Vinh Te Canal – What to Do in Chau Doc, An Giang
Table of Contents
Vinh Te Canal is a great construction in the Mekong Delta. For nearly 200 years, Vinh Te canal has still been effective for agriculture and commerce of an entire southwestern expedition area.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Chau Doc Visitor Guide
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: One and a half hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – dusk
Food: No
Shop: No
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: /vinh-te-canal-chau-doc-an-giang/
Address: The canal is nearly 100 km long, connecting two famous tourist destinations in the West, Chau Doc city - An Giang province and Ha Tien town - Kien Giang province.
Added values: Up to now, the canal is still of great value in terms of water management, transportation, trade, border guard, demonstrating the creative labor of the Vietnamese people to build the country and the policy of attaching importance to irrigation for development agriculture of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Vinh Te Canal? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We've got some ideas! Check out our list: Tra Su Cajuput Forest (30 km), Sam Mountain (31 Km), Cam Mountain – Forbidden Mountain (33 km), Chau Doc Floating Market (36 km), 30 Thang 4 Park in Chau Doc (36 km)…
Vinh Te canal began to be dug on the full moon day of the 12th month of the Year of the Dog (1819). This canal originates from the west bank of Chau Doc River, runs parallel to the Vietnam - Cambodia border, and connects to the Giang Thanh River.
It is known that the process of digging Vinh Te canal was carried out under the command of Thoai Ngoc Hau along with two Grandmasters Nguyen Van Tuyen and Dieu Bat Nguyen Van Ton. Later, there was additional support from Gia Dinh Citadel Governor Le Van Duyet, Deputy Governor of Gia Dinh Citadel Truong Tan Buu, Deputy Governor of Gia Dinh citadel Tran Van Nang, Marshal Tran Cong Lai.
To dig Vinh Te canal, in the first phase, Thoai Ngoc Hau mobilized more than 10,000 workers, including: 5,000 soldiers and civilians in the area, 500 soldiers from Uy Vien garrison, 5,000 Khmer people.
The process of digging the canal was not favorable, encountered many obstacles and difficulties, partly due to inclement weather, partly due to lack of manpower. Moreover, the canal passes through many places of very hard soil so that the excavation of the canal was interrupted and divided into several phases.
In 1820, right after he ascended the throne, King Minh Mang immediately ordered the Governor-General of Gia Dinh citadel, Le Van Duyet, to mobilize more militiamen in the Uyen, Vinh Thanh, and Dinh Tuong fortresses. The total number of workers mobilized to dig the canal at that time was more than 39,000 people. Among them, there were 16,000 Khmer soldiers and people, divided into 3 sessions, digging by hand with rudimentary tools, taking turns constructing around the clock.
It can be said that, to complete Vinh Te canal, more than 80,000 militiamen dug millions of cubic meters of soil and rock over a period of 5 years. The total length of the canal after completion is measured to be 205 miles and a half (91km), 7 feet 5 meters (25 meters) wide and 6 meters (3 meters) deep.
In order to have a great construction of great value that exists to this day, many people in the process of digging the canal were forever lying down due to the inability to withstand the harsh weather and hard work. In particular, when it comes to Vinh Te channel, the greatest merit belongs to Thoai Ngoc Hau. Perhaps because of that, the Nguyen court used his wife's name to name this canal.
Having existed for nearly 200 years, Vinh Te canal not only helps waterways to travel conveniently but also plays a very good role in preserving the commune's border. At the same time, the canal also plays a significant part in bringing fresh water from the Mekong River into the water to remove acidity, wash alum to make the fields more and more fertile.
Thanks to the Vinh Te canal, Vinh Te village and Chau Doc city are more crowded and developed every day. And true to the purpose of the canal, Chau Doc today has become a prosperous city, welcoming millions of tourists every year.
Visiting Vinh Te canal is one of the interesting experiences that tourists should try if they have the opportunity to come to An Giang, especially in the floating season.
