Travel guide Experiences

Month: June 2022

Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami) – Eat Best Food in Vinh Long

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

The giant fish (elephant ear fish) is a raw material for processing many delicious dishes, especially the fried giant fish – a famous Vinh Long specialty. With the natural flavor of fish meat and crispy scales when deep-fried, the giant fish dish is not only attractive to local tourists but also international tourists. It can be said that fried giant fish is a unique dish in Vinh Long cuisine that tourists almost cannot ignore when they have the opportunity to visit this land.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | All Best Foods & Restaurants in Vinh Long

Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami) – Eat Best Food in Vinh Long

1. Better to Know as a Food Lover

Find them: Vinh Long city.

Best time: Dusk-Dawn

Don’t miss: Elephant Ear Fish

Local’s pick: Islet in Vinh Long

Tourist’s pick: Restaurant in Vinh Long

Blog: https://vemekong.com/elephant-ear-fish-cai-be-vinh-long/

Facts: Deep-fried giant fish is a delicious, strange, and simple dish, but makes many people excited when having the opportunity to taste it. About Vinh Long river region, anyone who has enjoyed fried giant fish will find it hard to forget the taste.

2. Better to Know Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami)

Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami) – Eat Best Food in Vinh Long

Traveling to Vinh Long to learn about giant fish

The giant fish (elephant ear fish) is the name of a freshwater fish with a flattened body on the side, length nearly twice its height, pointed snout, rather wide mouth, long dorsal fin, and rounded caudal fin. Normally, a one-year-old giant fish weighs about 0.5kg, whereas three-year-old fish is over 1.5kg. The giant fish has a silvery sheen and is often raised by locals in garden ditches. Every time there is a party or a distinguished guest at home, people just drop their hooves to pull up, choose which one is about 1kg, because with this size, the fish is usually sweet, chewy, and delicious in any way. With the giant fish, it can be processed in many ways such as braised, steamed with soy sauce and most deliciously fried with rice paper. Going to Vinh Long river region without tasting fried giant fish will be lacking for all visitors.

3. Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami) in Vinh Long

Deep-fried giant fish is processed quite simply. Buy fish and prepare carefully, put the fish in the salt solution and soak for about 10 minutes. When making fish, do not scale, just hit the head, hook the gills, remove the intestines. After cleaning, drain the fish and then put the oil pan on until it boils. In order for the fish to be scaly and crispy, the fryer should put the fish in the pan when the oil is very hot, the fire in the frying process must be kept low. Pay attention that the fish is submerged in the oil and do not let the fire be too high so that the fish does not burn. When the fish is cooked to the right yellow, take it out on a plate, put a piece of absorbent paper underneath to help the fish drain the oil faster and not be too tired when eating because of the fat of the oil.

The fried giant fish dish looks simple, but in fact it also requires a lot of elaborate preparation, especially the dipping sauce. To make a delicious dipping sauce, you must first prepare the garlic, add a little sugar and chili, and pound it finely, if you want the sauce to be beautiful, you should mince it. Then squeeze half a lemon and a few tablespoons of delicious fish sauce into it, stir well. Add a little warm water and then taste the seasoning so that it has a moderate sweetness but still ensures the appropriate acidity. Served with fried giant fish, it is indispensable for vegetables such as herbs, bananas, star fruit, young toad buds, leaves, chives …

When eating, diners arrange vegetables on a thin layer of rice paper soaked in water, then pick up each piece of fish that is still hot, add herbs, cinnamon, and pure white vermicelli and wrap it up. put that much food in it. Lightly dip the cake into a cup of garlic and chili fish sauce, take a bite, visitors will feel the fatty taste of fish, the sweetness of boiled meat, vermicelli and vegetables along with the pungent taste of chili, the sour taste of lemon… all Blending makes diners just want to eat more.

4. How to Make Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami)

Ingredients for making Western-style giant fish

1 giant fish

200g rice paper

500g fresh vermicelli

Cornstarch

Cucumber, lettuce, herbs of all kinds

Seasoning: fish sauce, tamarind fish sauce, sugar, salt, vinegar, cooking oil

How to make Western-style fried giant fish

Step 1. Prepare ingredients

After buying the giant fish, you clean the intestines. Then you soak the fish in a bowl of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of vinegar, 1 pinch of salt, rub it on the body of the fish and then let it rest for 30 minutes so that the fish is not viscous.

Lettuce washed and drained, cucumber washed and cut thinly. For herbs of all kinds, you pick the wilted leaves, wash them, and dry them.

Step 2. Make tamarind sauce

You put the pan on the stove, add 1/3 cup tamarind fish sauce, 1/3 cup fish sauce, 5 tablespoons sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens, then add chili.

Step 3. Fry the fish

First, you put the pan on the stove and then put the cooking oil in the pan, wait for the oil to boil, then sprinkle a little cornstarch in so that when frying, the oil is not splashed. Then slowly add the fish, scoop out the hot oil and water it all over the body of the fish.

When the scales are blistered, lower the heat, see the crispy yellow underside, then flip the fish, repeat the operation until the fish is cooked evenly.

Good tip

– To fry fish without oil splashing, you need to dry the fish thoroughly before frying. You need to lightly drizzle oil so that the scales do not fall off much and are more beautiful after frying.

Step 4. Finished Product

The giant fish after frying is hot and golden. When enjoying, you will feel the delicious fish meat, the skin is crispy, enjoy eating. You can eat with fresh vermicelli, raw vegetables and rice paper, there is nothing like it. What are you waiting for, try it now!

5. Pro tips:

Here are our tips for easing your mind (and stomach) around food-handling environments that you may not be used to.

Make sure the food is freshly cooked. If you’re eating hot street food, it’s always safest (not to mention more delicious) to eat food you can see being cooked to order.

Look for lines and busy stalls. Busy street food stalls are an indicator of popularity, and their high turnover rate means the food is never sitting out for hours and developing dreaded bacteria. Yes, long lines can be discouraging when you’re hungry after a full day of exploring, but it’s not worth the risk of grabbing precooked food from the empty spot next door.

Eat when the locals are eating. The last and most important element here is when to eat. You’re likely already on a weird eating schedule while you’re traveling, but it’s important to try and adjust to the eating times of where you are. A bowl of pho might be lunch for Americans, but it’s breakfast for the Vietnamese. This ensures that you’re eating freshly cooked food and that you can find the best and most popular places to eat.

If you can’t drink the water, then you can’t eat the salad. Most people get so hung up on not drinking the water or skipping ice in drinks that they don’t think about all of the other ways in which water is used in food service. Fruits and vegetables tend to be washed with tap water in most places, rather than the filtered water that locals drink—or sometimes it’s not washed at all. If you’re really craving some produce, try fruits you can peel or cooked veggies.

Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about the food or the way that it’s being prepared, then keep moving. Eating street food all over the world doesn’t make you an expert. Every stall and every country are different, and sometimes the rules can be harder to follow. When something doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t eat it! Trust your judgment. Chances are that there’s another spot close by that’s making something more delicious.

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Can Tho: Co Ut’s Cong cake, Ut Dzach Fine Rice Vermicelli, Thanh Van Grilled Pork Sausage, Crab Noodle Soup At Floating Market, Scorched Rice with Caramelized Fish Sauce, 7-Toi’s Duck Meat Pancake, Banh Mi Thuy, Banana Blossom Salad, Fried Spring Rolls, Fresh Spring Rolls, Fetal duck egg (balut), Honeycomb Cake, Mini Sticky Rice Cake, Cassava Silkworm Cake, Grilled Banana Wrapped in Sticky Rice, Khmer-style Bun Goi Da Soup, Egg Coffee, Con Son Grilled Snakehead Fish, Bun Mam – Fermented Fish Noodle Soup, Lau Mam – Fermented Fish Hotpot, Grilled Snails with Pepper, Magenta Sticky Rice Cake, Duck cooked with Fermented Tofu, Rice Noodle Pizza, Vegetarian Noodle Soup, Snails Stuffed With Pork…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Chau Doc: Chau Doc Fish Noodle Soup, Sugar Palm Fruit, Basa Fish Hot Pot, Mam (Fermented fish), Phu Huong Beef Noodle Soup, Broken Rice with Pork Chop, Long Xuyen Broken Rice, Nui Cam Pancake, O Thum’s Chicken Grilled with Lime Leaves, Stir-fried Shrimp with Sesbania Flower, Sweet & Sour Soup with Siamese Mud Carp Soup & Sesbania Flower, Caramelized & Braised Catfish, Grilled Rice-field Rat with Salt and Chili…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Soc Trang: Pia Cake, Cong Cake (Banh Cong), Bun Nuoc Leo Soc Trang’s Noodle Soup, Soc Trang’s Bun Goi Da Soup, Duck Noodle Soup with black Pepper, Curry Noodle Soup, Grilled Beef on Tile, Khmer-style Tube Cake, Khmer-style Mung Bean Cake (Banh In), Dried Radish (Xa Bau), Stir-Fried Noodles with Seafood (Mi Sua), Soc Trang’s Green Rice Flakes…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ben Tre: Phu Le Rice Wine, Ben Tre’s Coconut Candy, Flat Banana, Coconut Rice, Snail Pancake, Sea Snail with Coconut Milk, Coconut Worm, Young Coconut Salad with Shrimp & Pork, Son Doc Puff Rice Paper…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Cai Be: Puffed Rice Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Vinh Long: Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami)…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in My Tho: Fried Sticky Rice, Snakehead Fish Rice Porridge, Hu Tieu My Tho (Noodle Soup), Coconut Banana Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Tra Vinh: Macapuno Coconut, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Sadec: Sa Dec Noodle Soup, Sadec Crab Hotpot, Lai Vung Spring Rolls, Sa Giang Shrimp Puff Pastry, Lai Vung Tangerine…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Bac Lieu: Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, Bac Lieu’s Three-striped Crab, White Radish Pies, Bac Lieu Thick Noodles & Creamy Coconut Milk, Bon Bon Pickles…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ca Mau: Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm rice cake with curried chicken), Grilled Vop clams with salt and pepper, Grilled Mudskipper Fish, Stone Crab Roast With Salt, Young Bee Salad, Nam Can’s Crab, U Minh Forest’s Honey, U Minh’s Fermented Fish Hotpot…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Hau Giang: Cau Duc Pineapple, Cai Tac’s Pork Organs Porridge, Hau Giang’s Bronze Featherback Fish Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ha Tien: Herring Fish Salad, Spider crab cake soup, Ken Noodle soup, Xoi Xiem (Siamese sticky rice), Steamed Noodle soup, Ha Tien Oyster porridge…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Rach Gia: Stir Noodle Soup, Kien Giang Fish Noodle Soup…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Con Dao: Bang nut jam, Vu Nang Snail, Roasted Pork Bread (Banh Mi), Coconut Ice Cream…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Phu Quoc: Phu Quoc Sim Wine, Phu Quoc Pepper, Phu Quoc fish sauce…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake – Eat Best Food in Tra Vinh

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

When it comes to banh tet, many of you will probably remember the “boring to the neck” cake with sticky rice, bananas or green beans, and fatty meat. But if you have come to Tra Vinh and tried Tra Cuon Tet cake, you will no longer have an “aversion” to banh tet (sticky rice cake or Tet cake). With its very own delicious and rich flavor, this cake, known as Tra Vinh’s specialty, has made many guests fall in love.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | All Best Foods & Restaurants in Tra Vinh

Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake – Eat Best Food in Tra Vinh

1. Better to Know as a Food Lover

Find them: Tra Vinh city.

