Đong Thap Set aside the hustle and bustle of daily life for a while, gather with friends and loved ones, and return to the peaceful countryside to enjoy a sense of relaxation while exploring Xẻo Quýt Tourist Area during the flood season.

The Xẻo Quýt historical site covers an area of 50 hectares, including 20 hectares of melaleuca forest. It is located in Mỹ Long and Mỹ Hiệp communes, more than 30 km from Cao Lãnh City. During the resistance war against the United States, this place served as a military base. Today, Xẻo Quýt has become a well-known destination for “return-to-the-roots” tours, attracting both domestic and international visitors.

In the past, Xẻo Quýt was a vast wilderness covered with wild grass, featuring treacherous terrain. For this reason, it was chosen by the Kiến Phong Provincial Party Committee at the time (now Đồng Tháp Province) as a resistance leadership base. The melaleuca forest was planted by local people to protect and shelter revolutionary cadres. Trenches, bomb shelters, secret tunnels, meeting houses, and other wartime structures built by the people have been carefully preserved to this day. Upon arriving at Xẻo Quýt, visitors are immediately immersed in a breathtaking natural landscape. During the dry season, you can wander along winding trails beneath the cool shade of melaleuca trees. In the flood season, aboard a traditional three-plank boat, female guerrillas dressed in black bà ba outfits, checkered scarves, and boonie hats guide you through narrow, pristine canals to hidden historical sites deep within the vast melaleuca forest.

The ecosystem here is remarkably diverse, featuring more than 170 plant species such as melaleuca, gáo trees, reeds, water apple, lotus, and water lilies, as well as over 200 species of wildlife. Among them are 13 species listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book, including Burmese pythons, rat snakes, otters, and box turtles. For this reason, Xẻo Quýt is often referred to as a “miniature Đồng Tháp Mười.” Along the way, visitors are invited by local female guides to enjoy a light, rustic specialty of the region: lotus-leaf-wrapped rice balls with sesame salt. In addition, the Xẻo Quýt historical site boasts a rich ecosystem with more than 170 plant species and 200 wildlife species, including 13 listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book such as Burmese pythons, rat snakes, otters, and box turtles. You will relive the atmosphere of the former war zone as you observe A-shaped bomb shelters, individual L-shaped secret tunnels, and Z-shaped combat trenches—faithfully restored just as they once were. There are also former “no-man’s-land” areas where grenades were once installed to counter helicopters and armored infantry vehicles. Amid the wild natural surroundings typical of the Đồng Tháp Mười ecosystem, you can clearly hear the rhythmic splash of oars stirring the water, fish leaping at the surface, and the gentle rustling of wind through the leaves. Breathing in the fresh air fills your lungs, and the dust and fatigue of city life seem to wash away instantly. One particularly interesting experience at Xẻo Quýt is “rowing out to lift fishing nets.” Gently swaying on a three-plank boat along the melaleuca forest, visitors help retrieve nets to catch fish and shrimp. The fresh catch is then prepared by local people into regional specialties such as fried catfish with mango fish sauce and steamed apple snails with fermented rice. Grilled snakehead fish wrapped in lotus leaves, grilled field rats, sour soup with swamp eels, and charcoal-grilled frogs are among the local delicacies. There is nothing more enjoyable than savoring these dishes while listening to and interacting with traditional *đờn ca tài tử* music, then freely exploring the pristine melaleuca forest, recreational fishing, or simply hanging a hammock to rest beneath the lush green canopy.