Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [111]
The Mekong Delta |
Long Xuyen and around
Some 60km (an hour’s drive) northwest of Can Tho, LONG XUYEN attracts few foreign visitors, though the unusual cathedral, the well-organized museum, Tiger Island and the nearby stork garden are all worth a look. Dominating the town is the spire of the concrete cathedral, on Nguyen Hué, shaped in the form of two upstretched arms whose hands clasp a cross. Unfortunately the church is often locked, but if you can get inside check out the numerous tiny portals that shed light on the dim-lit interior, illuminating gilt Stations of the Cross, and another giant pair of hands over the altar, clutching a globe.
At the other end of Nguyen Hué, you’ll find the dragon-stalked roofs of the grandest building in town, the My Phuoc Communal Hall, which has carved pillars and embroidered banners in its temple-like interior. Nearby is a very large statue of a meek-looking Ton Duc Thang: born locally, he was successor to Ho Chi Minh as president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, giving the town its main claim to fame. You can visit his birthplace and childhood home at My Hoa Hung Village on Tiger Island, accessible by ferry (2000đ) from the eastern end of Nguyen Hué. Here you will find the Ton Duc Thang Exhibition House (daily 7–11am & 1–5pm; free), which displays well-presented photos and memorabilia such as the leg irons he wore in Con Dao prison, the prime-ministerial bicycle and the plane that took him from Hanoi to Saigon in 1975 to celebrate victory. The island is very tranquil and unspoilt, and home-stays here can be arranged through An Giang Tourist (see "Practicalities").
Also worth a look, particularly for its display of Oc Eo relics (see "Oc Eo and the Funan Empire"), is the An Giang Museum (Tues–Sun 7.30–11am & 1.30–5pm; about 15,000đ) housed in a grand edifice at 11 Ton Duc Thang on the corner of Ly Thuong Kiet in the northern part of town. On the first floor the focus is on the different religions practised in the region – Catholicism, Buddhism and Hoa Hao. On the second floor is a treasure trove of remnants of Oc Eo culture. Among the exhibits are a large lingam and a wooden Buddha that is so decayed it is now almost unrecognizable, as well as delicate items of gold jewellery. Other displays focus on minority culture, particularly the Cham, and the inevitable documenting of the local revolutionary movement and battles against the French and Americans. Unfortunately, there are no signs in English.
South of Long Xuyen is one of the Mekong Delta’s best stork sanctuaries, the Bang Lang Stork Garden (daily 6am–6pm; 6000đ), with thousands of birds wheeling, swooping and squabbling over nesting places. Wearing a hat might help as the site is smothered with their droppings. To get there, head about 15km along Highway 91 towards Can Tho, then just before a small bridge, take a lane on the right marked “Ap Van Hoa Thoi An”, which leads through a few kilometres of idyllic countryside to the sanctuary: a xe om from Long Xuyen will cost around 80,000–100,000đ for the round-trip.
A few kilometres north of Long Xuyen on Highway 91 to Chau Doc, look out for the incense factories, where the sticks are spread out to dry along the roadside, often arranged in photogenic circles.
The Mekong Delta | Long Xuyen and around |
Practicalities
Most buses stop on Tran Hung Dao about a kilometre to the south of town, though local buses, including some from Chau Doc, pull up at the bus station about