Best time: Dusk-Dawn

Don’t miss: Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake

Local’s pick: Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake shop

Tourist’s pick: Market in Tra Vinh

Blog: https://vemekong.com/tra-cuon-sticky-rice-cake-tra-vinh/

Facts: Ever since then, eating banh tet has always been boring, but not as delicious as this. Eating a piece of Tra Cuon tet cake in Tra Vinh, the tip of the tongue still lingers with the taste of cake but just wants to eat more.

2. Better to Know Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake

Banh Tet is a cake of Kinh people and some ethnic minorities in the South and Central of our country, considered a cake similar to banh chung of the North in terms of ingredients and cooking method.

If chung cake has a square shape filled with dong leaves, banh tet is a round cylinder like a pole wrapped with banana leaves (so there are places where it is called banh tet). Banh tet is a special type of cake most commonly used during the Lunar New Year and the ancestral anniversaries of many families, most commonly in the South.

However, today, banh tet has been “produced” in markets and users can easily enjoy it all year round. The main ingredient is glutinous rice (can add a few cooked black beans) as the outer shell, the inside can be green beans, mung beans – fat or banana.

If the cake is expensive, its filling can be added with pork, dried shrimp, etc. to increase the attractiveness. After carefully wrapping the cake with banana leaves, people take a wire (the rope used to weave mats is taken from a tree that grows in the field, the body is taller than rice, green like grass) and fix it tightly so that the cake is wrapped tightly and beautifully. However, now, many people have used nylon rope to pack for convenience and faster.

Banh tet is now a specialty of many localities in the South with its own flavors: Binh Duong, Tay Ninh are famous for banh tet made with sticky rice mixed with peanuts, Dong Nai has cashew nut cake and Can Tho is tet leaf cake… In particular, the long-standing and “favorite” of gourmets is probably Tra Vinh’s banh tet Tra Cuon.

3. Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake in Tra Vinh

What’s special about Tra Cuon Tet cake?

First of all, in terms of appearance, Tra Cuon Tet cake when holding it in your hand will have a “firm” feeling, fuller than normal Tet cakes. The outer layer of leaves is slightly discolored because it is cooked thoroughly, surrounded by a string tied with a label to promote the brand “Tea Cuon Cake”.

When peeling off the leaf layer (you can use thread to slice the cake so it won’t be crushed like when using a knife), you will see inside is a layer of dark green sticky rice that covers the filling with yellow green beans and fatty meat, dried shrimp and salted eggs are extremely eye-catching. Almost every slice of cake has a large amount of eggs. Instead of other mixed banh tet, people only add eggs to “taste” with a very small amount.

Then you will be even more fascinated when you try a piece of cake, the first thing you will feel is the fragrant sticky layer with moderate softness, not too hard and not too sticky.

Next is the medium fat taste of soft cooked green beans mixed with a bit of salty but fleshy taste of fatty meat, salted eggs, and dried shrimp. All like a healthy attack on the taste buds giving you a feeling of “ecstasy” and extreme.

4. How to Make Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake

Ingredients for making Tra Cuon Tet cake

Fresh banana leaves (large size, good leaves, not much torn)

Lanyard (tie) 1 bunch

Salted duck egg

Sticky rice 2kg

Bacon is only 800g

Green beans 700g

Spinach leaves 1 bunch

How to make Tra Cuon Tet cake

Step 1: Prepare ingredients

Banana leaves: bring to dry in the sun until slightly dark, then wipe clean and fold them neatly.

Spinach leaves: wash, put in a blender to get the juice, you can add a little water but should not add too much to avoid thinning, the color will be eye-catching.

Glutinous rice: wash with 5 water to clean and then drain, then mix with hot water. In this step, you should choose evenly so that the sticky rice is evenly soaked in color. This will help the finished cake to be more eye-catching and attractive.

Green beans: washed, soaked in warm water for about 4 hours to soften the beans. Then, take out the beans and sauté them with a little oil, add a little salt, main noodles, sugar, and pepper to fry, then turn off the heat, wait for the green beans to cool.

Bacon: wash, cut into pieces about 3-4cm long and then marinate with spices and minced onion for about 30 minutes for the meat to infuse.

Strawberries: soak in warm water to soften them, making it easier to pack.

Step 2: Wrap Tet cake with banana leaves

You cut the banana leaf into pieces of 40 x 40cm, depending on the size of the leaf you can adjust it reasonably.

Next, arrange 2 horizontal leaves, 2 vertical leaves interlaced. Note, should layer large leaves in the middle.

Then, put glutinous rice in the middle of the leaves, spread evenly along the length, then put green beans, meat, and salted eggs in the middle.

You hold one edge of the leaf lengthwise, hold it up, and then add sticky rice on top.

Next, grasp the 2 edges of the folded leaves and roll them up. In this step, you need to roll the cake a bit tight and then use a small string to tie the cake in the middle.

Then, break one end of the leaf and fold it, raise the cake bar, straighten the cake until the sticky rice is gathered, then fold the leaf down, break the leaf to seal the meat.

In the recipe for making banh tet Tra Cuon, you tear 2 small pieces of banana leaf, cover the top of the cake in the shape of a cross and tie it with string. Then, you return to the top of the wheel, making the same leaf fold as the other end.

Finally, put down the wheel, roll the cake with your hands, pat the cake firmly, then tie the rope tightly, so the rope should be evenly spaced.

Step 3: Boil Tra Cuon Tet cake

You put the excess banana leaves on the bottom of the pot, arrange the wrapped banh tet in the pot neatly. Pour water to cover the cake and boil for about 8 hours on high heat. Note, when the water dries up, add boiling water to cover the cake.

When the cake is cooked, you take it out to dry to hang it in a dry place. This will help preserve the cake for a longer time.

5. Pro tips:

Here are our tips for easing your mind (and stomach) around food-handling environments that you may not be used to.

Make sure the food is freshly cooked. If you’re eating hot street food, it’s always safest (not to mention more delicious) to eat food you can see being cooked to order.

Look for lines and busy stalls. Busy street food stalls are an indicator of popularity, and their high turnover rate means the food is never sitting out for hours and developing dreaded bacteria. Yes, long lines can be discouraging when you’re hungry after a full day of exploring, but it’s not worth the risk of grabbing precooked food from the empty spot next door.

Eat when the locals are eating. The last and most important element here is when to eat. You’re likely already on a weird eating schedule while you’re traveling, but it’s important to try and adjust to the eating times of where you are. A bowl of pho might be lunch for Americans, but it’s breakfast for the Vietnamese. This ensures that you’re eating freshly cooked food and that you can find the best and most popular places to eat.

If you can’t drink the water, then you can’t eat the salad. Most people get so hung up on not drinking the water or skipping ice in drinks that they don’t think about all of the other ways in which water is used in food service. Fruits and vegetables tend to be washed with tap water in most places, rather than the filtered water that locals drink—or sometimes it’s not washed at all. If you’re really craving some produce, try fruits you can peel or cooked veggies.

Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about the food or the way that it’s being prepared, then keep moving. Eating street food all over the world doesn’t make you an expert. Every stall and every country are different, and sometimes the rules can be harder to follow. When something doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t eat it! Trust your judgment. Chances are that there’s another spot close by that’s making something more delicious.

