Can Tho

Can Tho is located in the center of the Mekong Delta, 170 km south of Ho Chi Minh City, along the Hau River. The Hau River is considered a benefactor of this region because yearly floods deposit large quantities of alluvium, enriching the rice fields. The climate in Hau Giang is relatively unaffected by storms. The rainy season lasts from May to November, and the dry season from December to April.

On beautiful weather days, taking a boat trip along the riverbanks is a fantastic experience. Ninh Kieu Wharf, located on the east bank of the Hau River, is renowned for its beautiful location. Not far from the wharf, there is a floating restaurant connected to the bank by a bridge. Visitors can travel by boat to the floating restaurant to taste eel dishes, a specialty of the region.

Can Tho University educates approximately 2,000 students in the fields of agriculture, medicine, and teaching.

Exploring the water network that surrounds Can Tho in the Mekong Delta, tourists will understand why locals have a special name for it.

To them, the miles of interconnecting canals and rivers are simply “the green lungs of the Mekong.” Can Tho, over its 200 years as the main town and now the city of the province, once known as Tay Do or Capital in the West, may have had many names but has steadfastly maintained its identity. This city of 150,000 people is the hub of the Can Tho and Con Au waterway system, which supports the local rice and fruit trade. However, it's not just agriculture that drives the area: an art and cultural center, a university, and a museum dedicated to Ho Chi Minh have contributed to increasing numbers of visitors. For those who have never been to the region, they have likely experienced its flavors through Cau Duc sweet pineapple, sweet potatoes, taro, and coconuts from the U Minh Jungle, which have spread the region's reputation as a fruit basket.

The marshy Lung Ngoc Hoang mangrove forest, strategically positioned to avoid the natural dangers of the occasionally threatening Hau River and the waters near Bac Lieu, also provides shelter for wildlife. Fish, crabs, tortoises, and yellow boas and snakes seek seasonal refuge here, a place where wartime troops often sought strategic shelter. Experts are investigating whether this area, especially its river water ecosystem, could sustain the designation of a National Reserve. It's these waterways that are the lifeblood of the area and the preferred transport route for goods bound for its legendary floating markets. On land, the fragrance of frangipani trees wafts around the city's communal house with its 72 columns of black hardwood, commemorating the creation—or salvation—of the area.

Local people often jokingly say "the land is abundant, but the people are few," which serves as a reminder of those who were forced to leave after a series of heavy floods made earning a living impossible. The endorsement of a respected general in the communal house was believed to play a crucial role in saving the life of a special envoy of the court, dispatched in 1852 to assess the situation of Hau River residents, but whose fleet was swept away by a storm. He found shelter in a small canal and survived to name it Binh Thuy, requesting King Tu Duc to favor this land. Success and prosperity followed; the communal house became a more solid structure and continues to be widely respected, especially during two annual ceremonies.

However, tourists are always captivated by the bustling floating markets on the Hau River at Con Khuong, Con Son, and farther afield, Con Tan Loc in the more prosperous Thot Not District. Other areas hope to benefit from this economic recovery as part of a five-year development program led by local officials aimed at promoting the use of the waterway system. Cai Rang is the largest floating market on the Mekong River, and the traders here increasingly use motorized vehicles.