and leaves. In the middle is a board of horizontal lacquered board of “Kien An pagoda” decorated with dragon, cloud, deer and crane. The entrance doors are 6 wooden unicorns gilded with gold balancing the 6 objects on the tops. Each door surface is drawn the living sights of king and mandarins. Next to the main doors are parallel sentences with pattern decoration around and the wall is carved apricot blossoms and crane gilded with gold. On the main doors are colorful drawings and on the both-side doors are carved with lotus flowers, birds, animals. Kien An Cung worships many genii whom the main one is Quach. It is different to Chinese in Quang Dong who worship Quan Cong that Chinese community in Phuoc Kien prefer Quach. Therefore, Kien An Cung is called Quach pagoda.

(maxreading.com)

In addition, when visiting Dong Thap, tourists can stop by such vestiges as Doc Binh Vang temple in Thanh Binh district, Ca Cat pagoda in Lai Vung district, Giong Thi Dam statue at Go Quang Cung in Tan Hong district, commemorative stele Binh Thanh in Thanh Binh district. All these vestige areas are ranked national level by the State.