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Can Tho: Co Ut’s Cong cake, Ut Dzach Fine Rice Vermicelli, Thanh Van Grilled Pork Sausage, Crab Noodle Soup At Floating Market, Scorched Rice with Caramelized Fish Sauce, 7-Toi’s Duck Meat Pancake, Banh Mi Thuy, Banana Blossom Salad, Fried Spring Rolls, Fresh Spring Rolls, Fetal duck egg (balut), Honeycomb Cake, Mini Sticky Rice Cake, Cassava Silkworm Cake, Grilled Banana Wrapped in Sticky Rice, Khmer-style Bun Goi Da Soup, Egg Coffee, Con Son Grilled Snakehead Fish, Bun Mam – Fermented Fish Noodle Soup, Lau Mam – Fermented Fish Hotpot, Grilled Snails with Pepper, Magenta Sticky Rice Cake, Duck cooked with Fermented Tofu, Rice Noodle Pizza, Vegetarian Noodle Soup, Snails Stuffed With Pork…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Chau Doc: Chau Doc Fish Noodle Soup, Sugar Palm Fruit, Basa Fish Hot Pot, Mam (Fermented fish), Phu Huong Beef Noodle Soup, Broken Rice with Pork Chop, Long Xuyen Broken Rice, Nui Cam Pancake, O Thum’s Chicken Grilled with Lime Leaves, Stir-fried Shrimp with Sesbania Flower, Sweet & Sour Soup with Siamese Mud Carp Soup & Sesbania Flower, Caramelized & Braised Catfish, Grilled Rice-field Rat with Salt and Chili…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Soc Trang: Pia Cake, Cong Cake (Banh Cong), Bun Nuoc Leo Soc Trang’s Noodle Soup, Soc Trang’s Bun Goi Da Soup, Duck Noodle Soup with black Pepper, Curry Noodle Soup, Grilled Beef on Tile, Khmer-style Tube Cake, Khmer-style Mung Bean Cake (Banh In), Dried Radish (Xa Bau), Stir-Fried Noodles with Seafood (Mi Sua), Soc Trang’s Green Rice Flakes…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ben Tre: Phu Le Rice Wine, Ben Tre’s Coconut Candy, Flat Banana, Coconut Rice, Snail Pancake, Sea Snail with Coconut Milk, Coconut Worm, Young Coconut Salad with Shrimp & Pork, Son Doc Puff Rice Paper…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Cai Be: Puffed Rice Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Vinh Long: Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami)…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in My Tho: Fried Sticky Rice, Snakehead Fish Rice Porridge, Hu Tieu My Tho (Noodle Soup), Coconut Banana Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Tra Vinh: Macapuno Coconut, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Sadec: Sa Dec Noodle Soup, Sadec Crab Hotpot, Lai Vung Spring Rolls, Sa Giang Shrimp Puff Pastry, Lai Vung Tangerine…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Bac Lieu: Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, Bac Lieu’s Three-striped Crab, White Radish Pies, Bac Lieu Thick Noodles & Creamy Coconut Milk, Bon Bon Pickles…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ca Mau: Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm rice cake with curried chicken), Grilled Vop clams with salt and pepper, Grilled Mudskipper Fish, Stone Crab Roast With Salt, Young Bee Salad, Nam Can’s Crab, U Minh Forest’s Honey, U Minh’s Fermented Fish Hotpot…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Hau Giang: Cau Duc Pineapple, Cai Tac’s Pork Organs Porridge, Hau Giang’s Bronze Featherback Fish Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ha Tien: Herring Fish Salad, Spider crab cake soup, Ken Noodle soup, Xoi Xiem (Siamese sticky rice), Steamed Noodle soup, Ha Tien Oyster porridge…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Rach Gia: Stir Noodle Soup, Kien Giang Fish Noodle Soup…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Con Dao: Bang nut jam, Vu Nang Snail, Roasted Pork Bread (Banh Mi), Coconut Ice Cream…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Phu Quoc: Phu Quoc Sim Wine, Phu Quoc Pepper, Phu Quoc fish sauce…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Macapuno Coconut – Eat Best Food in Tra Vinh

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

Macapuno coconut is a specialty only in Tra Vinh, because it cannot be propagated in many other areas, that characteristic is also one of the conditions that make the price of wax coconut quite expensive.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | All Best Foods & Restaurants in Tra Vinh

Macapuno Coconut– Eat Best Food in Tra Vinh

1. Better to Know as a Food Lover

Find them: Tra Vinh city.

Best time: Dusk-Dawn

Don’t miss: Macapuno coconut

Local’s pick: Cau ke Macapuno coconut shop

Tourist’s pick: Market in Tra Vinh

Blog:

Facts: Macapuno coconut is a common name, also known as creamy coconut, condensed coconut. The name also clearly shows the characteristics of this type of coconut with the thick, dense, flexible, and fatty taste compared to regular coconut.

2. Better to Know Macapuno coconut

Macapuno Coconut– Eat Best Food in Tra Vinh

Wax coconut appeared in the 1960s, this coconut variety is the only specialty in Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta Vietnam, which is famous for many delicious and attractive coconuts. Due to genetic mutations or climatic conditions as well as soil of this land create a strange waxy coconut variety, especially in this area of ​​​​the province.

In macapuno coconut trees, only macapuno coconuts have the ability to create embryos, sprouts, and dreams and are selected as seed macapuno coconuts, while waxy fruits cannot be seeded. In addition, the sweet, greasy taste with the thick, sweet coconut water and high nutritional value makes anyone who has tried it, also extremely loved. A special feature of this type of coconut is the rarity “you can’t buy it with money”, because each coconut chamber has only about 2-3 waxed coconuts, the quantity is not enough to supply to the market.

3. Macapuno coconut in Tra Vinh

Macapuno Coconut– Eat Best Food in Tra Vinh

The effect of Macapuno coconut

Wax coconuts are popular not only because of their delicious taste but also because of their very high nutrient content. Helps to supplement important and necessary substances for the body, enhancing the health of the user. And here are some nutritional values ​​of coconut wax:

Helps cool down

Macapuno coconut can be processed into many delicious and attractive foods with high nutritional value. It helps people to cool down and relax on hot summer days.

Coconut wax is good for the digestive system

When eating this type of coconut will help purify the body, diuretic and detoxify the body. The high fiber content in coconut along with its heat-clearing properties helps the body to colonize. Improve the health of the digestive system and blood circulation in the body.

Boosts Heart Health

Macapuno Coconut contains up to 50% lauric acid, which reduces arteriosclerosis and is good for the heart. In addition, coconut wax also helps kill bacteria and prevent diseases caused by viruses.

Treatment of itchy rash

As is known, the fleshy part of coconut is good for the digestive system and cures some stomach diseases. Besides, coconut shells can also treat some rashes and ringworm.

Helps cure joint pain

Joint pain is a common problem in the elderly. They often have to face many problems in life when suffering from this disease. And according to studies, it is a natural food that helps reduce pain and effectively treat joint pain.

Macapuno coconut has the effect of losing weight

This type of coconut helps to reduce bad cholesterol in the body and blood. It also contains a lot of lauric acid, which reduces blood fat, helping to lose weight quickly.

Beneficial for the skin

Macapuno coconut contains many antioxidants that help prevent the aging process. Lotion in coconut helps to tighten facial skin, create smoothness and prevent skin diseases such as fungus, acne, etc. Therefore, it is often made into many products for beauty care.

4. How to Make Food from Macapuno coconut

Macapuno Coconut– Eat Best Food in Tra Vinh

4 ways to prepare macapuno coconut

Macapuno Coconut Smoothie

When it comes to macapuno coconut, people will immediately think of macapuno coconut smoothie. This is a simple and familiar recipe

belongs to most of us.

Method: Use Macapuno coconut mixed with shaved ice, a little sugar, a little milk in a blender. Puree and chop into the cup. You can add a little fruit syrup or a few slices of strawberry to decorate and refresh the coconut wax smoothie.

Macapuno Coconut Smoothie is the most delicious nutritious drink made from this coconut. The greasy taste of coconut milk

It is melted with fine shaved ice right in the mouth for a special strange feeling.

Macapuno coconut with iced milk

A simpler way to make macapuno coconut is iced milk shake.

Method: Take 1/3 cup of coconut rice. 1/3 shaved ice. Add a little more milk, depending on how you like it sweeter or less. Then mix even. You can add crunchy roasted peanuts to enhance the taste of this dish.

The fatty taste of waxy coconut mixed with the fleshy taste of peanuts will help you have a new recipe when processing coconut

Macapuno coconut mixed with sugar

With this approach. You won’t need a lot of ingredients and it’s easy to make.

How to do: Just scrape the macapuno coconut and coconut water left in the fruit into a glass. Then add some sugar

Then put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Then take it out and enjoy your work.

Macapuno coconut fruit pickled

We can blend smoothies, iced milk, macapuno coconut mixed with sugar… but to add a unique and strange feature, the dish Coconut fruit can be considered as one of the most delicious, unique and strange dishes. Why this dish is considered the most unique and strange because each of us can process it according to our preferences.

How to cook: Grate thin or thick macapuno coconut depending on our preferences, then we choose some fruits that we like such as strawberries, jackfruit, custard apple, durian, Sa Bo Che, … sharp and small pieces. Serve in a glass or plate.

Then add a little sugar, a little milk and put crushed ice or crushed ice on top with a little peanut. Finally, we can enjoy delicious macapuno coconut fruit jam.

5. Pro tips:

Here are our tips for easing your mind (and stomach) around food-handling environments that you may not be used to.

Make sure the food is freshly cooked. If you’re eating hot street food, it’s always safest (not to mention more delicious) to eat food you can see being cooked to order.

Look for lines and busy stalls. Busy street food stalls are an indicator of popularity, and their high turnover rate means the food is never sitting out for hours and developing dreaded bacteria. Yes, long lines can be discouraging when you’re hungry after a full day of exploring, but it’s not worth the risk of grabbing precooked food from the empty spot next door.

Eat when the locals are eating. The last and most important element here is when to eat. You’re likely already on a weird eating schedule while you’re traveling, but it’s important to try and adjust to the eating times of where you are. A bowl of pho might be lunch for Americans, but it’s breakfast for the Vietnamese. This ensures that you’re eating freshly cooked food and that you can find the best and most popular places to eat.

If you can’t drink the water, then you can’t eat the salad. Most people get so hung up on not drinking the water or skipping ice in drinks that they don’t think about all of the other ways in which water is used in food service. Fruits and vegetables tend to be washed with tap water in most places, rather than the filtered water that locals drink—or sometimes it’s not washed at all. If you’re really craving some produce, try fruits you can peel or cooked veggies.

Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about the food or the way that it’s being prepared, then keep moving. Eating street food all over the world doesn’t make you an expert. Every stall and every country are different, and sometimes the rules can be harder to follow. When something doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t eat it! Trust your judgment. Chances are that there’s another spot close by that’s making something more delicious.

