CAN THO – A riverside city
For over 130 years with a history of ups and downs, Can Tho city has been known by many different “nicknames” such as La capitale de l’Ouest (the western capital), centenary city, or the capital of agricultural products. Taking a trip to Can Tho, surely, tourists can discover and experience all of the special things related to these names.
Can Tho – a city imbued with local’s personalities
Located in the south of Vietnam, Idyllic views, seasonal fruits, and typical cultures are the features characterizing the specialties of Cantho City. However, this riverside city still remains the “personalities” like a Vietnamese southern girl – being austere, plain, and amiable, which excites many traveling connoisseurs who come to discover this city – a likable and demure girl.
In this blog, I’ll be your tour guide, and we will have a tour around CT city to discover all of the appealing things that you should come when traveling to Cantho.
EXPLORE CANTHO IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS
- Boats
When coming to this riverside city, no trip is complete without a discovery on the boat by the river. Cantho is a city in southwest Vietnam that profusely packs all of the characteristics of an area surrounded by rivers such as the fishing village, the floating market, and the lives strongly associated with the rivers. Imagine one morning, the city is brightening in the dawn, and you’re approaching it up the river. That’s really a breathtaking and impressive sight!
- Scooters
One of the most convenient transport vehicles in Vietnam is the scooter. An afternoon with a warm climate characterized by the tropics is the perfect time for visitors to take a scooter and go around this city. Going through the canyons of concrete buildings, responding to the hospitality of local people, and trying the very local foods lying deep in the small alleyways are the best memorable memories for tourists.
- Electric buses
If you weren’t confident about your riding skills, I think using the electric buses would be the best choice. Sitting on an electric bus not having any covers that could help you directly feel the smell of alluvium or the fresh breeze flowing from the creak of the Mekong River – Hau River, see the slow and calm life of local people, and go around to view the overall picture of Cantho city.
DISCOVER CANTHO THROUGH FOODS AND BEVERAGES
Besides the natural landscapes and different cultures, maybe the diverse cuisines are also one of the most appealing features that are considered by pleasure-seekers whenever wandering to a new place. Despite roaming to Cantho in a nice sunny warm day with the summer winds, in a day that is covered by the gray sky of tropical downpours, or even in the floating season, this city always can satisfy the most demanding gourmets. “Versatile”, “delicious”, and “unique” are words that can be used to describe foods and beverages in this riverside city, and I will suggest some special dishes that you must try when visiting Cantho.
– Hu Tieu
Having been introduced to South Vietnam in the 17th century, Hu Tieu has quickly become a course that is worth trying whenever traveling to the Mekong Delta. The tough structure of noodles is made from tapioca and rice flour. However, the thing that plays the most important role of a great Hu Tieu is its broth getting a good smell and savored taste made from a variety of vegetables and pork.
Having time to roam to Cantho, visitors must try at least a bowl of Hu Tieu, especially enjoy this course right on the river between the floating market.
– Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake, Xeo crepe)
When it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, there are various foods worth trying at least once in your lifetime. Bánh Xèo is one of the must-try foods that I would like to recommend if you have a golden chance to visit Vietnam. Since this Vietnamese crepe expresses the simple spiritual life of Vietnamese people in food culture, it does not require such an uncomplicated manner but skillful hands to make a crepe containing the complete characteristics of Vietnamese food that offers such a perfect balance of each crisp texture usually used with fresh greens and ground meat fillers as well as fish sauce with rich flavors that there are absolute explosions of taste in your mouth. Perhaps, therefore, Bánh Xèo is a trigger for the craving of many Vietnamese generations.
– Sugar Cane drink (sugar cane juice)
Becoming more and more popular in the world, especially, Sugar cane drink has been a big craze of Vietnamese people for many years. Therefore, when wandering on a small street in Vietnam, people can easily find many sugar cane juice carts.
The great balance of the sweet from sugar cane juice, the sour taste of kumquat juice and the cold of ice makes a perfect beverage for a tropical place like south Vietnam. Many tourists get addicted to this drink right at the first try. That’s why sugar cane drink has been becoming an “In” thing in the world, and shifting into a luxury drink in many countries all over the world.
– Bun Mam
Bun Mam is a special course supposed to originate from Khmer people. This dish’s description could include phrases like “unique smell”, “savored broth” and “variety of vegetables”. Certainly, Bun mam is also a food worth attempting, as well as a challenge for the first try of curious gourmets. More specifically, Despite being a savored noodle broth, its smell is a bit overwhelming the first time you try it because it is prepared from Mam (macerated fish).
Which places can show all of the beauties of Can Tho city?
You have heard so much about how beautiful and how great Cantho is in my blog, but if you want to experience and confirm all of these, you must come and see them with your own eyes. The things that make Cantho become a beloved city in the heart of tourists coming from foreign lands are idyllic settings, nature’s variety, its long history, and likable local people. However, It’s extremely hard to list all of the interesting destinations in this city, so I’ll suggest some typical places that can show you some of the beauties of Cantho city.
