Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [99]
On August 31, 1858, French naval forces attacked Da Nang, citing persecution of Catholic missionaries as their justification. The French colonial land-grab, that would culminate, in 1885, in the total conquest of Vietnam, had begun. By 1861, the three eastern provinces of Cochinchina had been conquered by the French Expeditionary Corps, and although there were popular anti-French uprisings Emperor Tu Duc sold out the following year, when the three provinces were formally ceded to the French by the Treaty of Saigon, which was signed by Phan Thanh Gian. A year later he had the opportunity to redress the situation, when he journeyed to Paris as ambassador to Emperor Napoleon III, to thrash out a long-term peace – the first Vietnamese ambassador ever to be despatched to Europe.
However, efforts to reclaim territory given up under the terms of the treaty failed, and by 1867 France moved to take over the rest of Cochinchina. Unable to persuade the spineless Tu Duc to sanction popular uprisings, Phan Thanh Gian embarked on a hunger strike in protest at French incursions and Hué’s ineffectuality. When, after fifteen days, he had still not died, he swallowed poison, and his place among the massed ranks of Vietnamese heroes was assured.
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The Mekong Delta | Vinh Long |
Eating and drinking
The Cuu Long Tourist-owned Phuong Thuy, built out over the river, boasts the best location of the town’s restaurants, though the Vietnamese food is only average. The Hoa Nang Café, next to the Cuu Long ‘A’, is a perfect place to sip a cool drink while watching the sun sink into the Mekong. South of town, at 56/1 Pham Thai Buong, the Thien Tan serves up delicious barbecued dishes, while on 2 Thang 9, Tu Hai (at no 29) and Dong Khanh (at no 49) produce standard Vietnamese stir-fries, soups and grilled dishes, with menus in English.
The Mekong Delta |
Tra Vinh and around
It’s only another 65km southeast through some classic delta scenery – vivid green rice paddies, backed by coconut and water palms – to TRA VINH, an outback market town whose broad, tree-lined streets and smattering of colonial piles have yet to see tourists in any numbers. Even if you don’t plan to stay here, it makes an interesting day out from Vinh Long. This region of the delta is Khmer country; as you get nearer to Tra Vinh, distinctive pagodas begin to appear beside the road, painted in rich pastel shades of lilac, orange and turquoise, their steep horned roofs puncturing the sky. Altogether there are over 140 Khmer pagodas scattered around the province.
Most visitors come here to visit the storks at nearby Hang Pagoda (see "Hang Pagoda"), although the town’s low-key charm makes it an intriguing place to spend a day or two. Unusually, Tra Vinh isn’t ostensibly dominated by a branch of the Mekong – you’ll have to journey a couple of hundred metres east of the 800-metre-square grid forming the town centre to find the river. A hike through the market to riverside Bach Dang makes the most engaging approach. The bridge 100m north of the fish market commands great views of the Tra Vinh River, whose eddying waters run canal-straight to the north. In places the river is almost corked by boats moored seven or eight deep.
Just south of the market, at the junction of Pham Thai Buong and Tran Quoc Tuan, the Chinese Ong Pagoda is worth a visit as it’s a very active place of worship and there’s always something interesting going on. North of the town centre up Le Loi, the Ong Met Pagoda is very different, with a Khmer-style roof above colonial arches and shutters: you’re assured of a friendly reception here from the monks studying at its English school. Immediately north is the pretty Tra Vinh Church, an imposing buttressed construction, fronted by a statue of Christ above the entrance, with waves of stonework rippling up its spire.
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The Mekong Delta | Tra Vinh and around |
Home-stays in the delta
While the Vietnamese are generally gregarious people, it’s unusual for foreigners to be invited into their homes.