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Can Tho: Co Ut’s Cong cake, Ut Dzach Fine Rice Vermicelli, Thanh Van Grilled Pork Sausage, Crab Noodle Soup At Floating Market, Scorched Rice with Caramelized Fish Sauce, 7-Toi’s Duck Meat Pancake, Banh Mi Thuy, Banana Blossom Salad, Fried Spring Rolls, Fresh Spring Rolls, Fetal duck egg (balut), Honeycomb Cake, Mini Sticky Rice Cake, Cassava Silkworm Cake, Grilled Banana Wrapped in Sticky Rice, Khmer-style Bun Goi Da Soup, Egg Coffee, Con Son Grilled Snakehead Fish, Bun Mam – Fermented Fish Noodle Soup, Lau Mam – Fermented Fish Hotpot, Grilled Snails with Pepper, Magenta Sticky Rice Cake, Duck cooked with Fermented Tofu, Rice Noodle Pizza, Vegetarian Noodle Soup, Snails Stuffed With Pork…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Chau Doc: Chau Doc Fish Noodle Soup, Sugar Palm Fruit, Basa Fish Hot Pot, Mam (Fermented fish), Phu Huong Beef Noodle Soup, Broken Rice with Pork Chop, Long Xuyen Broken Rice, Nui Cam Pancake, O Thum’s Chicken Grilled with Lime Leaves, Stir-fried Shrimp with Sesbania Flower, Sweet & Sour Soup with Siamese Mud Carp Soup & Sesbania Flower, Caramelized & Braised Catfish, Grilled Rice-field Rat with Salt and Chili…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Soc Trang: Pia Cake, Cong Cake (Banh Cong), Bun Nuoc Leo Soc Trang’s Noodle Soup, Soc Trang’s Bun Goi Da Soup, Duck Noodle Soup with black Pepper, Curry Noodle Soup, Grilled Beef on Tile, Khmer-style Tube Cake, Khmer-style Mung Bean Cake (Banh In), Dried Radish (Xa Bau), Stir-Fried Noodles with Seafood (Mi Sua), Soc Trang’s Green Rice Flakes…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ben Tre: Phu Le Rice Wine, Ben Tre’s Coconut Candy, Flat Banana, Coconut Rice, Snail Pancake, Sea Snail with Coconut Milk, Coconut Worm, Young Coconut Salad with Shrimp & Pork, Son Doc Puff Rice Paper…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Cai Be: Puffed Rice Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Vinh Long: Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami)…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in My Tho: Fried Sticky Rice, Snakehead Fish Rice Porridge, Hu Tieu My Tho (Noodle Soup), Coconut Banana Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Tra Vinh: Macapuno Coconut, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Sadec: Sa Dec Noodle Soup, Sadec Crab Hotpot, Lai Vung Spring Rolls, Sa Giang Shrimp Puff Pastry, Lai Vung Tangerine…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Bac Lieu: Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, Bac Lieu’s Three-striped Crab, White Radish Pies, Bac Lieu Thick Noodles & Creamy Coconut Milk, Bon Bon Pickles…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ca Mau: Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm rice cake with curried chicken), Grilled Vop clams with salt and pepper, Grilled Mudskipper Fish, Stone Crab Roast With Salt, Young Bee Salad, Nam Can’s Crab, U Minh Forest’s Honey, U Minh’s Fermented Fish Hotpot…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Hau Giang: Cau Duc Pineapple, Cai Tac’s Pork Organs Porridge, Hau Giang’s Bronze Featherback Fish Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ha Tien: Herring Fish Salad, Spider crab cake soup, Ken Noodle soup, Xoi Xiem (Siamese sticky rice), Steamed Noodle soup, Ha Tien Oyster porridge…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Rach Gia: Stir Noodle Soup, Kien Giang Fish Noodle Soup…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Con Dao: Bang nut jam, Vu Nang Snail, Roasted Pork Bread (Banh Mi), Coconut Ice Cream…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Phu Quoc: Phu Quoc Sim Wine, Phu Quoc Pepper, Phu Quoc fish sauce…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup – Eat Best Food in Tra Vinh

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

Among the delicious dishes of nostalgia in Tra Vinh, perhaps Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup is the most authentic because of its unique flavor that shows the combination of culinary quintessence of all three ethnic groups Kinh – Hoa – Khmer who have lived in the land for a long time.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | All Best Foods & Restaurants in Tra Vinh

1. Better to Know as a Food Lover

Find them: Tra Vinh city.

Best time: Dusk-Dawn

Don’t miss: Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup

Local’s pick: Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup restaurant in Tra Vinh City

Tourist’s pick: CauQuan Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup restaurant

Blog: https://vemekong.com/bun-nuoc-leo-tra-vinh-noodle-soup/

Facts: The taste of noodle soup in Tra Vinh is different from other places, because it is a harmonious combination of ingredients and the way of food preparation of local people.

2. Better to Know Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup

The essence of this dish is the broth – a soup made from a blend of Mam, lemongrass and wormwood noodles (a tuber similar to turmeric, but smaller and darker in color). Commonly used Mam are locally available ones such as: choke Mam, snakehead fish…; Particularly, Khmer people often cook with beef sauce… Also wormwood vermicelli and lemongrass are used to remove the fishy smell and create a special fragrance for the broth. However, to be able to cook a delicious and fragrant broth, the kitchen often combines many types of Mam, including the Khmer’s specialty beef sauce and the local fish of the South in one cooking process. Mam is processed separately, cooked and only filtered for clear water. Then, this broth is cooked with lemongrass and wormwood noodles for a period of time when the cook feels the flavor blend. Then, the cook adds coconut water to make the broth more clear. Using coconut water in soups is a familiar cooking method of the Kinh people in the Southwest region. As a result, the broth has its own flavor, aroma and clarity than vermicelli.

3. Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup in Tra Vinh

The ingredients for the noodle soup are also quite elaborate, in which there are three main parts: boiled snakehead fish, meat removed, and bone removed; Boiled ground cloves with skin removed and roasted pork cut into pieces – a familiar dish of the Chinese people. The crispy, greasy skin and the five flavors in the roast pork make the noodle soup more appealing. Besides, noodle soup is also served with a variety of vegetables such as bean sprouts, chives, grated morning glory, grated banana, herbs, and laksa leaves to round out the flavor. When enjoying, diners can add a little lemon, chili, Mam for more flavor.

4. How to Make Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup

Ingredients for cooking Bun Nuoc Leo

250g snakehead fish (cleaned)

200g Linh Mam

200g choke Mam

300g fresh shrimp (cleaned)

300g roast pork

100g wormwood noodles

500g fresh vermicelli (big stem)

Minced chili, minced lemongrass, minced red onion

Grated morning glory, grated banana, bean sprouts, herbs

Tools: Blender

How to cook the best Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup

Step 1: Prepare ingredients

First, bring snakehead fish, shrimp and roasted pork cut into bite-sized pieces. Then, put a pot of water and 1 tablespoon of salt on the stove, cook until the water boils, then drop the snakehead fish and shrimp in turn for about 2 minutes.

Step 2: Mix seasoning for broth

Cut wormwood noodles into pieces about 3-4cm long, then smash them. Then, put in the bowl 5g minced chili, 40g minced lemongrass, 20g minced purple onion and 50g cooking oil, stir well. When done, put the pan on the stove, add this cup of ingredients, and fry until fragrant.

Next, put in another bowl 5g salt, 14g soup powder, 70g alum sugar, 5g cashew oil, 10g satay and 80g Mam, stir well. This will be the seasoning for the broth.

Step 3: Cook broth

First, put 200g of Linh Mam, 200g of choke Mam and 200ml of water into a blender, grind until the mixture is smooth. Then, put the Mam mixture and add 2 liters of water to the pot, cook until it boils, then turn off the heat and let it settle.

When the mixture has settled (the upper part is clear, the lower part is cloudy), we will skillfully pour the clear water into another pot, then add 1 liter of water, the mixture has just turned yellow, and the seasoning cup (salt, flour) and 100g of wormwood vermicelli in the same pot. Put the pot on the stove and cook until it boils. So it’s done.

Step 4: Finished Product

When eating, we will put vermicelli in a bowl, then arrange shrimp, squid, roasted pork, vegetables, and add the broth. The noodles are fresh and delicious with the sweet and chewy shrimp, the snakehead fish is soft and melted, the squid is crispy and crunchy, and the roasted pork is delicious. All immersed in a bowl of clear broth, creating the authentic taste of the dish.

5. Pro tips:

Here are our tips for easing your mind (and stomach) around food-handling environments that you may not be used to.

Make sure the food is freshly cooked. If you’re eating hot street food, it’s always safest (not to mention more delicious) to eat food you can see being cooked to order.

Look for lines and busy stalls. Busy street food stalls are an indicator of popularity, and their high turnover rate means the food is never sitting out for hours and developing dreaded bacteria. Yes, long lines can be discouraging when you’re hungry after a full day of exploring, but it’s not worth the risk of grabbing precooked food from the empty spot next door.

Eat when the locals are eating. The last and most important element here is when to eat. You’re likely already on a weird eating schedule while you’re traveling, but it’s important to try and adjust to the eating times of where you are. A bowl of pho might be lunch for Americans, but it’s breakfast for the Vietnamese. This ensures that you’re eating freshly cooked food and that you can find the best and most popular places to eat.

If you can’t drink the water, then you can’t eat the salad. Most people get so hung up on not drinking the water or skipping ice in drinks that they don’t think about all of the other ways in which water is used in food service. Fruits and vegetables tend to be washed with tap water in most places, rather than the filtered water that locals drink—or sometimes it’s not washed at all. If you’re really craving some produce, try fruits you can peel or cooked veggies.

Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about the food or the way that it’s being prepared, then keep moving. Eating street food all over the world doesn’t make you an expert. Every stall and every country are different, and sometimes the rules can be harder to follow. When something doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t eat it! Trust your judgment. Chances are that there’s another spot close by that’s making something more delicious.

