Beauty spots and historic sites in Tra Vinh

Ba Om Pond, located in Hamlet 3, Ward 8, Tra Vinh town, about 5 km west of the town centre, is one of the most scenic spots in the Mekong Delta. With its water surface area of 39,000 square metres, the pond is endowed a cool climate all year round and surrounded by centennial trees. The pond is also known as Square Pond.

 

Ba Om Pond, along with Ang Pagoda and Khmer Cultural Museum, attracts thousands of tourists and campers throughout the year, especially on such occasions as Ok Om Bok Festival and the Lunar New Year. Ba Om Pond and Ang Pagoda recognised cultural vestiges in August 1994.)

 

The Mekong Delta, spreading from Can Gio to Ca Mau, is generally surrounded by the sea full of alluvium but Tra Vinh has beautiful long beaches good for swimming, bathing and excursion. Ba Dong Beach is the most famous of them.

 

Ba Dong Beach, stretching kilometres in length, is located in Truong Long Hoa commune, Duyen Hai district, over 60 km southwest of Tra Vinh Town. Since early 1900, beach resorts were built in this region.

 

From Ba Dong, visitors can also join journeys to discover the local heroic history and tradition of fighting against foreign invaders. Many war bases still exist here. In addition, tourists can take part in ecological tours to discover mangrove forests like Truong Long Hoa and Long Khanh, enjoy local food specialties like water melon, oyster, prawns, etc.

 

My Long coastal village is situated in Cau Ngang district, 30 km southeast of Tra Vinh town. It is also a well-known place of interest.

 

Con Ngheu Isle is a sandy isle newly emerging from the centre of the Cung Hau estuary, about 3 km from My Nam Long coast. When the tides rise, the windy and sunny sandy isle is submerged by the sea. My Long villagers make use of this endowed sandy isle into an oyster culturing ground with high productivity and large output.

 

Ban Isle is a newly emerged silt isle in the centre of the Cung Hau estuary, about 5 km from Con Ngheu Isle, and about 2 km from Bac My Long coast.

 

The 200-ha isle has a primitive evergreen forest which is submerged by tidal water. The mangrove forest is the home to a wide variety of wildlife.

 

My Long is also an ancient coastal village where historical vestiges are closely tied to the King Gia Long era, including Ben Ngu (Royal Wharf), Bai Bun (Muddy Beach) as well as traditional fishing industry and famous whale worshipping festival.

 

Tan Qui Isle lies in the centre of the Hau River, An Phu Tan commune, Cau Ke district, about 50 km northwest of Tra Vinh town.

 

Like other places in Cau Ke district, the 500-ha Tan Qui Isle is located in the riverhead with fresh water and rich silt all year round. Tapping natural advantage, Tan Qui islanders turn the isle into an immense orchard where rambutan, durian, and mangosteen are growing. Tan Qui mangosteen is a popular trademark in Vietnam and the world. Tan Qui Isle always appreciates the bravery and the sense of adventure of its people.

 

Long Tri Isle lies in the centre of the Co Chien River in Long Duc commune, Tra Vinh town.

 

Long Tri Isle is regarded as a typical ecosystem of the brackish water (fresh water in a half of year and salt-infiltrated water in the other half). Thus, the islet has both freshwater and saline water creatures and vegetations like longan, cypress, water-coconut, and birds

 

Skirting the lower section of Long Tri Isle and overlooking the bank of Ben Tre is a range of small isles built up by deposits of silt throughout years where there are numerous cypress trees growing, thus it is called Con Ban (Cypress Isle).Con Ban is now a typical model of culturing catfish for export.

 

Ecological Mangrove Resort is situated in Long Khanh commune, Duyen Hai district. The 200-hectare mangrove forest is aged over 20.

 

The forest is strictly protected because the mangrove has highly economic and scenic values. The mangrove forest will become a sanctuary and breeding ground of the wildlife creatures at risk of increasing extinction.

Visitors can approach Long Khanh Ecological Mangrove Resort by waterway and roadway.

 

Phuoc Minh Palace, commonly known as Ong Pagoda which worships Chinese Guan Yu), is situated at 44 Dien Bien Phu Street, Ward 2, Tra Vinh town. This is considered a typically original architectural work and a “traditional fine-art museum” of the Chinese community in Tra Vinh province. The pagoda was built centuries ago and was restored for the first time in the early 20th century.

 

The architectural space of the pagoda is designed in the Chinese traditional style. There are three main parts and two side buildings. The whole work is roofed by yin-yang tiles while the roof edge is coated with the enamel of pearl colour and the pillars are made of precious timber.

 

The interiors like altars, doors and horizontal lacquered boards were meticulously skilfully carved and decorated in Chinese-styled patterns and arts. Every year, an important Nguyen Tieu festival is held in Phuoc Minh Palace on the 15th day of the first lunar month by the Chinese community in Tra Vinh province.

