Discover the Mekong Delta
Miền Tây hay là miền Tây Nam Bộ là cách gọi quen thuộc, dân dã của người Việt Nam về vùng đồng bằng sông Cửu Long (hay vùng đồng bằng sông Mê Kông). Tuy nhiên, không nhiều người hiểu rõ miền Tây Nam Bộ ở đâu? Miền Tây có bao nhiêu tỉnh thành? Hay miền Tây sông nước có những gì thú vị? Vậy thì chúng ta hãy cùng tìm hiểu những nét khái quát về mảnh đất và con người miền Tây này nhé.
Miền Tây Nam Bộ thực chất là cách người Việt Nam gọi vùng đồng bằng sông Cửu Long hay vùng đồng bằng Nam Bộ.
Thông qua bản đồ miền Tây Nam Bộ, ta có thể dễ dàng thấy khu vực này nằm ở phần cuối cùng của lãnh thổ, một mặt được bao xung quanh là biển. Miền Tây Nam Bộ có diện tích gần 40 nghìn km2. Miền Tây Nam Bộ ở ngay bên trái của vùng Đông Nam Bộ. Còn lại miền Tây giáp Campuchia ở phía Bắc, giáp vịnh biển Thái Lan ở phía Tây và giáp biển Đông ở phía Đông Nam.
An Giang
An Giang is a province located in the Mekong Delta Key Economic Region. It is the most populous province in the Mekong Delta and ranks eighth nationwide in terms of population. Part of An Giang lies within the Long Xuyen Quadrangle.
The province borders Cambodia to the northwest (104 km), Kien Giang Province to the southwest (69.789 km), Can Tho City to the south (44.734 km), and Dong Thap Province to the east (107.628 km). An Giang is located approximately 231 km from Ho Chi Minh City.
An Giang Province has a total natural area of 3,536.6685 km², of which 280,658 hectares are used for agricultural production and 14,724 hectares are forest land.
An Giang is the most populous province in the Mekong Delta and also ranks eighth in population nationwide, after Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Hai Phong. Part of the province’s area is located within the Long Xuyen Quadrangle.
Bac Lieu
Bac Lieu Province was established on December 20, 1899, and officially became an administrative unit on January 1, 1900. On October 22, 1956, the province was dissolved and merged into Ba Xuyen Province. It was re-established on September 8, 1964. In February 1976, Bac Lieu was once again dissolved and merged into Minh Hai Province. According to a resolution of the National Assembly dated November 6, 1996, Bac Lieu Province was re-established effective January 1, 1997, and has remained a provincial-level administrative unit of Vietnam ever since.
In 2018, Bac Lieu ranked 46th nationwide in population, 48th in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), 39th in GRDP per capita, and 20th in GRDP growth rate. With a population of 892,930, the province recorded a GRDP of 37,719 billion VND (equivalent to USD 1.6382 billion). GRDP per capita reached 42.05 million VND (approximately USD 1,826), while the GRDP growth rate stood at 8.36%.
Bac Lieu is home to various ethnic groups, including the Kinh (Vietnamese), Hoa (Chinese), Khmer, and Cham. The people of Bac Lieu are known for their open-minded and generous lifestyle, characteristic of the Southern Vietnamese region. The province is famously associated with the legendary Bac Lieu Dandy, once renowned for his immense wealth and extravagant lifestyle. Bac Lieu is also closely linked to the legacy of composer Cao Van Lau and his iconic song “Da Co Hoai Lang”, which laid the foundation for the development of Southern traditional music (Don ca tai tu).
Bac Lieu is widely known for its salt-making industry. Bac Lieu salt has long been famous for its high quality, characterized by its mild taste without bitterness or harshness and minimal impurities. During the French and American periods, salt trading in Bac Lieu flourished extensively, dominating the Southern region, reaching as far as Phan Thiet in Central Vietnam, and being exported via the Mekong River to Cambodia. Although salt production is no longer as prosperous as in the past, Bac Lieu remains the largest salt-producing area in the Mekong Delta.
Ben Tre
Ben Tre is a province located in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam.
