The southern province of Dong Thap is famous for its fruit trees.
It is located in the
depressed areas of the Mekong river basin and has fertile land and well-off
villages in the vast Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds). It boasts a lot of
specialties such as Chau Thanh longans, Hoa An plums, Cao Lanh mangos, Lai Vung
mandarin oranges, Sa Dec shrimp-chips, Chau Thanh pottery, Lai Vung mandarin
oranges, and Dinh Yen mats.
Dong Thap is also home to
many cultural and historical sites and an attractive eco-tourist
destination.
The 20ha Xeo Quyt
revolutionary base lies in the middle of a flooded indigo forest more than 30km
from Cao Lanh City. With many canals and reeds everywhere, the area used to
serve as a base for the former Dong Thap provincial party committee during the
war of resistance against the US. In the face of enemy attacks and severe B52
bombings, the base stood firm, until Victory Day on April 30,
1975.
Nowadays, the base’s
fortifications, tunnels and secret hideouts have been restored for tours, and
tourists now have the chance to place themselves in the former revolutionary
base.
The Tram Chim National Park
lies in Tam Nong district and has many different terrains, some similar to
wetlands. The park has a wide range of water plants such as indigos, reeds,
lotuses, water-lilies, and snakes, eels, tortoises, plus more than 50 species of
fish.
The nature reserve has 198
species of water birds, which account for a quarter of the bird species that
exist in Vietnam, including red-crowned cranes, pelicans and
swallows.
Tourists to Dong Thap can
also enjoy the traditional beauty of Vietnamese cultural life, shown in hundreds
of temples, pagodas and festivals. The Kien An Cung pagoda, which has original
architectural features, was ranked as a cultural and historical
site.