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Can Tho: Co Ut’s Cong cake, Ut Dzach Fine Rice Vermicelli, Thanh Van Grilled Pork Sausage, Crab Noodle Soup At Floating Market, Scorched Rice with Caramelized Fish Sauce, 7-Toi’s Duck Meat Pancake, Banh Mi Thuy, Banana Blossom Salad, Fried Spring Rolls, Fresh Spring Rolls, Fetal duck egg (balut), Honeycomb Cake, Mini Sticky Rice Cake, Cassava Silkworm Cake, Grilled Banana Wrapped in Sticky Rice, Khmer-style Bun Goi Da Soup, Egg Coffee, Con Son Grilled Snakehead Fish, Bun Mam – Fermented Fish Noodle Soup, Lau Mam – Fermented Fish Hotpot, Grilled Snails with Pepper, Magenta Sticky Rice Cake, Duck cooked with Fermented Tofu, Rice Noodle Pizza, Vegetarian Noodle Soup, Snails Stuffed With Pork…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Chau Doc: Chau Doc Fish Noodle Soup, Sugar Palm Fruit, Basa Fish Hot Pot, Mam (Fermented fish), Phu Huong Beef Noodle Soup, Broken Rice with Pork Chop, Long Xuyen Broken Rice, Nui Cam Pancake, O Thum’s Chicken Grilled with Lime Leaves, Stir-fried Shrimp with Sesbania Flower, Sweet & Sour Soup with Siamese Mud Carp Soup & Sesbania Flower, Caramelized & Braised Catfish, Grilled Rice-field Rat with Salt and Chili…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Soc Trang: Pia Cake, Cong Cake (Banh Cong), Bun Nuoc Leo Soc Trang’s Noodle Soup, Soc Trang’s Bun Goi Da Soup, Duck Noodle Soup with black Pepper, Curry Noodle Soup, Grilled Beef on Tile, Khmer-style Tube Cake, Khmer-style Mung Bean Cake (Banh In), Dried Radish (Xa Bau), Stir-Fried Noodles with Seafood (Mi Sua), Soc Trang’s Green Rice Flakes…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ben Tre: Phu Le Rice Wine, Ben Tre’s Coconut Candy, Flat Banana, Coconut Rice, Snail Pancake, Sea Snail with Coconut Milk, Coconut Worm, Young Coconut Salad with Shrimp & Pork, Son Doc Puff Rice Paper…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Cai Be: Puffed Rice Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Vinh Long: Elephant Ear Fish (fried giant gourami)…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in My Tho: Fried Sticky Rice, Snakehead Fish Rice Porridge, Hu Tieu My Tho (Noodle Soup), Coconut Banana Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Tra Vinh: Macapuno Coconut, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Sadec: Sa Dec Noodle Soup, Sadec Crab Hotpot, Lai Vung Spring Rolls, Sa Giang Shrimp Puff Pastry, Lai Vung Tangerine…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Bac Lieu: Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, Bac Lieu’s Three-striped Crab, White Radish Pies, Bac Lieu Thick Noodles & Creamy Coconut Milk, Bon Bon Pickles…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ca Mau: Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm rice cake with curried chicken), Grilled Vop clams with salt and pepper, Grilled Mudskipper Fish, Stone Crab Roast With Salt, Young Bee Salad, Nam Can’s Crab, U Minh Forest’s Honey, U Minh’s Fermented Fish Hotpot…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Hau Giang: Cau Duc Pineapple, Cai Tac’s Pork Organs Porridge, Hau Giang’s Bronze Featherback Fish Cake…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Ha Tien: Herring Fish Salad, Spider crab cake soup, Ken Noodle soup, Xoi Xiem (Siamese sticky rice), Steamed Noodle soup, Ha Tien Oyster porridge…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Rach Gia: Stir Noodle Soup, Kien Giang Fish Noodle Soup…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Con Dao: Bang nut jam, Vu Nang Snail, Roasted Pork Bread (Banh Mi), Coconut Ice Cream…

Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Phu Quoc: Phu Quoc Sim Wine, Phu Quoc Pepper, Phu Quoc fish sauce…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

Coming to Tra Vinh, it is impossible not to mention the unique Khmer temples of the people here. The most prominent of which is Vam Ray Pagoda, which was rebuilt from the 600-year-old temple that was destroyed during the war. Although newly built, it still has the ancient and traditional features of Khmer Theravada Buddhism.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Tra Vinh Visitor Guide

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

1. Better to Know as a Tourist

Ticket: Free

Spend-time: One hour (approx)

Hours: Dawn – Dusk

Food: Yes

Shop: Yes

Parking lot: Yes

Blog: https://vemekong.com/vam-ray-pagoda-tra-vinh/

Address: Located at Vam Ray hamlet, Ham Tan commune, Tra Cu district, Tra Vinh province.

Added values: Visiting Vam Ray Pagoda, visitors can not only admire the unique architecture at the temple but also walk inside this extremely large space, feel the pure atmosphere at the temple. Visitors can also go inside to pray for peace and health for their loved ones and family.

Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Vam Ray Pagoda? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Ba Dong Beach (43 km), Ba Om Pond (39 km), Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh (42 km), Con Chim Islet (48 km), Tra Vinh Market (38 km)…

2. Travel Guide to Vam Ray Pagoda

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

Vam Ray pagoda is located at a beautiful and quite convenient location. Therefore, moving to the temple is very easy. Visitors can go by many different roads and means. Going from Soc Trang and Ben Tre to Vam Ray is just a ferry ride away. If tourists choose to travel by car or motorbike, they can follow the road QL54 (the road to Hang Pagoda), go to Tap Son, turn left on National Highway 53 and then go through Tra Cu about 3km, over the Ham Giang bridge. Immediately turn right onto a small paved road and continue to come to Vam Ray pagoda. Vam Ray Pagoda is only about 35km from the center of Tra Vinh city.

Vam Ray Pagoda has existed for over 600 years and carries many mysterious spiritual stories. To preserve this six-hundred-year-old relic, a Buddhist of the temple – Mr. Tram Be (a giant in the banking industry) – voluntarily donated one million USD equivalent to more than 20 billion VND for restoration and repaired the whole temple. Vam Ray Pagoda began to be restored and renovated on May 3, 2004 and was completely completed on March 3, 2008. After the great restoration, Vam Ray Pagoda was inaugurated and put into operation again. on May 22, 2010. To commemorate Mr. Tram Be’s donation, people also call this Vam Ray pagoda with another name, Mr. Tram Be temple.

3. What to Do – See – Eat at Vam Ray Pagoda

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

Vam Ray Pagoda is the largest Theravada Buddhist temple in Vietnam. This is not only the pride of Khmer people but also the pride of Tra Vinh people. The architecture of Vam Ray pagoda has all the characteristics of the architectural style of Angkor (Cambodia). The most splendid and magnificent features are gathered in this temple.

Vam Ray Pagoda is massive and brilliant like a magnificent palace made of gold. Even the gate of the temple is meticulously made to every detail according to the familiar three-door architecture with carved figures, the top of the gate is multi-storey towers. The main hall of the pagoda has 4 gates, the main gate facing east according to Khmer tradition. According to the Khmer’s concept, the main hall turns to the east, symbolizing that the Buddha’s spiritual path begins from West to East.

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

The road to the temple is made very spacious and airy, the most prominent point is the rows of goddesses with hands clasped to the sides. In the middle of the temple yard, there is a towering pillar with a supporting base that is the 5-headed Naga snake god, this is the place for lighting candles at every festival. The Khmer believe that this is an act that symbolizes that the Buddha Dharma will enlighten and make people turn to the good in the same way that the Buddha tamed snakes.

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

Inside the main hall is decorated very solemnly but does not lose the inherent splendor. Colorful and Khmer cultural murals are arranged throughout the main hall with the theme of Buddha’s life and Buddhist teachings. In the middle of the main hall, there is only one large Buddha image and three small Buddha images are arranged lower than the large Buddha image, creating a dignified atmosphere for this place.

The pillars outside the main hall were built and crafted in the ancient architectural style of Co Ranh. The top of the pillar, where the column meets the roof, is carved with the image of the god Krud, with a pearl in its beak with both hands raised to support the roof of the temple. The whole Ham Ray pagoda is like a sophisticated work of art, from the way of designing and creating domes, walls, stairs to statues of gods and fairies…

People mention Vam Ray temple because of another special point. In the southeast direction of the main hall is the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni entering nirvana up to 54m long, 20m high, 16m wide, supported by a 2-storey row of houses where monks, nuns and Buddhists live. All of them are covered with gold paint, adding to the reverence and splendor of the statue.

Vam Ray Pagoda is a destination for monks, nuns, and Theravada Buddhists near and far every Tet holiday, especially major Khmer holidays. Moreover, this is also a tourist destination chosen by many tourists to come and learn about Khmer culture, pilgrimage and worship.

4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong

As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.

From Tra Vinh center:

Route 1:

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 Tra Vinh. 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 Tra Vinh daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com

5. Google Maps of Vam Ray Pagoda

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…

6. Visit Vam Ray Pagoda by yourself

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

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 Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh.

7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Vam Ray Pagoda

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

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.

8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of  Vam Ray Pagoda (4k)

If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.

9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers

Vam Ray Pagoda – Top thing to See in Tra Vinh

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. 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

10. Pro Tips

Tra Vinh Khmer pagodas are solemn places, so you should choose beautiful clothes that are still polite and discreet. In the temple grounds, there are many animal statues such as elephants, snakes, etc. If you go with the children, please remind them not to climb because these are sacred symbols of the Khmer people.

The monks don’t ask for money, although donations won’t hurt.

If you plan to extend your tour to Tra Vinh homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.

Visit Tra Vinh or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets. Safety is a priority! Choose Tra Vinh responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.

Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh 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 Cong Cake, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Macapuno Coconut…

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 Tra Vinh in the rainy season, as Tra Vinh always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.

Tra Vinh tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Hang Pagoda, Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple), Khmer minority people’s museum, Ba Dong Beach, Ba Om Pond, Ang Pagoda, Vam Ray Pagoda, Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh, Cau Ke Ancient House or Huynh Ky Old House, Kampong Ksan pagoda, Con Chim islet – community-based tourism…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh – What to See in Tra Vinh

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

Since ancient times, Tra Vinh has been known as a land rich in historical and cultural traditions. Tra Vinh tourism also has a very unique feature of the river garden area. Coming here, people seem to be returning to the most peaceful and simple things, but equally interesting and attractive. Those who want to find a purely spiritual place, coming back to Tra Vinh can visit Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Tra Vinh.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Tra Vinh Visitor Guide

Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh – What to See in Tra Vinh

1. Better to Know as a Tourist

Ticket: Free

Spend-time: One hour (approx)

Hours: Dawn – Dusk

Food: Yes

Shop: Yes

Parking lot: Yes

Blog: https://vemekong.com/truc-lam-zen-monastery-tra-vinh/

Address: Located in Khoan Tieu hamlet, Truong Long Hoa commune, Duyen Hai town, Tra Vinh province.

Added values: Coming here, visitors not only admire the unique architecture of the monastery but also feel the peace and feel the quiet moments to forget about daily worries.

Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Ba Dong Beach (5 minutes), Ba Om Pond (56 km), Vam Ray Pagoda (42 km), Con Chim Islet (54 km), Tra Vinh Market (52 km)…

2. Travel Guide to Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh

Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh – What to See in Tra Vinh

It is 50 km from Tra Vinh city center, to the southeast, and 12 km from Duyen Hai town to the east. This is the only Zen monastery of the Truc Lam Zen sect in Tra Vinh province with an area of ​​​​nearly 10 hectares in the Ba Dong marine mangrove eco-tourism complex. The Zen Monastery was built in two years and inaugurated on January 31, 2016.

Truc Lam Zen School is a Vietnamese Zen lineage formed during the Tran Dynasty, founded by King Tran Nhan Tong. The Truc Lam Zen sect has three outstanding Zen masters, Nhan Tong (Truc Lam Dau Da), Phap Loa, and Huyen Quang, collectively known as Truc Lam Tam To. This Zen school is considered a continuation but a merger of three Vietnamese Zen schools of the 12th century. With the founding of the Truc Lam sect, Tran Nhan Tong unified the pre-existing Zen sects and the entire Sect. Buddhist Association of the Tran Dynasty about a relationship.

The Truc Lam Zen sect has a strong spirit of entering the world, not having to give up this world to be enlightened. Although they are monks, Zen masters, and Buddhists are always engaged in life, happy with the joy of the country, in pain with the pain of the nation, when they are at peace, they still return to a life of monasticism.

Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh – What to See in Tra Vinh

In that spirit, Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong chose Yen Tu mountain, a dangerous area in the northeast of the country as a place of ordination. Although he had left the throne and devoted himself to spiritual practice, he was still worried about the country, ready to return to lead the court and the people to fight the enemy. After repelling the invaders, the country was at peace, and the Buddha returned to his practice and study to bring his knowledge to the people. This is the spirit of entering the world that the previous Zen schools have not been able to do. It is this spirit that has created the strength of the Vietnamese nation during the 13th and 14th centuries and has brought Buddhism to its peak in the history of Vietnam. Emperor Buddha and Truc Lam Patriarchs advocated bringing the Zen sect to actively participate in society, building a prosperous country with compassion, wisdom, and morality of Buddhism. Since then, in the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect, we can see prominent features of the religion imbued with the identity of the Vietnamese national culture, which is not dependent on and hybridized from the outside.

The Truc Lam Zen sect in history has gone through many ups and downs. Towards the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, Zen Master Thich Thanh Tu and other highly virtuous Zen masters joined hands to restore and develop the Zen sect that is committed to entering the world, associated with the Dharma with the nation. Many Zen monasteries were established nationwide to serve as a place to practice, research, and develop pure Vietnamese Zen sects, making many contributions to the history of this nation.

All the architecture at Truc Lam Tra Vinh Zen Monastery was designed and built according to the model of Vietnamese Buddhist temples of the Ly – Tran dynasties (from the 12th to the 14th centuries) on two floors. The tips of the blades at the end of the roof are gently curved, showing humility and harmony with the nature of the nation.

3. What to Do – See – Eat at Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh

Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh – What to See in Tra Vinh

Stepping through the three-way gate, to enter the main hall, is a large courtyard, 150 m long and structured into two steps, where the abbot gives a sermon or the temple, and the local holds cultural events. The period of walking along the length of the yard is a necessary preparation for a change of mind so that Buddhists and visitors from all over the world give up all sexual desires, and heartbreak, create peace and enter the world freely.

The main hall of Truc Lam Zen Monastery has an area of ​​27 x 45 m, 11 m high, on a 1.4 m high rock foundation, the largest of all Buddhist monasteries in Tra Vinh province today. Although there are casuarina forests blocking the wind ahead, from the sea, with a distance of about 10 km, you can see the majestic and majestic roof of the Zen Monastery inland. The whole frame of the main hall is made of ironwood imported from abroad, elaborately carved by skilled artisans from Bac Ninh.

Unlike other monasteries that often worship the Buddha Tathagata in the meditation posture, ie the Buddha attained enlightenment and entered nirvana, the statue of Buddha in the main hall of Truc Lam Zen Monastery is in the position of “Non-flowering vi Tieu”. In the story of Buddha, he held up a lotus flower and Anan Hanh smiled. This is the largest bronze Buddha statue in Tra Vinh, 3.5 m high, weighing more than 3 tons, offered from the famous bronze casting village of Hue ancient capital.

The difference from other Buddhist monasteries, in addition to worshiping Buddha Tathagata, Bodhisattvas, and practitioners of Buddhist teachings, the main hall of Truc Lam Zen Monastery also solemnly worships the statue of Le Thanh Mau. Nguyen Huu Canh is considered the great fairy of the Southern region. At the rear of the Zen Monastery, three Truc Lam Three Patriarchs, namely Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa, and Huyen Quang, are worshiped along with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other Vietnamese monks who have made merits in the world and have passed away. This difference clearly shows that the core ideology of Truc Lam Zen School is Buddhism incarnate, Buddhism associated with the nation. Also from this thought, in parallel with the statue of Buddha’s mother Avalokitesvara, Truc Lam Tra Vinh Zen Monastery worships the statue of Mother Au Co, helping Buddhists near and far towards the origin of the nation.

Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh – What to See in Tra Vinh

The 25 m high statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is seated on a 6 m high pedestal, creating a general height of 31 m, which is also the tallest model Buddha in Tra Vinh province. In Buddhist teachings, Avalokitesvara is a Bodhisattva with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands, possessing supernatural powers and seeing through all of the worlds, promptly detecting and saving sentient beings. Therefore, the gentle but majestic statue of the mother Buddha looks out over the vast East Sea, helping people to go to Tra Vinh beach and feel more secure when facing many dangers from strong winds and waves.

Truc Lam Zen Monastery is holding many records among Buddhist monasteries in the Tra Vinh area such as the temple closest to the East Sea, all the architecture closest to the traditional national architecture, the largest main hall, The largest Buddha statue, the largest Avalokitesvara statue, the largest common rose, the largest capacity lecture hall, the largest courtyard in front of the main hall…

Truc Lam Tra Vinh Zen Monastery has been generously donated by leaders, businesses, and businessmen across the country and donated several valuable ornamental plants and artifacts.

With the historical and traditional values ​​of Truc Lam Zen School, the value of architectural art, and the value of landscape and environment, Truc Lam Tra Vinh Zen Monastery is a place of Buddhist pilgrimage and a place of worship. Only spiritual tourism strongly attracts Buddhists, tourists from near and far to visit, sightsee, worship the Buddha and turn their hearts back to the heroic national roots.

4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong

As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.

From Tra Vinh center:

Route 1:

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 Tra Vinh. 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 Tra Vinh daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com

5. Google Maps of Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh

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…

6. Visit Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh by yourself

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 Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh.

7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh

Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh – What to See in Tra Vinh

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.

8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of  Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh (4k)

If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.

9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers

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. 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

10. Pro Tips

Tra Vinh Khmer pagodas are solemn places, so you should choose beautiful clothes that are still polite and discreet. In the temple grounds, there are many animal statues such as elephants, snakes, etc. If you go with the children, please remind them not to climb because these are sacred symbols of the Khmer people.

The monks don’t ask for money, although donations won’t hurt.

If you plan to extend your tour to Tra Vinh homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.

Visit Tra Vinh or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets. Safety is a priority! Choose Tra Vinh responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.

Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh 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 Cong Cake, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Macapuno Coconut…

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 Tra Vinh in the rainy season, as Tra Vinh always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.

Tra Vinh tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Hang Pagoda, Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple), Khmer minority people’s museum, Ba Dong Beach, Ba Om Pond, Ang Pagoda, Vam Ray Pagoda, Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh, Cau Ke Ancient House or Huynh Ky Old House, Kampong Ksan pagoda, Con Chim islet – community-based tourism…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Tra Vinh Foods & Restaurants You Must Eat in Tra Vinh

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

In Vietnamese culture, eating and drinking is an art, it not only meets the basic requirements of people but also has a close relationship with the lifestyle and national traditions, which is very clearly shown through the tools used in the meal, how to behave with people while eating. Therefore, eating and drinking also proves the history and formation of the culture of Vietnam. The dishes through each stage speak to the life and people of that period and of the land – where each dish was born.

Food, in other words, eating is an indispensable activity in every travel trip. Traveling offers the perfect opportunity to try new and exciting foods from different parts of the world. You can enjoy for yourself the unique flavors that you have never tasted in your life. Tra Vinh foods & drinks are the link connecting the characteristics of the cuisine of the river with the tourists who have visited. Not only famous for its fruit-laden orchards, but this land also has countless delicious dishes that delight people to enjoy.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Tra Vinh Visitor Guide

1. Tra Vinh Street Foods

Like all Mekong Delta provinces, Tra Vinh is full of great food. The region has several specialities, one of which is bún nước lèo – a fish based noodle soup with lots of extras, such as roast pork. You’ll see signs for bún nước lèo all across the province. Tra Vinh City has lots of good street food. Rather than heading to a specific place, just explore the city centre until you stumble upon a streetside stall with lots of diners. For example, there are many food stalls in front of the central market (Chợ Trà Vinh) in the evenings, and around the night market (Chợ Đêm), too. Trần Phú Nối Dài street is lined with BBQ restaurants, beer joints and cafes – great for a night out if you’re travelling with friends. The shady grid of streets in the old quarter has lots of good local cafes, some serving Vietnamese-style iced coffee, others serving hot Italian-style machine coffee. I like Coffee 89. There are a couple of big supermarkets that are useful if you want to buy food for a picnic on the road: try GO! Mart. Thanks to the large Buddhist population, vegetarian food is quite common in Tra Vinh: look for signs saying Cơm Chay or just Chay.

Dong Khoi Noodle Soup: at Dong Khoi Street, Tra Vinh, or No.4 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Tra Vinh.

Tra Vinh Hu Tieu: at Pham Thai Buong Street, Tra Vinh

Dinh Y Restaurant: at 152 Tran Quoc Tuan Street, Ward 2, Tra Vinh

2. Cong Cake (Banh Cong)

It’s called “Banh Cong” because people use a “Cong” to cook. A “Cong” has a long handle and looks like a small metal milk bottle. In the Mekong Delta, people still use “Cong” as a unit of measures in dealing at the market. “Cong” has many sizes:  ½ “xị”, 1 “xị” (4 “xị” equal to 1 liter), ½ liter, 1 liter and the biggest size is 2-liters Cống.