In the rising water season, water from the canal overflows into the fields and flows. This is also the time when fish from the lake and sea go down to the Hau River, along Vinh Te canal flowing to the fields in the flood season. Traveling to Vinh Te canal this season, visitors will have the opportunity to look at the vast white fields, watch the farmers floating on the small canoe with a net to catch fish for a living.
The Vinh Te canal not only brings alluvium to fill thousands of hectares of fields, but also brings abundant resources to feed the people here. People compare Vinh Te canal like a fish bag, wherever the water goes, the fish will go there, freely catching.
On these days, boats go up and down the crowded canal like a festival. Fishing boats, fishing boats parked close to each other, people taking turns fishing, the laughter of endless laughter creating a peaceful but exhilarating village scene.
If the fish is caught and cannot be sold, people often make fish sauce to reserve. That is also the reason why this area has become the "capital" of fish sauce of the whole Mekong Delta. The fish sauce brands in Chau Doc are famous throughout the country thanks to the delicious way of brewing fish sauce, especially the sweetness of Linh fish caught on Vinh Te canal.
The Vinh Te canal is still there every year, containing the great values that the generations of ancestors built. Although it is not the most unique tourist destination, it can be said that this is an ideal destination for us to go back in time to find the old days of Vietnam.
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
THE 12 BEST Chau Doc Unique Daily Tours (from $27)
Tra Su Forest Tour from Chau Doc 8am-12noon or 2pm-6pm
TOP PICK with local secret roads Chau Doc Loop Tour With Thomas 1 day (boat+forest, river, floating fish farm, sit on the back of scooter, rice fileds, farm, canals, mountain, hidden village, fun, fullest, unique and more)
Tra Su Forest & Chau Doc River Tour
Chau Doc River Tour & Small Canal
Chau Doc Tra Su Forest & Drop off in Can Tho
Chau Doc Tra Su Forest & Drop off in Ha Tien
Tra Su Boat-Trip-Forest & Sunset Sam Mountain by Motorbike half day
Chau Doc motorbike Countryside Tour & Sunset Sam Mountain
Chau Doc Countryside Cycling Tour & Rice Fields (Morning or Afternoon tour)
Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559
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From Chau Doc city center:
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Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in An Giang. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package An Giang daily tours with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. These days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from Google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in An Giang village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in An Giang.
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. The Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
Best time to visit Chau Doc floating market, Long Xuyen floating market is from 5:30am-6:30am. I hope you have an amazing sunrise on the Mekong Delta river.
You can stay in a homestay which is near the floating market, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself, but you still need to hire a boat for the floating market tour.
If you plan to extend your travel to Chau Doc homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Chau Doc or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Chau Doc responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Chau Doc food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Chau Doc cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Bun Ca Chau Doc (the soft noodle is cooked with fish), Banh bo cake of Chau Doc, Sugar palm fruit, Caramelized and Braised Catfish, Grilled Rice-field Rat with Salt and Chili, Long Xuyen Broken Rice, Nui Cam Pancake, O Thum’s Chicken Grilled with Lime Leaves, Sour Soup with Siamese Mud Carp Soup & Sesbania Flower, Stir-fried Shrimp with Sesbania Flower, Phu Huong Beef Noodle Soup, Basa Fish Hotpot, Mam (Fermented Fish)…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Chau Doc in the rainy season, as Chau Doc always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Chau Doc tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Tra Su Cajuput forest & Birdwatching, Chau Doc Floating Village, Fish Farm & Cham Minority Village, Chau Doc floating market & small canal, Sam mountain, Tuc Dup hill, Chau Doc river tour, Chau Doc cycling tour, Chau Doc photography tour, Ta Pa Rice Fields, Vinh Te Canal, Seven-Mountain Ox Racing Festival, Tay An Pagoda, Chau Doc Market, The Lady Temple – The Ba Chua Xu Temple, Phuoc Dien Pagoda – Hang Pagoda, Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb,
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Chau Doc, An Giang province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