 

Luong Xuyen Pagoda, located in Ward 1, Tra Vinh town, is a well-known ancient pagoda of the Mahayana Buddhism in Tra Vinh province.

 

In the 1930s, this place was the centre of Buddhist Renovation of the Southern region with the establishment and effective operation of “Luong Xuyen Buddhist Association” and “Luong Xuyen Buddhist School” under the proposal and leadership of well-famed monks Thich Hue Quang, Thich Khanh Anh, and Thich Khanh Hoa. The very Luong Xuyen Buddhist School” has trained a number of talented monks for Vietnam Buddhism. It has made great contribution into sailing the boat of Vietnam Buddhism in the challenging periods towards the right direction.

 

Today, Luong Xuyen Pagoda is the Office of the Managing Committee of Vietnam Buddhism, Tra Vinh Provincial. It has also been restored and rebuilt so as to be deserving of the historical stature of a pagoda used to be the Buddhist Centre of the Southern region.

 

Giac Linh Pagoda, commonly known as Bat Pagoda, is a pagoda of the Mahayana Buddhism, located in Nhut hamlet, My Long Bac commune, Cau Ngang district, about 25 km southeast of Tra Vinh town.

Although its area is rather small and its architecture is simple, Giac Linh Pagoda is a cradle of revolutionary tradition of Tra Vinh province.

 

During the two resistance wars against French colonialists and American imperialists, Giac Linh Pagoda was always a stronghold sheltering Vietnamese soldiers and officials, hiding weapons and revolutionary documents.

 

In 1998, Giac Linh Pagoda was officially rated the national historical - cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

 

Kompong Chray Pagoda, commonly called as Cave Pagoda as its gate is designed in the shape of a cave, is a Khmer pagoda of the Hinayana Buddhism. It is located in Chau Thanh district, 5 km south of Tra Vinh town.

 

This pagoda, covering on an area of 2 ha, has a beautiful architectural style. It has long been the habitat and breeding ground of thousands of birds of all kinds and a yard of ancient trees painstakingly trimmed into sophisticated shapes imbued the character of the Khmer culture.

 

Kompong Chray Pagoda always leaves a good impression on visitors whenever they have a chance to be here.

 

Phno Don Pagoda, more commonly known as Stork Pagoda, is a Khmer pagoda of the Hinayana Buddhism, located in Giong Lon hamlet, Dai An commune, Tra Cu district, 40 km southwest of Tra Vinh town.

Pno Don Pagoda has an architectural style and religious life similar to the 140 other Khmer pagodas in the province. However, it is a place of interest for visitors inside and outside the province thanks to its every-green tree campus - a habitat and breeding ground of thousands of birds and storks of all kinds. Phno Don Pagoda is recognised as the largest sanctuary in the southwest of Vietnam

 

In order to protect storks, the monks and local people have made rather strict unwritten laws to maximally limit the acts violating the environment here.

 

Angkorajaborey Pagoda, also called Ang Pagoda lying opposite to Khmer National Cultural Museum, was recognised the national historical cultural vestige on the August 25, 1994 by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The pagoda was built hundred years ago on a campus of about 4 hectares. It is typical of 141 Khmer pagodas in Tra Vinh province. Ang Pagoda has an original architectural style which harmonises with the nature, Khmer art and culture. Particularly,

 

In addition, there are hundreds of centennial trees on the campus of the pagoda which all create an enchantingly innocent beauty, a pure atmosphere.

 

The Khmer Ethnic Cultural Museum is located in Hamlet 4, Ward 8, Tra Vinh Town. It is located in the relic complex of Ba Om Pond and Ang Pagoda and was opened in 1997. At present, the museum keeps and exhibits nearly 1,000 items depicting cultural, spiritual and material life of Khmer people. This is also a good place for studying in addition to visiting.

 

The Ok Om Bok Festival, also called the Moon Worshipping Festival, is one of the three typical Khmer festivals. In the Khmer’s religious belief, the Moon is the god managing the weather and crop during the year. This festival takes place on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month when it changes from the rainy season to the dry season, the growing season to the harvest season.

 

The Ok Om Bok Festival of each village takes place on the yard of a local pagoda, and the whole province’s Ok Om Bok Festival is organised at Ba Om Pond. When the Moon rises, people pay tributes in kind to her, mainly newly harvested farm produce for her support in the coming year with good weather and bumper crops.

 

At Ba Om Pond, lantern-flying contest is an exciting event.

 

This festival is considered the Tet holiday of the Khmer (Age-accepting day). The Khmer people expect best things will come to their lives in the new year.

 

The festival takes place in three days (on the 13th, 14th and 15th days of solar April (in case of a leap year, the festival will take place on the 14th, 154th and 16th days of solar April).

 

Nowadays, the Khmer people in Tra Vinh province usually pay a visit to their friends and relatives and wish each other a happy New Year during the three days of the festival. They also go sightseeing, play and entertain themselves in the cultural venues, historical and cultural vestiges, resorts and beautiful places.