Banh Cong is made with rice flour mixed with wheat flour to keep Banh Cong soft and crispy. You can use rice flour or soak rice then grind to make Banh Cong. Rice flour grinded is always better than buying rice flour from the market because it keeps the fragrant flavor. If you don’t know how to select rice flour at the market you can easily get old, moudy flour and make your cake sour and bitter.

Banh Cong is always served with sweet-sour fish sauce, lime and minced chili. Fish sauce adds more shredded cucumber, carrot and radish. Aromatic herbs are fish mint, lettuce, basil, herb mint…

3. Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup

Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh is a kind of rice noodle/ vermicelli with soup. People call Tra Vinh noodle soup as a dish of solidarity, because the dish is the quintessential combination of Kinh – Khmer – Hoa ethnic groups, shown in each dish ingredient is typical of 3 ethnic groups. The “soul” of the broth is a blend of lemongrass, fish sauce and ngai bun – a turmeric-like tuber, slightly darker than turmeric.

4. Sticky Rice Cake Tra Cuon

Coming to Tra Vinh, you not only can enjoy the beautiful scenery of ancient pagodas or participate in joyful and colorful festivals with the identity of the three ethnic groups Kinh, Hoa and Khmer, visitors also enjoy delicious cakes of this place. The most special thing to mention is the Banh Tet Tra Cuon (sticky rice cake from Tra Cuon village). Tra Cuon Tet Cakes are more delicious and tasty because of the good quality ingredients that are carefully chosen, from the quality of glutinous rice for making the cakes to the variety of banana leaves for wrapping them.

5. Free Itineraries from VeMekong

As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.

From Tra Vinh city center:

Route 1:

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 Tra Vinh. 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 Tra Vinh daily tours or Can Tho daily tours with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com

Pro Tips

Here are our tips for easing your mind (and stomach) around food-handling environments that you may not be used to.

Make sure the food is freshly cooked. If you’re eating hot street food, it’s always safest (not to mention more delicious) to eat food you can see being cooked to order.

Look for lines and busy stalls. Busy street food stalls are an indicator of popularity, and their high turnover rate means the food is never sitting out for hours and developing dreaded bacteria. Yes, long lines can be discouraging when you’re hungry after a full day of exploring, but it’s not worth the risk of grabbing precooked food from the empty spot next door.

Eat when the locals are eating. The last and most important element here is when to eat. You’re likely already on a weird eating schedule while you’re traveling, but it’s important to try and adjust to the eating times of where you are. A bowl of pho might be lunch for Americans, but it’s breakfast for the Vietnamese. This ensures that you’re eating freshly cooked food and that you can find the best and most popular places to eat.

If you can’t drink the water, then you can’t eat the salad. Most people get so hung up on not drinking the water or skipping ice in drinks that they don’t think about all of the other ways in which water is used in food service. Fruits and vegetables tend to be washed with tap water in most places, rather than the filtered water that locals drink—or sometimes it’s not washed at all. If you’re really craving some produce, try fruits you can peel or cooked veggies.

Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about the food or the way that it’s being prepared, then keep moving. Eating street food all over the world doesn’t make you an expert. Every stall and every country are different, and sometimes the rules can be harder to follow. When something doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t eat it! Trust your judgment. Chances are that there’s another spot close by that’s making something more delicious.

Tra Vinh Khmer pagodas are solemn places, so you should choose beautiful clothes that are still polite and discreet. In the temple grounds, there are many animal statues such as elephants, snakes, etc. If you go with the children, please remind them not to climb because these are sacred symbols of the Khmer people.

The monks don’t ask for money, although donations won’t hurt.

Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.

If you plan to extend your tour to Tra Vinh homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.

When visiting the Tra Vinh or doing any customized tours, choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets. Safety is a priority!

Tra Vinh tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Hang pagoda, Nodol pagoda, Khmer minority people’s museum, Ba Dong beach, Ba Om pond, Ang pagoda, Vam Ray pagoda, Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh, Cau Ke ancient house or Huynh Ky old house, Kampong Ksan pagoda, Con Chim islet – community-based tourism…

Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh 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 Cong Cake, Sticky Rice Cake Tra Cuon, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup…

Bring the raincoat if you travel to Tra Vinh in the rainy season, as Tra Vinh always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple) – What to Do in Tra Vinh

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

Tra Vinh is one of the provinces in the Mekong Delta where many Khmer ethnic people live. Khmer people are very Buddhist with rich and diverse festivals, creating a unique identity for Khmer culture. There are pagodas and temples all over the villages and hamlets in Tra Vinh; Every Khmer temple is a work of art, in which it is impossible not to mention the Stork Pagoda. Nodol Pagoda – Co Pagoda is one of the outstanding Tra Vinh tourist attractions that visitors should not miss.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Tra Vinh Visitor Guide

1. Better to Know as a Tourist

Ticket: Free

Spend-time: One hour (approx)

Hours: Dawn – Dusk

Food: Yes

Shop: Yes

Parking lot: Yes

Blog: https://vemekong.com/nodol-pagoda-stork-temple-tra-vinh/

Address: Located at Cay Da hamlet – Dai An commune – Tra Cu district, Tra Vinh province.

Added values: Visiting Co Pagoda, you will feel that your soul is relaxed, quiet, and lighter than all the hardships, difficulties, and pressures of life.

Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple)? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Ba Dong Beach (39 km), Ba Om Pond (39 km), Vam Ray Pagoda (5 km), Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh (37 km), Con Chim Islet (48 km), Tra Vinh Market (38 km)…

2. Travel Guide to Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple)

The Stork Pagoda’s real name is Nodal Pagoda or Going Pagoda, but the Khmer call it Wat Phnom Don because there are many coconut trees around (in Khmer, Wat means pagoda, Phon means dune, Don means coconut tree). People used to call it Co Pagoda because for more than a hundred years this place has become the residence of thousands of storks of all kinds such as storks, cormorants, pigeons… of which the largest is the stork family with many types: white stork, red-headed stork, yellow-headed stork, yellow-billed stork, black-billed stork…

Co Pagoda is located about 40km south of Tra Vinh City. To come to Co Pagoda, from the center of Tra Vinh City, you follow QL.54 to Tra Cu district, move on to Dinh An port (a tributary of Hau river) to Dai An commune greeting gate, turn On the left side, you will see the majestic Co Pagoda gate with colorful patterns and motifs.

The history of Co pagoda is recorded, that the pagoda was built in 1677. Over 300 years of existence and development, Co Pagoda has been restored countless times, large and small. The temple gate was restored in 1968 and the main hall was restored in 1944. After the last restoration in 2009 and 2012, the pagoda was completed and put into use until today.

Like other Buddhist temples in Tra Vinh province, Co Pagoda has an architectural complex with characteristics of Southern Khmer pagodas. Including works such as the temple gate, the main hall, the cremation tower, the monk house, and the synagogue … are arranged harmoniously on a large campus.

3. What to Do – See – Eat at Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple)

The gate of the temple is decorated with many unique and outstanding decorative patterns, attracting the eyes from the first visit.

The main hall of the pagoda has a rather unique design with curved roofs in the pattern of a dragon’s tail, there are pointed peaks shaped like Mount Some and familiar images to the Khmer such as god: the four-faced god Mohabrom, the god bird Kýno, Rieju (Rahu), Mahaknot…

The space inside the main hall is decorated very dignifiedly, the highest place is a large statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, and below are smaller statues.

The walls in the hall are decorated with many splendid, colorful paintings showing different Buddhist themes.

The Co Pagoda campus is surrounded by green bamboo groves, rows of stars, coriander, oil trees, and beyond are green rice fields stretching endlessly,… Visit Co Pagoda in the morning Early or late in the afternoon, visitors can see with their own eyes the sight of pairs and flocks of storks spreading their wings to search for food and return to the nest after a hard day of foraging, creating a beautiful scene in the sky.

When visiting the temple, you should dress politely, you can rent a Khmer costume to enter the temple – true Khmer etiquette and also to take unique virtual pictures.

4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong

As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.

From Tra Vinh center:

Route 1:

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 Tra Vinh. 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 Tra Vinh daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com

5. Google Maps of Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple)

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…

6. Visit Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple)  by  yourself

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 Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh.

7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple)

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.

8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of  Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple) (4k)

If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.

9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers

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. 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

10. Pro Tips

Tra Vinh Khmer pagodas are solemn places, so you should choose beautiful clothes that are still polite and discreet. In the temple grounds, there are many animal statues such as elephants, snakes, etc. If you go with the children, please remind them not to climb because these are sacred symbols of the Khmer people.

The monks don’t ask for money, although donations won’t hurt.

If you plan to extend your tour to Tra Vinh homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.

Visit Tra Vinh or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets. Safety is a priority! Choose Tra Vinh responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.

Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh 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 Cong Cake, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Macapuno Coconut…

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 Tra Vinh in the rainy season, as Tra Vinh always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.

Tra Vinh tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Hang Pagoda, Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple), Khmer minority people’s museum, Ba Dong Beach, Ba Om Pond, Ang Pagoda, Vam Ray Pagoda, Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh, Cau Ke Ancient House or Huynh Ky Old House, Kampong Ksan pagoda, Con Chim islet – community-based tourism…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Khmer Minority People’s Museum in Tra Vinh – Thing to See

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

Tra Vinh is a province in the Mekong Delta where many Khmer ethnic people live. Therefore, this place has many relics, architecture, and unique cultural beauty of the Khmer people. The first is the Tra Vinh Museum of Khmer Ethnic Culture – one of the two largest Khmer museums in Vietnam.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Tra Vinh Visitor Guide

Khmer Minority People’s Museum in Tra Vinh – Thing to See

1. Better to Know as a Tourist

Ticket: Free

Spend-time: One hour (approx)

Hours: Dawn – Dusk

Food: Yes

Shop: Yes

Parking lot: Yes

Blog: https://vemekong.com/khmer-museum-tra-vinh/

Address: Located in Ward 8, Tra Vinh city.

