Soc Trang

Soc Trang

Area: 3.312,3 km2

Population: 1.289.441 people

Soc Trang is a coastal province, bordered by Hau Giang province in the North and Northwest, Bac Lieu province in the South and Southeast, Tra Vinh province in the Northeast, the sea on the East and Southeast with the coast line of 72 km. Soc Trang city is 231 km from Ho Chi Minh city.

Soc Trang comprises a city (Soc Trang) and 8 districts (Chau Thanh, Long Phu, Cu Lao Dung, My Tu, Thanh Tri, Vinh Chau, NgaNam, Ke Sach, My Xuyen).

The strength of Soc Trang is agriculture and fishery. Visitting Soc Trang, tourists will enjoy the view of immense rice fields, laden orchards, ancient temples, unique architecture…

Monuments – Landscapes

Bat pagoda 

• Bat pagoda: The bat pagoda is also called Ma Toc or Mahatuc pagoda. It is located at ward 3, Soc Trang city, Soc Trang province, on Le Hong Phong Street to My Xuyen, 1 kilometer from the city centre. This pagoda was built on 2ha area. The bat pagoda is a quiet beautiful pagoda with green nature and is also a living place for ten thousands of flying fox bats.

• Clay Pagoda is Buu Son Tu pagoda, is located in Soc Trang city. Clay pagoda was built in the late 18th century. Such works as Buddha statue, supernatural animals, Tram peak (Dinh tram), towers etc. are created from clay and seem to be made from real materials at first sight. Especially, there are 8 candles of which 6 big ones are not lighted yet and the 2 smaller ones are on fire. The weight of each candle is about 200 kilograms and its height is 1.6 m. Each big candle is estimated to be on constant fire for 70 years. There are also 3 scented incenses with 2 meter high each…

• Sa Lon Pagoda (small porcelain bowls pagoda): Sa Lon pagoda is located on the national highway 1A, 12 kilometers from Soc Trang city in the direction from Soc Trang city to Bac Lieu. It was built in 1815 with special structure and unique carving. In 1980, it was rebuilt and the special trait of the pagoda is to use pieces of broken porcelain bowls and dishes to veneer on the walls for decorating the pagoda, which is so called the Small Porcelain Bowls pagoda.

Kleng pagoda

• Kh’leang Pagoda is located at No. 71, Mau Than Street, Hamlet 5, Ward 6, Soc Trang city. This pagoda is featured in architecture, which is very majestic, magnificent, pure, and solemn.

Tan Long Stork Garden 

• Tan Long Stork Garden is belonging to Long Binh Commune, Nga Nam District, Soc Trang Province. This place has become a bird garden for nearly 30 years with thousands of storks living in bamboo trees, coconut trees familiar to Mr. Huynh Van Muoi family. The storks here include such varieties as white heron, nga stork, lbis, cormorant etc. The owner erects an observing tower with more than 10 metres high for tourists to contemplate storks in his garden with an area of 1.5 hectares.

Buying fruits in My Phuoc dune

• My Phuoc Dune is belonging to Nhon My Commune, Ke Sach District, Soc Trang Province and in the middle of Lower Mekong River, about 10 kilometers from Ke Sach. With the cool immense space and poetic charming waterways, this is a site attracting a lot of tourists. This dune land has been famous for such fruits as sapodilla plum, mango, durian, orange, tangerine, longan, etc. Every year, on the 5th of the fifth lunar month, thousands of tourists come to this place to visit.

Festivals

• Dolta festival: The Dolta festival or the ancestors worship is one of three great festivals of Khmers. It is organized during three days, from August 28 to 30 every year. First day, people prepare flowers, fruits, Tet cake (glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and pork), and rice to worship the ancestors. The second day, family prepare meal and bring to the pagoda for monks to worship their ancestor. The last day, each family still prepares the meals and the fruits to worship the ancestors and to say goodbye to them. Thenlisten to the preaching, pray for family peace and pray for thedeceased.

• Ooc Om Boc festival: This is the biggest festival of Soc Trang province. Ooc Om Bok festival or Moon worshipping ceremony takes place at 15th of the tenth lunar month by Khmer people. There are many traditional activities such as releasing flying lights and floating lights, tasted com dep (a kind of young sticky rice), Ngo boat (wooden boat carved on both bow and stern) race.

Specialties

Pia cake

Some of Soc Trang specialties are Pia cake, Chinese sausage, me lau cake (made of glutinous rice flour, taro, malt, sugar and sesame), bun nuoc leo (rice vermicelli with sauce)….

(Mekong Delta Tourist Portal)