Gao Giong Eco-Tourism

Gao Giong Eco-tourim is situated in Hamlet 6, Gao Giong Commune, Cao Lanh District in Dong Thap Province, about 20km from the centre of Cao Lanh city. With a beautiful and charming landscape, Gao Giong Eco-tourim is considered the miniature of Dong Thap Muoi in the western region in South Vietnam.

From Cao Lanh, tourists follow a beautiful stretch of road on Highway 30 to arrive in Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area – the lung of the area of Dong Thap Muoi. The green oasis-like area is divided into four areas with over 70km of canals and 20km of self-contained dikes. The mangrove forest in Gao Giong covers 1,700ha, including 250ha of primitive forest that creates a wild beauty. 

 Part of Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area seen from above. Photo: Le Minh 

Tourists visit Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area by a sampan. Photo: Le Minh
An observatory in Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area. Photo: Le Minh 
Tourists take beautifull photos from the observatory. Photo: Le Minh 
Tourists discover the cajeput forest using a sampan. Photo: Le Minh 
Peaceful scenery in the cajeput forest. Photo: Le Minh 
The entrance gate of Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area. Photo: Le Minh
Thatched houses in  Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area.
The locals earn their living by catching fish in the eco-tourism area. Photo: Le Minh

Standing on the observatory in the middle of the eco-tourism area, tourists have a birds’-eye-view of an immense area with the distinctive landscape of Dong Thap Muoi that was lively reflected in the famous Vietnamese film, called “Canh Dong Hoang” (Wild Field) by late People’s Artist Hong Sen. The film script was written by writer Nguyen Quang Sang.

On small sampans rowed by gentle women on criss-crossing canals through thick mangrove forests, tourists arrive in a 40ha bird sanctuary, one of the “must-see” destinations in the eco-tourism area.

Visiting the bird sanctuary in the early morning or late afternoon, tourists will be amazed at the animated and noisy scene of thousands of birds hovering above a corner of the forest. The bird sanctuary has now over 200 species of birds, including many listed on the Vietnam and the World Red Books, such as O tac (Otididae), Nhan diem and Giang sen (Mycteria leucocephala) . The area is also the habitat of dozens of water birds, such as Trich mong do, Lesser, whistling ducks, wild ducks, and tens of thousands of white egrets so the area is considered the largest habitat of white egrets in Dong Thap Muoi.

The area is also famous for a plentiful resource of aquatic products, including snakeheads, anabas and That lat(Notopteridae) and especially Rohu from the shallow lake in western Cambodia. Gao Giong is most beautiful in flood season with an immense area covered with the yellow of Dien dien (Sesbania sesban) flower, the red of water-lilies, the violet of Giant Crape-myrtle, the pink of lotus and the green of mangrove forest. All form a romantic colourful natural painting hardly seen anywhere else. 

Grilled snakehead, a specailty of Dong Thap Muoi. Photo: File 
Steamed snails with a speacial taste. Photo: Le Minh 
A delicious dish in the area. Photo: File

Visiting the area, tourists will have a chance to learn about the daily life of people in the watery area and enjoy delicious dishes, such as grilled snakehead, sour soup of Dien dien flowers and steamed snails with a special taste.
Established in March 2003, Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area is now a favourite destination of both domestic and foreign tourists to the western region of South Vietnam.

Source:VNP

Tram Chim National Park – important Ramsar

Located in Tam Nong district of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, Tram Chim National Park boasts a rich biodiversity that turned it into the world’s 2000th Ramsar site in 2012.

Established in 1985, the 7,313-hectare Tram Chim became a national park in 1998 and then the fourth Ramsar site in Vietnam.
The park’s plentiful green vegetation is inhabited by more than 130 species of higher plants featuring six main types of floristic societies.

Water life in the park is also bustling seeing the presence of over 150 species offreshwater fish, with some listed in Vietnam’s Red Book like clown feather-back fish, common archerfish and giant barbs, nearly 180 algae species, 26 epifauna species, 350 species of plankton and 34 species of amphibian.

Tram Chim is home to 198 bird species, including 16 rare ones such as red-headed cranes, black-faced spoonbills, black eagles, great-billed herons and spotted-billed pelicans. It was recognised as an important bird sanctuary in Vietnam.

