Exciting experiences in Tien Giang

Visiting Thoi Son Island

Thoi Son Island, also known as Thoi Son or Lan Island, belongs to Thoi Son commune, My Tho city, Tien Giang province. It is the largest of the four islands on the My Tho River (a section of the Tien River), covering an area of ​​approximately 1,200 hectares with numerous canals and waterways.

Although located on the same stretch of river, Dragon Island (also known as Tan Long Island or Long Island) and Lan Island belong to My Tho City, Tien Giang Province, while Quy Island and Phung Island (the smallest island) belong to Tan Thach Commune, Chau Thanh District, Ben Tre Province. The inhabitants of Lan Island mainly live by growing fruit trees (mostly longan and sapodilla), beekeeping, fishing, and aquaculture.

For tourists who enjoy eco-tourism in orchards, visiting Thoi Son Island is considered a wise decision. Here, tourists will be invited to sample honey (the bees here mainly collect nectar from longan flowers, giving the honey a unique, rich flavor) along with tea and candies.

After enjoying traditional folk music and local fruits, visitors also have the opportunity to experience the riverine atmosphere on traditional sampan boats piloted by locals.

Experience at Cai Be Floating Market

While Can Tho is famous for its Cai Rang Floating Market, Tien Giang boasts its Cai Be Floating Market. Cai Be Floating Market is a place where boats and ships come to exchange goods. It retains the distinctive cultural characteristics of a Mekong Delta market, notably serving as a transit point for fruits and produce destined for other regions. Each boat is marked with a pole so buyers can easily identify it without having to shout out their wares.

With its diverse range of goods, Cai Be floating market is famous for its fruits such as rambutan, green pomelo, Lo Ren star apple, Cai Be tangerine, etc. Cai Be floating market has the largest quantity of fruit in Tien Giang province and is also a place where traders from other provinces such as Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long, and Ca Mau come to buy goods. Besides the floating market, visitors can also explore the traditional craft village of Dong Hoa Hiep, visit fruit orchards, and listen to traditional folk music.

Currently, many international tourists come to Ho Chi Minh City and then purchase tours to Cai Be through reputable travel companies such as Vietravel, Viet Legend Travel, Kim Travel, etc. If taking a 2-day tour, tourists can travel by car to Cai Be, then take a boat to beautiful homestays such as Hai Dao, Ba Linh… in Vinh Long to experience rural life, stay overnight, and return to Cai Be the next morning to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of the floating market.

Visit the Rach Gam - Xoai Mut Victory Monument.

Tien Giang has many cultural, historical, and ecological relics such as: the Oc Eo cultural relic, Go Thanh relics dating from the 1st to the 6th centuries AD, the Ap Bac relic, the Phao Dai rampart, and many tombs, temples and pagodas such as: Truong Dinh tomb, the Royal tomb, the Four Heroes tomb, Vinh Trang pagoda, Buu Lam pagoda, Sac Tu pagoda…

One of the most famous historical sites in Tien Giang is the Rach Gam - Xoai Mut Victory Monument. In 2014, it was recognized by the government as a Special National Monument (the highest level, above national and provincial monuments). Through nine ranking rounds, Vietnam has a total of 105 Special National Monuments, and the Rach Gam - Xoai Mut Victory Monument is on this list.

The Rach Gam - Xoai Mut Victory Monument is located in Dong Hamlet, Kim Son Commune, Chau Thanh District, next to the Tien River and Provincial Road 864, making it very convenient for tourists to visit. Covering a total area of ​​over 2 hectares, the monument includes a statue of Nguyen Hue, a traditional Southern Vietnamese house, and notably, an exhibition hall displaying approximately 546 artifacts of various sizes, including tools and weapons related to the historic battle between the Tay Son army and the Siamese army on January 20, 1785.

Enjoy My Tho noodle soup.

Tien Giang cuisine is rich and diverse with many dishes such as: grilled pork patties from Cho Gao, horseshoe crab from Go Cong, rice snails, rice cakes… but the most famous is still My Tho noodle soup. Noodle soup is a dish characteristic of the Chinese community, but when "My Tho-ized," it creates a unique and unforgettable flavor.

The broth is simmered from bones, pork trotters, and dried grilled squid along with radish, accompanied by fried onions and finely chopped scallions to enhance the aroma. The rice noodles must be made from Go Cat rice, a type of rice that produces noodles that are translucent, crispy, and chewy to the right consistency. The accompaniments to the rice noodles include lean pork, pork intestines, shrimp, and quail eggs.

Speaking of accompanying condiments, My Tho noodle soup is distinctly different from noodle soup elsewhere. It includes bean sprouts, chives, and celery alongside lime, chili, soy sauce, or pure fish sauce. When the broth is poured into the bowl, the aroma rises, enticing diners. My Tho boasts many famous noodle soup restaurants, such as: 6 Sen Noodle Soup (Tran Hung Dao Street), the Roundabout Noodle Soup (Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street), and especially the Banh Cam Noodle Soup. This restaurant has been around for nearly 50 years and is one of the most famous noodle soup restaurants in My Tho (address: 215 Ap Bac, My Tho City, Tien Giang).

The Anh