Vinh Long is convenient to travel because it is close to Ho Chi Minh City, a land of many fruit gardens and traditional craft villages.
About 100 km south of Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long is located in the center of the Mekong Delta, between the two branches of Tien and Hau rivers. This place has fruit gardens and the famous Mang Thit pottery village. Life here is not noisy but seems simple with many unique features of the Chinese, Cham, and Khmer ethnic groups.
48-hour journey to explore Vinh Long as suggested by Mr. Chi Tai, Deputy Director of the Tourism Promotion Information Center of Vinh Long province, and a group of tourists from Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 1
Morning
Have breakfast in Vinh Long city with dishes such as Trung Vuong pho, pho 91, salty sticky rice 69, Tai Co restaurant, Tran Nam frog porridge. These breakfast spots are all located on major roads in the city center such as Hung Dao Vuong, 2/9 Street, Dinh Tien Hoang and are often visited by people. The price of each dish starts from about 30,000 VND.
After breakfast, go to the Emerald Buddha Pagoda (about 7 km from the city center). According to Mr. Tai, at the pagoda’s stupa there are three Buddha relics brought by Venerable Narada Maha Thera (Sri Lankan) from Nepal and India in 1970.
“This is considered one of the famous destinations not only for Buddhists, seniors, and young people in Vinh Long province but also attracts visitors from all over,” Mr. Tai said.
Vinh Long Jade Buddha Pagoda is likened to a miniature ancient town because of its architecture imbued with Vietnamese Buddhist cultural identity. According to the abbot’s share, the special thing about the pagoda is the two large dragon stone pillars at Tam Quan gate, cast from monolithic granite, 9 m high, 1.5 m wide, weighing about 20 tons, rare in the region. West.
Noon and afternoon
Tourists arrive at Vinh Long passenger wharf, go downstream to An Binh island to visit Cuu Long nuggets and candy craft village, one of the famous destinations. Here, visitors will return to their childhood when they smell the fragrant smell of green rice as soon as they set foot on the shore.
In the village, artisans sit by the fire and produce batches of hot green rice. This area is arranged simply and conveniently so that visitors can easily visit and experience making green rice under the guidance of artisans.
The next destination is Vinh Sang tourist area, with a rural market and experiencing fun activities such as racing basket boats to catch ducks, rowing canoes in small canals or wearing traditional ba ba costumes and bandanas, being a farmer. Southern people slap rope buckets, catch fish with traps or participate in folk games such as cycling across monkey bridges, swinging ropes across lakes, and ziplining.
There is also a factory producing young coconut jam, rock sugar coconut candy, and rambutan jam. Have lunch in the village with a variety of dishes, including a vegetarian menu typical of the Southern region.
Inside a kiln mound in Mang Thit pottery village. Photo: Tran Quynh
Mang Thit pottery village. Photo: Tran Quynh
Mang Thit pottery village. Photo: Tran Quynh
Red brick walls are typical in Mang Thit. Photo: Tran Quynh
Inside a kiln mound in Mang Thit pottery village. Photo: Tran Quynh
In the afternoon, one of the must-see attractions is Mang Thit ceramic brick village, hundreds of years old, known as one of the largest red brick and ceramic producers in the country. The pottery village stretches 30 km in Vinh Long city, Long Ho district and Mang Thit district. Among them, Nhon Phu and My An communes (Mang Thit district) are home to the most production facilities, often called the “Brick and Tile Kingdom”, “Red Kingdom” and visit the traditional 3-room, 2-wing house. The largest red ceramic system in Vietnam, confirmed by the Vietnam Records Organization on September 11.
Evening
Return to Vinh Long city and enjoy dinner at restaurants such as Bay Map beef hotpot, Nha San chicken hotpot, Huong Sen restaurant, Ut Hang seafood, Huynh Phuong Nam goat restaurant, Mai La restaurant.
Overnight at homestay. This is a favorite form of accommodation in Vinh Long, usually priced from 350,000 VND to about 900,000 VND per night. Guests will enjoy afternoon tea and watch the sunset on Co Chien River, prepare dishes themselves, exchange amateur music under oil lamps or enjoy and experience the art of opera at the communal house.
If you still have time and want to roam more, visitors can visit, shop and explore Vinh Long night market (ward 1), open until 11pm.
Day 2
Morning and noon
After breakfast, move to the Temple of Literature on Tran Phu Street, Ward 4. This is one of the first three Temples of Literature built in the South. The project was completed in 1866.
Van Thanh Mieu Vinh Long has ancient and solemn beauty. In front of the temple is a three-door gate and two side gates with 3-storey roofs. The roof is decorated with the image of two dragons flanking the moon made of green ceramic and covered with large and small tiles. On both sides of the column are parallel tureens written in Chinese characters and embossed with cement, honoring Confucius as well as Confucianism. Next to the Temple of Literature is Van Xuong, which worships the gods of literature and famous scholars who have contributed to the country’s education.
The next destination in the morning is the “Kingdom” of coconut and sedge grass in Vung Liem district, 35 km from the city center, and visit the memorial complex of late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet. According to Mr. Chi Tai, coming to Vinh Long without returning to Vung Liem to visit “Mr. Sau Dan’s garden” (a close call of the people to the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet) is considered an incomplete trip. This place opens from 7:30 am and closes at 5:00 pm.
Artifacts associated with the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet. Photo: Phong Linh
The memorial grounds of late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet. Photo: Phong Linh
Memorial house of late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet. Photo: Phong Linh
The interior spaces in the former office. Photo: Phong Linh
Vung Liem also has the green of coconut gardens and squint grass fields, the main squint production area for the mat weaving industry. Therefore, it is not difficult to see the vast scenery of fields and houses, covered with coconut trees above, and covered with vast grassy paths below, to visit the mat weaving village.
Have lunch with local dishes at one of the restaurants and dinners at restaurants and eateries such as Tan Phat rice restaurant, Loc Phat pho, Hoang Uyen Palace wedding restaurant. Near this area there are also a number of fruit gardens such as green grapefruit garden, mango garden, durian, and rambutan. Visitors can combine eating, resting and picking fruit until the afternoon.
Afternoon
Travel along Highway 53 back to Vinh Long city. About 10 km from Vinh Long city center, visitors can visit Cai Cuong ancient house located in Long Ho district.
If you love the typical Southern style of old houses, this is a suitable address. This ancient house is not as big as the famous houses in Can Tho or Dong Thap, but here there are still traces of the lives of ancient people. Around 1885, the great landowner of the area, Cai Cuong, started construction on the house, which is currently owned by Mr. Pham Van Bon’s family. The interior is well preserved, most of it made from precious wood.
Alternatives
Visitors can also choose other destinations along other routes such as: Tra On floating market (suitable for Tet holidays and early mornings), Ong Pagoda, Somo Farm Cuu Long tourist area, a model of farming. The camp combines ecological experience and learning about the cultural beauty of the Western rivers.
($1~24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)