Those who have followed the Mekong Delta’s winding waters to the region’s farthest stretches agree that the journey is well worth it. Pham Nam Giang discovers the area’s hidden delights, both natural and man-made.
Most tourists who visit the Mekong Delta make it no farther than My Tho, a day’s jaunt from HCM City, where they can float down one of the region’s many waterways and sample the famous locally grown fruit.
Those who venture deeper into the region, however, are rewarded with the rich biodiversity, history and folklore of the southwest.
Sure, no visit to the Mekong (Cuu Long) River Delta would be complete without a boat ride down the red-silt-laced waters of My Tho or a visit to Can Tho’s bustling floating market. But when I pushed beyond these cities to Bac Lieu and Kien Giang, two of the 12 provinces that make up the region, I discovered many more elements of the southwest’s unique character.
In the quiet expanses of these provinces, immense forests and nature reserves shelter thousands of species of plants and animals. Seemingly unending green rice paddies chase the horizon, and friendly local residents will tell visitors tales of their hometowns.
My first stop was Bac Lieu Province, 280km south of HCM City, a symbol of natural bounty in the region. Every year, the river system delivers fresh silt to this province in the Mekong Delta’s southernmost tip, replenishing the fertile land.
In addition to containing rice paddies and shrimp ponds that local farmers depend on for their livelihoods, the region also provides a home to tens of thousands of birds.
It is unsurprising, then, that birds have become an integral part of cultural and spiritual life for people of the delta and of Bac Lieu in particular, as evidenced by the frequent mentioning of birds in folk songs and fairy tales. People say that no rice paddy in this land is without a flock of storks overhead.
This sheds light on a Vietnamese proverb often used in reference to the lush southwestern region: dat lanh chim dau (if the land is good, birds will come).
The highlight of my tour of the province was a trip to Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary, one of the most attractive ecotourism spots in the province and the entire Mekong Delta.
The 100-year-old sanctuary is located in Hiep Thanh Commune, 6km east of the town of Bac Lieu.
"The sanctuary, a natural salt-marsh forest ecosystem, covers an area of approximately 170ha, of which 50ha is virgin forest," said Tu Hung, an official working there.
One of the largest bird sanctuaries in the delta, it is home to more than 60,000 birds of over 40 species, including some rare ones listed in the Red Book.
Every day, flocks of birds fly off in search of food at dawn and return to their nests when dusk comes, overshadowing the sky for the delight of the viewers below. Songs of birds intermingle with the sounds of flapping wings, bringing the whole area to life.
"It’s so extraordinary," said Dinh Thi Kim Dung, director of Sovico Travel company in Ha Noi and one of my companions.
Dung said there were many birds in her hometown in Thai Binh Province, a natural salt-marsh forest reservation in the Red River Delta, but never before had she seen birds practically covering the whole sky like this.
But the sanctuary not only shelters birds, it is also a reserve for 150 types of animals, dozens of species of butterfly and more than 100 plant varieties, ranging from giant centuries-old trees to small ferns.
Tourists, however, are only allowed to visit a nearby buffer zone where they can use optical devices to observe the birds from afar in high watchtowers. Hung explained that human activity could adversely affect the environment for the birds, causing them to flee the area.
more of the story->Viet Nam News
Most tourists who visit the Mekong Delta make it no farther than My Tho, a day’s jaunt from HCM City, where they can float down one of the region’s many waterways and sample the famous locally grown fruit.
Those who venture deeper into the region, however, are rewarded with the rich biodiversity, history and folklore of the southwest.
Sure, no visit to the Mekong (Cuu Long) River Delta would be complete without a boat ride down the red-silt-laced waters of My Tho or a visit to Can Tho’s bustling floating market. But when I pushed beyond these cities to Bac Lieu and Kien Giang, two of the 12 provinces that make up the region, I discovered many more elements of the southwest’s unique character.
In the quiet expanses of these provinces, immense forests and nature reserves shelter thousands of species of plants and animals. Seemingly unending green rice paddies chase the horizon, and friendly local residents will tell visitors tales of their hometowns.
My first stop was Bac Lieu Province, 280km south of HCM City, a symbol of natural bounty in the region. Every year, the river system delivers fresh silt to this province in the Mekong Delta’s southernmost tip, replenishing the fertile land.
In addition to containing rice paddies and shrimp ponds that local farmers depend on for their livelihoods, the region also provides a home to tens of thousands of birds.
It is unsurprising, then, that birds have become an integral part of cultural and spiritual life for people of the delta and of Bac Lieu in particular, as evidenced by the frequent mentioning of birds in folk songs and fairy tales. People say that no rice paddy in this land is without a flock of storks overhead.
This sheds light on a Vietnamese proverb often used in reference to the lush southwestern region: dat lanh chim dau (if the land is good, birds will come).
The highlight of my tour of the province was a trip to Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary, one of the most attractive ecotourism spots in the province and the entire Mekong Delta.
The 100-year-old sanctuary is located in Hiep Thanh Commune, 6km east of the town of Bac Lieu.
"The sanctuary, a natural salt-marsh forest ecosystem, covers an area of approximately 170ha, of which 50ha is virgin forest," said Tu Hung, an official working there.
One of the largest bird sanctuaries in the delta, it is home to more than 60,000 birds of over 40 species, including some rare ones listed in the Red Book.
Every day, flocks of birds fly off in search of food at dawn and return to their nests when dusk comes, overshadowing the sky for the delight of the viewers below. Songs of birds intermingle with the sounds of flapping wings, bringing the whole area to life.
"It’s so extraordinary," said Dinh Thi Kim Dung, director of Sovico Travel company in Ha Noi and one of my companions.
Dung said there were many birds in her hometown in Thai Binh Province, a natural salt-marsh forest reservation in the Red River Delta, but never before had she seen birds practically covering the whole sky like this.
But the sanctuary not only shelters birds, it is also a reserve for 150 types of animals, dozens of species of butterfly and more than 100 plant varieties, ranging from giant centuries-old trees to small ferns.
Tourists, however, are only allowed to visit a nearby buffer zone where they can use optical devices to observe the birds from afar in high watchtowers. Hung explained that human activity could adversely affect the environment for the birds, causing them to flee the area.
more of the story->Viet Nam News
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