Ben Tre

Ben Tre

Area: 2.322 km2

Population: 1.401.600 people (2008)

Ben Tre is adjacent to East Sea, the coastline is 60 km. Tien Giang province is on the North, the West and Southwest border Vinh Long province, the South border Tra Vinh. Ben Tre is 85 km from Ho Chi Minh city.

Ben tre comprises 9 districts: Ben Tre town, Chau Thanh, Cho Lach, Mo Cay Bac, Mo Cay Nam, Giong Trom, Binh Dai, BaTri, Thanh Phu.

Ben Tre’s tourism strength is characterized by the natural scenery, the ecological environment, coconut groves, and vast orchards

Monuments – Landscapes

• Phung islet (Mr. Dao Dua islet): Tan Trach commune, Chau Thanh district, Con Phung tourist area is on the floating isle in the middle of Tien River. There is Dao Dua monument with unique architecture. The inhabitants in Con Phung do handicraft with the materials from coconut palms and farm fruit trees for their living.

• Oc Islet (Hung Phong Islet): Hung Phong Commune, Giong Trom District, there are many coconut grove and orchards.

• Tien Islet: Tien Phong commune, Chau Thanh district, is a long and beautiful beach. Every year on May 5 (lunar) thousands of people come here to entertain.

• Vam Ho Bird Yard: My Hoa and Tan Xuan commune, Ba Tri district, about 500000 stocks and many kinds of birds live here with date palm forest and abundant vegetation.

• Cai Mon Orchard: Vinh Thanh commune, Cho Lach district, famous for many kinds of fruit such as mangos teen, durian, rambutan…

Festivals

• Phu Le Communal House Festival: Phu Le communal house is in Phu Khuong village, Phu Le commune, Ba Tri district. This is a place for Thanh Hoang Bon Canh worship. Every year, this festival take place twice, Ky Yen ceremony on March 18 to 19 (lunar) to pray for rain and wind (or for peace) and Cau Bong ceremony on November 9 and 10 (lunar) to pray for good crop. The festivities include a procession and a prayer consecrated to the village spirit who taught the inhabitants how to grow useful plants. At night, there is Hat Boi (a form of traditional drama) and amateur singing.

• Nghinh Ong (Dolphin Greeting) Festival is the festival for coastal village which takes place on 15th and 16th days of the Sixth Lunar month in Binh Dai and Ba Tri District. During the festival all the fishing boats anchor to participate in this ceremony.

• Fruit Festival is taken place at Cho Lach commune very year on the fifth of May (lunar). This is the exhibition and contest of the delicious fruit in Ben Tre. Visitors can come and enjoydelicious fruit on this occasion.

Specialties

Some specialties of Ben Tre are coconut, coconut candy, My Long rice paper, Son Doc chips, Cai Mon mangosteen, Cai Mon flowers, Chin Hoa durian, Phu Le alcohol….

(Mekong Delta Tourist Portal)