In 2021, Ben Tre ranked 28th nationwide in population, 46th in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), 56th in GRDP per capita, and 48th in GRDP growth rate. With a population of 1,288,200, the province recorded a GRDP of 60,035 billion VND (equivalent to USD 2.83 billion). GRDP per capita reached 45.1 million VND (approximately USD 1,924), while the GRDP growth rate stood at 7.85%.
Ben Tre has 09 district-level administrative units, including the districts of Ba Tri, Binh Dai, Chau Thanh, Cho Lach, Giong Trom, Mo Cay Bac, Mo Cay Nam, Thanh Phu, and Ben Tre City.
Ca Mau
Ca Mau is a coastal province at the southernmost tip of Vietnam, located within the Mekong Delta region. The entire territory of Ca Mau province is situated on the Ca Mau Peninsula.
In 2019, Ca Mau was the 26th most populous administrative unit in Vietnam, ranking 41st in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) and 38th in GRDP per capita. With a population of 1,229,600, its GRDP reached 53,229 billion VND (equivalent to 2.3118 billion USD). The GRDP per capita stood at 47.1 million VND (equivalent to 2,028 USD), with a growth rate of 7.00%.
Ca Mau is a young land, having been reclaimed for just over 300 years. Historically, the land of Ca Mau was explored and settled by Chinese immigrants led by Mac Cuu. After Mac Cuu offered the entire territory to the Nguyen Dynasty, his son, Mac Thien Tu, followed the orders of the Nguyen Lords to establish the Long Xuyen administrative district. After numerous administrative changes, Ca Mau province was officially re-established on January 1, 1997. This followed a Resolution from the 10th session of the 9th National Assembly on November 6, 1996, regarding administrative boundary adjustments that split Minh Hai province into two separate entities: Ca Mau province and Bac Lieu province.
Can Tho
Can Tho is one of the five centrally-run cities of Vietnam. It is the most bustling and developed city in the Mekong Delta, serving as the region's hub for economy, culture, society, healthcare, education, and commerce. Currently, Can Tho is designated as a Class I urban area and serves as a central city at both regional and national levels.
Having been the capital and the nuclear urban center of the Southwestern region since the French colonial period, Can Tho continues to uphold its role as the economic heart of the Mekong Delta today. Beyond its geographical significance as a vital transportation hub connecting regional provinces, Can Tho is also renowned as a "river city." The city boasts an intricate network of rivers and canals, vast orchards, and expansive rice fields. It is famous for Ninh Kieu Wharf and Cai Rang Floating Market—a quintessential cultural feature of Southern Vietnam.
According to the 2025 development plan, Can Tho is set to become the Mekong Delta's center for industry, trade, services, education, science and technology, healthcare, and culture. Simultaneously, it will serve as the gateway city to the lower Mekong sub-region and a crucial hub for both regional and international transportation, aiming to become a well-developed city within Southeast Asia.
Đong Thap
Dong Thap is a province located in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The land of Dong Thap was reclaimed by the Nguyen Lords around the 17th and 18th centuries. Dong Thap Province was officially established in 1976 through the merger of Kien Phong Province and Sa Dec Province.
In 2018, Dong Thap ranked 15th nationwide in population, 30th in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), 43rd in GRDP per capita, and 57th in GRDP growth rate. By 2022, with a population of 1,624,100, the province recorded a GRDP of 100,184 billion VND (equivalent to USD 4.36 billion). GRDP per capita reached approximately 62.3 million VND (about USD 2,678), while the GRDP growth rate stood at 9.11%.
Dong Thap is the province where the Tien River enters Vietnam and shares a border of more than 50 km with Cambodia, featuring four border gates, including two international border gates: Thuong Phuoc and Dinh Ba. Dong Thap is famous for its vast lotus fields, which can be found throughout the province. Lotus stems and lotus seeds are well-known local specialties.
Hau Giang
Hau Giang is a province located in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. In 2018, Hau Giang was the 54th most populous administrative unit in Vietnam, ranking 52nd in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), 48th in GRDP per capita, and 52nd in terms of GRDP growth rate.