– Cai Rang floating market
Many overseas visitors, even though they’ve never known Cantho city, but for sure, they clearly know about Cai Rang floating market – a special cultural phenomenon of the place having a huge system of rivers. More than 100 years old, at the present, Cai Rang floating market is one of the biggest traditional floating markets still operating in Viet Nam.
From the early morning, when the sun is still collapsed in the deep sleep, taking a small boat to the floating market, being adrift on Cantho River, and witnessing how crowed, hustle and bustle the river is in the morning with fishing boats, merchant boats, and tourist boats are really the unforgettable experiences. Coming to Cai Rang floating market, not only you will see the real activities of the merchants living there and the way a traditional floating market works, but also can you contemplate a special cultural phenomenon that is coming to the twilight all over the world. Surely, this trip will be so memorable and even have much value.
- Small canals
Surrounded by a huge system of rivers – big rivers, small rivers, and canals, Cantho city and the people living there have a strong connection with rivers, so taking a small boat to weave into these small canals is the only way for tourists to see these connections. When rambling around on a small boat in the morning, ramblers from distant lands can revel in the aromas of unknown flowers perfuming the air, enjoy the freshness of the atmosphere on the rivers, and drink in the beautifully idyllic scenery with plantations and many unique kinds of trees such as water palms, cork trees, and water hyacinths.
– Cacao farm
Despite being not special or new for foreign tourists, the 60 years old cacao farm of Mr. Muoi Cuong is still very attractive. At the present time, most chocolate factories in the world use automated machines, but when coming to the cacao farm in Cantho, visitors can see the multiple processing stages of making products by hand from cacao such as cacao butter, cacao powder, and chocolate.
However, one of the most interesting things that tourists can experience is listening to the hard journey to the foreign lands of Mr. Muoi Cuong to find the way of making products from cacao.
– Orchards
Blessed by the alluvium and fresh water flowing from the Mekong River, Cantho City is really good land for fruit-laden orchards. With plenty of tropical fruits such as durian, star apple, and dozens of kinds of fruits, orchards are excellent fruits that are the specialty and the pride of the Cantho people. Therefore, lots of the curious come to try these fresh, tasty, and sweet fruits, then they fall in love with this tropical land.
– Rice noodles houses
Not just is famous for its natural views, seasonal fruits, and beautiful cultures, but Cantho City is also well known for many special traditional occupations, and making rice noodles (hu Tieu) is one of them. Hu Tieu (rice noodles) is closely connected to Vietnamese southerners, so when coming there, besides seeing the way local people make rice noodles step by step by hand, tourists can explore a different side of the Mekong Delta’s cultures through cuisine also.
– Pitu Khosa Rangsay Pagoda
Without a trip to pagodas, people will not have a perfect journey in the Mekong Delta. While North Vietnam is famous for the pagodas imbued with the dignity of oriental architecture and the middle is characterized by the spectacular pagodas on high mountains, south Vietnam on the other hand become special with glittering golden pagodas of Khmer people.
Travel with me! I’ll introduce you to one of the most beautiful Khmer pagodas in the Mekong delta at this time – Pitu Khosa Rangsay Pagoda which fully reflects the spirits of Khmer Buddhism. For the reasons why this is a beautiful pagoda, I’ll analyze it more academically in the blog “Pitu Khosa Rangsay Pagoda”, or the hospitable tour guides – the son of Mekong Delta will show you when you come to this place. Exploring Khmer architecture, contemplating the reliefs of Khmer and Buddhism arts, and listening to the thoughts of Theravada Buddhism are the things that tourists can discover in this outstanding pagoda.
– Ong Pagoda (Kuang – Tsao Assembly Hall)
Located in the central area of Cantho city – right next to Ninh Kieu Quay, Kuang – Tsao assembly hall plays an extremely important role for Chinese people living in Vietnam and for Cantho’s tourism also.
Built-in Chinese traditional and beautiful concept of a community hall for Chinese people emigrating to foreign lands, when stepping into this building, the experiences about the Chinese living in Vietnam that tourists can get are exploring beautiful Chinese architecture, discovering their beliefs, and finding out why they are really good at doing business.
– Binh Thuy ancient house
With a long history of more than 100 years, this land has been through many ups and downs, and the things that can prove these vicissitudes are the ancient houses. There are a variety of ancient buildings in Cantho city, but I’ll suggest you one of the most typical ones – Binh Thuy ancient house that belonged to a really rich family in the past.
The vestiges of time are still in the house’s walls, maybe the prime has passed away, but the values of this building are still alive strongly. It is interesting that this ancient house is also one of the film studios of the movie “Lover” which is about the love story of a Vietnamese rich man and a beautiful French lady.
MODERN CHANGINGS MEET OLD VALUES
Still, be there over the years, still, be a small city napping beside a creek of the Mekong River. For Vietnamese southerners, Cantho is a beautiful and also luxury memory, and for foreign tourists, Cantho is a peaceful and likable experience. The experiences that tourists have with Cantho are always beautiful and memorable, and surely, despite coming from different places, people will fall in love with this city at first sight.
There is a very famous poem that people usually use when describing about Cantho:
Cần Thơ gạo trắng nước trong
Ai đi đến đó lòng không muốn về
English version:
White rice, pure water Can Tho have
once who come, would never they leave
