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The film "Southern Forest Land" is currently making waves and has become the center of attention for many viewers in recent days. The film adaptation of "Southern Forest Land," produced by director Nguyen Quang Dung based on the novel of the same name by writer Doan Gioi, had an investment budget of up to 40 billion VND and became an instant sensation upon its release.
Reportedly, the film crew spent over 48 official filming days at 45 locations across the Mekong Delta provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, Long Xuyen, and Dong Nai. Tra Su Melaleuca Forest in An Giang was chosen as the filming location for the first scene of the film "Southern Forest Land," mobilizing over 300 extras and building more than 50 wooden boats at a workshop in Dong Thap to recreate a floating market village in the 1920s.
One of the most impressive scenes in the trailer for "Southern Forest Land" is the recreation of an old-fashioned floating market in the Mekong Delta, set in the Tra Su Melaleuca Forest (An Giang province).
The wooden bridge connecting the two banks of the river in the floating market scene was used in the film.
Tour guide Ly Thien Phong (TikToker "Going with Phong") said: "The film crew of 'Southern Forest Land' chose to film at Tra Su, attracting many local people to register to become extras. The filming location at Tra Su also attracted the attention of many tourists because of its uniqueness. Leaving the film's setting behind is hoped to attract even more visitors in the future."
Information from the Tra Su Melaleuca Forest Management Board further indicates that, in order to design the large-scale floating market scene, the film crew conducted surveys months in advance. More than 20 local workers had to work continuously for 60 days before filming began.
The floating market village comes alive with the bustling atmosphere of local life, with dozens of boats and canoes crisscrossing the intricate network of canals. Above are shops and restaurants with nostalgic, hand-painted signs...
The footage recreates a typical floating market of the Southwestern region of Vietnam in the 1920s.
Looking at the behind-the-scenes images, the film crew recreated a typical floating market of the Southwestern region of Vietnam. Dozens of boats and ships bustled with trade, and on both banks were shops, restaurants, and a grand market gate with hand-painted signs of shops in an ancient style, such as "Kim Sang Gold and Pawn Shop," "Vinh Tuong Fabric Shop," etc. After the filming was completed, the thatched houses, stalls, and signs used as props in the film were kept in their original positions for tourists to visit and take pictures, contributing to promoting the image of Tra Su tourism to domestic and international visitors.
Most people in the Mekong Delta use plastic boats instead of wooden ones. Therefore, to save time searching for them, the film crew of "Southern Forest Land" chose to build new boats, then load them onto a large barge and transport them to the Tra Su mangrove forest to use as props.
Tra Su Melaleuca Forest covers an area of approximately 845 hectares, located in Vinh Trung and Van Giao communes of Tinh Bien district, An Giang province, 30 km from Chau Doc city center. It is known as an unmissable destination for exploring the Mekong Delta when visiting An Giang. Originally, Tra Su Melaleuca Forest was a planted forest in a semi-natural ecosystem since 1983. The scenery here can be considered a vibrant representation of the forests of Southern Vietnam.
Tra Su Melaleuca Forest is located about 30 km from Chau Doc City and was planted according to the ecosystem model of the wetlands west of the Hau River.
This forest was planned to prevent flooding and neutralize acidity in the upstream irrigation canal area along the Hau River. After the melaleuca trees thrived and expanded on a large scale, along with its diverse and rich ecosystem, Tra Su Melaleuca Forest became a green oasis, home to endemic plant and animal species of the Southwest region of Vietnam. Currently, Tra Su Melaleuca Forest operates as an ecotourism area and is a must-visit destination for tourists who want to learn more about the Mekong Delta, appreciate green spaces, and want to immerse themselves in nature.
Visitors to this place will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a natural environment shaded by trees, and discover a variety of waterbirds and rare animals...
As tourists venture deeper into the forest, they are overwhelmed by the lush green landscape that unfolds like a fairytale painting.
Delving deeper into the Tra Su Melaleuca Forest, visitors can experience motorboat or rowboat rides deep into the forest, admiring the bird sanctuary, large water hyacinth carpets, lotus flower carpets, and more. Particularly surprising is the sight of many types of amphibians and aquatic plants living in the forest, such as aquatic creatures, birds, and fish. It is known that there are approximately 140 species of plants here, with the area almost entirely covered by melaleuca trees. Because of this, you will easily spot flocks of birds taking flight over the vast expanse of water, or birds perched on the melaleuca trees, or white egrets swooping down to feed – incredibly beautiful, even if only for a fleeting moment.
The diversity and abundance of resources make Tra Su Melaleuca Forest an ideal destination for those who love exploring wild nature.
The bamboo bridge xuyên through the Tra Su Melaleuca forest has been recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization as the longest in Vietnam, with a total length of 10 km.
To explore Tra Su Melaleuca Forest, visitors can choose to travel by motorboat or rowboat along the forest, while the driver will introduce unique and interesting spots found only in this area. The ticket price is 50,000 VND per person for each type of boat. Motorboats can carry 14-16 people, while rowboats can carry 3 people.
Sitting in a boat, gently gliding across the tranquil lake's natural scenery, far from the hustle and bustle of city life, immersed in the chirping of birds emanating from the mangrove canopies on either side, and the gentle sound of oars stirring the water, you're sure to feel relaxed and as if you're drifting into a fairytale land.
Throughout the trip, visitors can enjoy the scenery, comfortably sit at the front of the boat to feel the cool, relaxing air, observe birds such as egrets, herons, storks, bitterns... and diverse aquatic life, and experience the tranquil mangrove forest environment.
There are about 400 pigeons raised in the forest, so it's called the "pigeon city".
The best time to visit Tra Su Melaleuca Forest is during the flood season, from August to November. At this time, the forest is especially green, with water and water hyacinths covering the surface. When you travel by boat, you'll feel like you're gliding over a soft, velvety carpet – a truly delightful experience. Tra Su Melaleuca Forest opens at 5 AM and closes at 9 PM. The entrance fee is 100,000 VND per person.
In 2020, Tra Su was recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization as the most beautiful and famous melaleuca forest in Vietnam for tourism during the flood season. Every day, the Tra Su melaleuca forest ecotourism area welcomes a large number of domestic and international tourists to visit and experience.
With the popularity of the movie "Southern Forest Land," Tra Su Melaleuca Forest is attracting a large number of tourists interested in learning more about it and booking tours to experience it.