With a population of 776,700 people, its GRDP reached 29,763 billion VND (equivalent to 1.2926 billion USD). The GRDP per capita stood at 38.32 million VND (equivalent to 1,664 USD), and the GRDP growth rate was 7.08%.
Kien Giang
Kien Giang is a coastal province located in the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam.
The majority of modern-day Kien Giang encompasses Rach Gia City and the entirety of the former Ha Tien Province. It is the largest province in the Southwestern region and the second largest in Southern Vietnam (after Binh Phuoc). However, during the Nguyen Dynasty, the entire area of present-day Kien Giang belonged to Ha Tien Province. The provincial capital is Rach Gia City, situated approximately 120 km from Can Tho and 250 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Kien Giang is also a key province within the Mekong Delta's Key Economic Zone.
In 2018, Kien Giang was the 11th most populous administrative unit in Vietnam, ranking 19th in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), 31st in GRDP per capita, and 39th in GRDP growth rate. With a population of 1,723,067, its GRDP reached 101,887.58 billion VND (equivalent to 4.4 billion USD). The GRDP per capita stood at 58.13 million VND (equivalent to 2,527 USD), and the GRDP growth rate in 2021 was 0.58%.
Long An
Long An is a province situated within the Southern Key Economic Zone and serves as the vital gateway connecting the Southeast region with the Mekong Delta. Most notably, it shares a border with Ho Chi Minh City, linked by an extensive network of national highways, including National Highways 1, 50, 62, N1, and N2 (Ho Chi Minh Highway). The province is regarded as the largest consumption market for agricultural products from the Mekong Delta region.
Soc Trang
Soc Trang City is located in the central area of the province and has the following geographical boundaries:
- To the east and north, it borders Long Phu District
- To the west, it borders Chau Thanh District and My Tu District
- To the south, it borders My Xuyen District and Tran De District
Soc Trang City has a total natural area of
76.15 km², with a population of
137,305 as of
2019.
The city is located approximately
218 km south of Ho Chi Minh City and about
62 km south of Can Tho City.
Tien Giang
Tien Giang is a coastal province in the Mekong Delta, Southern Vietnam. The province is part of the Southern Key Economic Region. Its provincial capital is My Tho City, located approximately 70 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City and 90 km northeast of Can Tho City via National Highway 1.
Tien Giang has a 32 km coastline with relatively flat terrain and neutral alluvial soil with low acidity along the Tien River, Vam Co River, and Soai Rap River. The area along the Tien River accounts for about 53% of the province’s total area, making it suitable for a wide variety of crops and livestock. Tien Giang is a province with great potential for tourism.
Tra Vinh
Tra Vinh is located at the end of an islet, lying between the Tien River and the Hau River. The terrain is predominantly flat, with elevations of less than 1 meter above sea level. As a coastal delta region, Tra Vinh features numerous sand ridges running along the coastline, forming parallel curved lines. The closer these sand ridges are to the sea, the higher and wider they become.
Due to the division created by the sand ridges and the network of roads, canals, and waterways, Tra Vinh’s terrain is relatively complex. Low-lying areas are interspersed between higher sand ridges, and slopes are noticeable only within individual fields. In particular, the southern part of the province consists of low-lying land, segmented by arc-shaped sand ridges into many small depressed areas, with elevations of only 0.5–0.8 meters. As a result, this area is often affected by saltwater intrusion for three to five months each year.
Vinh Long
Vinh Long stands out for its rich Khmer cultural heritage, especially its Khmer pagodas with unique architectural symbolism. This is a land without forests, mountains, or a coastline, and it does not share a border with any other country, unlike some provinces in the Mekong Delta.
When visiting Vinh Long, visitors can enjoy a wide variety of the province’s specialty fruits such as pomelo, rambutan, longan, mangosteen, mango, oranges, and tangerines. In addition, travelers should not miss a trip to the islet communes located near the city. Locals often say that a visit to Vinh Long is not complete without exploring these islets. From the city center, visitors can hire a private boat or take a ferry to discover the islets. Traveling by boat also offers a chance to experience the primary mode of transportation used by local residents and to admire the My Thuan Bridge from the river below.
