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Taking
the helm: A farmer effortlessly rows her boat while
passengers enjoy the passing scenery. A trip along the
canals is a must for any Mekong Delta visit. — VNA /VNS
Photo Hoang Huu
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Tranquil:
Bats known as flying foxes hang in trees near the Khmer
pagoda in Soc Trang town, waiting for the sun to set and
their nightly food foraging to begin. — VNS Photo Tan
Ghi
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Where
the
tourists go
In
Long An, tourist officials say that daily trips
to several Melaleuca forests and orchards in
their province, south-west of HCM City, would
help boost the number of day trippers.
Nevertheless
they are confident that 50,000 tourists will
visit Long An this year, almost double that of
2002.
But
just 80km from HCM City is Dong Thap Muoi, the
Plain of Reeds, a vast swampy wilderness home to
colonies of birds and myriad water creatures.
Bordered
by Cambodia to the north-west, Dong Thap Muoi
encompasses Long An, Dong Thap and Tien Giang
provinces. Most of the plain, however, is within
Tien Giang.
A
crossing of the two major tributaries of the
Mekong, the Tien and Hau rivers, leads to Vinh
Long, Can Tho, Soc Trang and other provinces
each with its own speciality.
But
all say their floating markets are the best. —
VNS
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Mekong
spirit an unforgettable memory
Delta
lifestyles have been a long time in the making
by
Tri Binh
There is more to
southern Viet Nam than HCM City.
The hustle and
bustle of streets where townhouses are dwarfed by sparkling new sky
scrapers give it the feel of any equatorial Southeast Asian City.
But just an hour
away down Highway 1, where life is measured by the turn of the tide in
the labyrinth of rivers and canals that criss-cross the Cuu Long, or
Mekong Delta, visitors are likely to find themselves infatuated by the
carefree spirit of the locals.
There, hospitality
is on offer to all, regardless of social status.
Visitors can stay
under a thatched roof by the banks of a saltwater creek with their host
family or go into the paddy and work with the farmers.
Or they can go
drifting in the wooden boat that is moored outside and inspect the
nearby Melaleuca forests.
It will all help
the stranger understand both the hardship and determination of those who
arrived in these then unknown wilds more than three centuries ago.
History says that
about the time the Trinh Lords began usurping the power of the Le King
in the 17th century, village life became impossible.
Farmers began to
abandon the north and central coast for the south fleeing injustice and
seeking new land.
Centuries
of adventure
They travelled the
Dong Nai River to the sea and settled in what is now HCM City.
Later, they found
the estuaries where the Mekong empties into the East Sea.
Indochina’s
biggest river rises in the mountains of Tibet and flows 4,020km through
Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand to Viet Nam.
In the 220km it
travels through Viet Nam, the river divides into nine, hence the name,
Cuu Long – the nine dragons.
Having found the
estuaries, the new settlers moved upstream, draining marshes and
building dykes as they went to enable rice cultivation.
Any difficulties
with landlords or feudal aristocrats and they moved further inland.
Each year, the
flooded river delivered fresh silt to replenish their fields and restock
their fish and with a tropical sun on their backs, rather than the cold
winds of the north, they began to enjoy a good life.
But they were
homesick.
That homesickness
produced a new genre of lyrical folk music, vong co. Fuelled by
potent rice wine and sang by a nightfire, vong co expressed great
nostalgia for the past.
It also helped new
generations remember their history and take pride in the way their
ancestors had lived in harmony with nature to make their lives
comfortable.
Today,
performances of cai luong, or reformed opera, include remnants of
vong co sung by communal choirs who, from time to time, compete
against each other.
But the delta is
no longer sparsely populated.
But since the end
of the American War and reunification, returning farmers, a high birth
rate and re-settlement have made it heavily populated.
Yet many of the 15
million people living in the delta follow their traditions of robust
hospitality.
This special
hospitality has become an additional flavour in the mix of eco-tourism
to attract visitors as each tourist bureau in the delta’s 12 provinces
competes to make their offerings a must-see destination. — VNS |
