Around Chau Doc, we have the opportunity to meet many families who still live traditionally on floating houses which hang large nets used for fish farming.

Introduction

Located 250km west of Saigon, Chau Doc is the city that you will cross the border to go to Cambodia via Mekong Delta. The site of Chau Doc originally under control of Funan Kingdom. The area belonged Vietnam about 300 years ago. The ethnic groups in the city are Khmer, Chinese and Cham. The economy is based mainly on fish farming. However, there are still some families who produce silk, especially in Tan Chau district. 6km from Chau Doc is the Sam Mountain which is located only 2km from Cambodian border. The mount, at a height of 230 meters, consists of an ascent that offers a magnificent view of the entire region.

What to see

Chau Phu Temple, build in 1926 in memory of Thoai Ngoc Hau, was a high dignitary of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Mubarak Mosque, where the Muslim community gather, is on the river bank opposite Chau Doc. The city has several other small mosques accessible by boat.

Tay An Pagoda was built in 1847 and rebuilt in 1958. This pagoda is famous for its hundreds of wooden statuettes. It is a blend of Hindu and Islamic culture with Vietnamese-style gantry double roof decorated with small statues of dragons, lions, chrysanthemum and lotus flowers.

Ba Chua Temple (Lady of the Realm) was originally made of bamboo and leaves. It was rebuilt in 1972. Once a year, from 23rd to 26th of the 4th lunar month, the temple becomes a place of pilgrimage. Legend has it that, the robbers wanted to steal the statue of the Lady of the Realm which was then at the top of Sam Mountain. But a mysterious force, the statue continued to rise gradually as the brigands walked away from the top of Sam Mountain so they had to abandon it there. She was found by villagers who decided to bring it to the village. Forty strongest village men tried to carry her down the mountain, but found her far too heavy to carry. The Lady of the Realm then appeared and said that only nine virgin girls would be able to carry her. They proceeded until arriving at the base of the hill where the Lady of the Realm decided she was meant to remain and she became heavy once more. The statue was then installed there.

Thoai Ngoc Hau tomb is located in a mausoleum in front of Ba Chua Temple. He was a high officer of the Nguyen Dynasty and was the first to clear the region to build canals. Before his death, he ordered that his tomb be built at the foot of Sam Mountain. He was therefore buried there with his two wives. Pilgrims pay homage every year in the sixth lunar month.

Cave Pagoda (Chua Hang) is also built on Sam Mountain. In the main sanctuary found many statues including those of A Di Da and Thich Ca Buddha and a small cave at the bottom of which stands an altar dedicated to Quan The Am Bo Tat, the Goddess of Mercy.