The number of fauna and aquatic species in Tram Chim National Park surpass those in other wetland reserves in the region, like Tra Su cajeput forest reserve in An Giang province and U Minh Ha National Park in Ca Mau province.

The diversity is largely attributable to the physical feature of the park which lies in the low-lying area of Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) and benefits vastly from the flood cycle generated by the Mekong River.

In particular, a well-operating water drainage system has also helped direct a great amount of aquatic species on the Mekong River to reside in the park annually and add to its biodiversity.

Providing a perfect habitat for hundreds of flora and fauna species, the Tram Chim National Park also offers an ideal destination for ecotourism in Dong Thap Muoi.

Forming part of the part, the 3,000 hectare forest of cajeput, aged up to 18 years old, is often adorned with tens of thousand of white storks during the flood season. It provides a dozen-hectare ground for various kinds of birds to play and build cosy nests all year round.

Tours by water taxis to the park are now available for tourists, who are assured to be stunned by a spectacular view of a “green oasis” decorated by flowers and enlivened by bird singing and dances during the flood season.

In the dry season, canoes bring tourists to travel along small canals from which they can spot 1.5-metre-tall cranes, herons with wings of over one metre and long-necked darters seeking food.

A road system has been invested by local authorities to enable tourists to explore the site without harming its ecosystem.

To preserve the park, protective measures have been carried out. A 53-kilometre dyke was built to prevent the park from being flooded entirely during the rainy season and regulate its water level during the dry season.

A number of projects jointly developed by local authorities and state and international agencies have been launched to reduce local residents’ dependenceon the park and raise their awareness of protecting its environment.

Local residents have been encouraged to get involved in managing natural resources offered by the park and utilising them in a sustainable manner. These activities have helped Tram Chim National Park live up to its fame as the world’s Ramsar site and contributed to the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta.

Source: VNA/ Photo: VnExpress

Historic house becomes tourist site

In recent years, the house owned by Huynh Thuy near Tien River in Sa Dec in Dong Thap Province has become a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists. 

 

The house is famous for its unique architecture which is the harmonious combination of Vietnamese, French and Chinese styles. It is the place that witnessed the romantic love between Marguerite Duras, a well-known French writer, and Huynh Thuy Le, the son of the Huynh Family who is the house’s owner.

When we arrived at the house, we meet Australian tourists who were listening to the tourist guide’s architectural value and the love between the house’s owner and writer Marguerite Duras. The bustling atmosphere in Sa Dec in the late afternoon reminded all of us of the animated scene at the wharf on the Tien River in the past.

The house was built using precious wood in 1895. Its roof is covered by Yin-Yang tiles and designed with two curved ends in the shape of boats, a familiar symbol of the watery area in the south-western region. In 1917, Huynh Cam Thuan, father of Huynh Thuy Le reconstructed the house in the style of a French villa with a harmony of both Oriental and Western architecture.

For over 100 years, despite the destruction caused by time the house still remains intact with all its beautiful features. 

The outside of the house improves visitors with the French architectural style that used decorative details, such as statues and relief from the Renaissance on the facade and arched doors in the Roman style and Gothic windows of multi-colored glass. All provide the house with a magnificent and imposing appearance. Going inside, tourists have a familiar feeling because of the Oriental architectural style that is clearly seen through skillful and refined patterns and sculptures in the shapes of birds, flowers, plants, daisies, bamboo and apricots. There are beautiful spots and scenes carved on woo that reflect the bustling life in the watery area in South Viet Nam.

The house consists of three compartments with the middle one used for worshiping Guangong according to the religious belief the Chinese and two others for receiving guests and for bedrooms. The corridor of the house leads to the servants’ quarters. The floor was paved with flowered tiles and the walls were built with solid brick, 30-40 languages and it was made into a film of the same named by French Director Jean Jacques Annaud in 1992. The film has left a resounding impression on viewers all around the world.

The move famous that the novel and film become, the larger the number of foreign tourists who want to visit the house grows. Over the years, the house has become a popular destination, fascinating tourists from France, the US, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the UK.

With its value in terms of architecture and historical relic, the house was recognized as a national cultural historical relic in 2009.

Source:Vietnamnet