Added values: When coming to Tra Vinh Khmer Minority People’s Museum, visitors will feel the peace and spaciousness with a lot of green trees surrounding the museum grounds. The museum has a cool and fresh atmosphere because it is separate from the noisy and bustling urban area, giving visitors moments of comfort and relaxation.

Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Khmer Minority People’s Museum? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Ba Dong Beach (56 km), Ba Om Pond (500 m), Vam Ray Pagoda (38 km), Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh (55 km), Con Chim Islet (18 km), Tra Vinh Market (12 minutes)…

2. Travel Guide to Khmer Minority People’s Museum

Khmer Minority People’s Museum in Tra Vinh – Thing to See

Tra Vinh Khmer Minority People’s Museum is more than 5 km southwest of Tra Vinh province’s center, located in a complex of cultural – tourist areas, connected with the scenic Ao Ba Om relic, architectural and artistic relics. Ang Pagoda art and the Provincial Sports and Culture Center, very convenient for students, researchers of national culture and tourists to visit, study and learn.

The museum was built in 1995 and was put into use in 1997. The museum is a two-storey block, with an area of ​​more than 1,700 m2, designed and built on the basis of a harmonious combination of style and style. Traditional Khmer and modern architecture in a 1-hectare campus with lots of green trees all year round.

The museum is currently storing, displaying and introducing more than 800 artifacts, images and documents that reflect the material and cultural life of the Khmer ethnic community in Tra Vinh, from traditional to contemporary.

3. What to Do – See – Eat at Khmer Minority People’s Museum

Khmer Minority People’s Museum in Tra Vinh – Thing to See

Coming to Tra Vinh Khmer Museum, visitors will be first impressed with the large, quiet campus with lots of green trees around. The museum is completely separate from the bustling and noisy urban area with a fresh and cool space that gives visitors relaxing and comfortable moments to explore.

The museum has a very unique design, bearing the architectural colors of the Khmer people. With sharp peaks like fingertips and very delicately carved, it brings an ancient and sacred space to the museum.

The museum is built on 2 floors. The ground floor is used as a workplace for the museum’s staff and security guards. The upper floor is a place to display artifacts and historical relics. The exhibition floor is divided into small rooms, each of which is displayed according to a different theme.

Khmer Minority People’s Museum in Tra Vinh – Thing to See

Room 1: This is a display of models of ancient Khmer temples. Here, the main temple of Khmer Theravada Buddhism is recreated, the Sala model of Neak Ta worshiping and more than 143 other Khmer temples.

In addition, this place also displays statues of gods, stone sculptures, Buddha statues … very sophisticated. The artifacts bear the imprint of Brahmanism and Buddhism, two typical religions of the Khmer people.

Room 2: Displays about the material life of the Khmer people, eating, wearing, staying, working, etc. through historical periods. There are many artifacts about rudimentary labor tools, extremely unique costumes and jewelry of the ancient Khmer. It can be mentioned as farming tools, fishing tools, building tools and rafts… These are familiar tools that Khmer people use for fishing and agricultural production. The special feature of the tools is not only their unique shape, but the tools are also decorated and sculpted with extremely sophisticated patterns.

Room 3: This is the place to introduce the traditional craft villages of the Khmer people such as mat weaving, knitting, wood carving, etc. Coming here, visitors will be able to see firsthand the rudimentary labor tools and the feats of Khmer artisans.

Khmer Minority People’s Museum in Tra Vinh – Thing to See

Room 4: Displaying musical instruments and art forms of the Khmer people, including the space of the dance theater, the opera stage, in addition, there are other types of costumes and masks to perform…

The artifacts are reproduced very vividly, eye-catching to attract visitors. These are immeasurable and extremely meaningful artifacts that represent the rich and attractive spiritual life of the Khmer people.

When arriving at the Museum of Khmer Ethnic Culture in Tra Vinh, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the unique customs and traditions of the Khmer ethnic people, there by increasing their love for the people and the land. If you have the opportunity to come to Tra Vinh, you should visit once, to understand more about the culture of the ethnic group, and to make the trip have interesting experiences.

4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong

As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.

From Tra Vinh center:

Route 1:

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 Tra Vinh. 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 Tra Vinh daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com

5. Google Maps of Khmer Minority People’s Museum

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…

6. Visit Khmer Minority People’s Museum by yourself

Khmer Minority People’s Museum in Tra Vinh – Thing to See

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 Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh.

7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Khmer Minority People’s Museum

Khmer Minority People’s Museum in Tra Vinh – Thing to See

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.

8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Khmer Minority People’s Museum (4k)

If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.

9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers

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. 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

10. Pro Tips

Tra Vinh Khmer pagodas are solemn places, so you should choose beautiful clothes that are still polite and discreet. In the temple grounds, there are many animal statues such as elephants, snakes, etc. If you go with the children, please remind them not to climb because these are sacred symbols of the Khmer people.

The monks don’t ask for money, although donations won’t hurt.

If you plan to extend your tour to Tra Vinh homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.

Visit Tra Vinh or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets. Safety is a priority! Choose Tra Vinh responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.

Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh 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 Cong Cake, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Macapuno Coconut…

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 Tra Vinh in the rainy season, as Tra Vinh always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.

Tra Vinh tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Hang Pagoda, Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple), Khmer minority people’s museum, Ba Dong Beach, Ba Om Pond, Ang Pagoda, Vam Ray Pagoda, Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh, Cau Ke Ancient House or Huynh Ky Old House, Kampong Ksan pagoda, Con Chim islet – community-based tourism…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Hang Pagoda in Tra Vinh Hidden Gem

Posted on by Thomas Vietnam

As a province with many Khmer ethnic people living, Tra Vinh has a distinct beauty expressed through unique architectural works. Among the famous landscapes and monuments in Tra Vinh, Hang Pagoda is one of Tra Vinh hidden gems worth visiting.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Tra Vinh Visitor Guide

Hang Pagoda in Tra Vinh Hidden Gem

1. Better to Know as a Tourist

Ticket: Free

Spend-time: One hour (approx)

Hours: Dawn – Dusk

Food: Yes

Shop: Yes

Parking lot: Yes

Blog: https://vemekong.com/hang-pagoda-tra-vinh/

Address: Located at cluster 3, Chau Thanh town, Tra Vinh province.

Added values: Hang Pagoda not only fascinates passengers by its ancient beauty, but also by the uniqueness of the bird yard and fine art sculptures made by the skillful and talented hands of the temple’s artisans creative feat.

Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Hang Pagoda? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Ba Dong Beach (52 km), Ba Om Pond (6 km), Vam Ray Pagoda (32 km), Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh (49 km), Con Chim Islet (17 km), Tra Vinh Market (5 km)…

2. Travel Guide to Tra Vinh Hang Pagoda

Hang Pagoda in Tra Vinh Hidden Gem

Like an ancient temple of more than 300 years old, Hang Pagoda has beautiful architecture, located in the middle of more than 2 hectares of green trees which has long been the residence and reproduction of millions of birds of all kinds. It is this that makes the fascination and unique features of the ancient temple. Resonating with the chirping birds on the porch, making the quiet scene of the temple peaceful and peaceful.

The campus of Hang Pagoda is about 7 hectares wide, really a primeval forest with many endemic plant species such as star wood tree, bamboo, etc., crammed together into many different high and low floors, which are very valuable.

Originally, this temple faced the east, overlooking the Long Binh river, where there was a boat dock near the banyan tree for people to conveniently go to the temple to listen to scriptures and worship Buddha, so it was named Wat Kompong Ch’ray. Ben Cay Da Pagoda). The pagoda was built in 1637 and has experienced 22 abbot generations.

In 1968 during the Tet Offensive, the pagoda was heavily damaged by bombs and bullets. In 1977, monk Thach Suong (now the 23rd abbot) returned, and campaigned to rebuild the temple. Since then, through many restorations, the temple has become spacious and superficial. 

3. What to Do – See – Eat at Hang Pagoda

Hang Pagoda in Tra Vinh Hidden Gem

People used to call it Hang Pagoda because of the western side gate, facing Provincial Road 36 (now National Highway 54), built as a system of 3 caves close together. In which the middle door is a large cave, and on both sides are two small caves. All three gates are solidly built with 12m thick walls, creating the feeling of standing at the gate like being in a cave.

The arched pagoda gate is not only an artistic architectural work that distinguishes Hang Pagoda from the rest of the Khmer pagodas in the province but also contains sophisticated historical and religious values. The cave entrance is a “feature” that shows that Tra Vinh Khmer Theravada Buddhism has a stable inheritance of Brahmanism because, in the past, Brahmin monks often practiced silently in temples.

The main hall of the pagoda was built on high ground, with many stairs leading up, decorated with many patterns and motifs. The roof of the main hall is structured with many layers on top of each other, on the top is a majestic tower. Inside the main hall are two rows of tall and majestic columns, in the middle of the main hall is the altar. The large Shakyamuni Buddha statue is placed high, below are smaller Shakyamuni Buddha statues in different positions.

In front of the guesthouse and monastery is a flagpole, at the foot of the tower, there is a relief of 7 heads of Naga snakes. The two sides have 12-spoke wheels representing the twelve causes and conditions. Opposite the main hall of Hang Pagoda is a population of 12 animals, arranged in an arc, embossed with two dragons winding like a boat. The dragon’s head is raised on two pillars with relief carvings of Yak (goblin transformed by Buddha) and Elephant. Viewed from the left are statues of fairies, fairies riding mice, ox, tigers, rabbits, and dragons…

The right side is also in the order of gods riding goats, monkeys, chickens… In the middle, there is a statue of a god riding a snake Naga and a god riding a horse is arranged close to the screen. On the screen is a 4-sided tower architecture with a roof, on both sides, there is a statue of goddess Kinnari supporting the roof, and on the top is a set of 8 Buddhas with hands clasped.

Like other Khmer temples, Hang Pagoda is not only a place of worship and belief but also a place of learning, moral education, and preservation of the traditional culture and art of the Khmer people. In the temple, there is a fairly large school and about two dozen small stilt houses just enough for one person to live in. Khmer people in the area often come here to pray and practice.

Compared to other Khmer Theravada Buddhist temples in Tra Vinh province, Hang Pagoda is not a big temple. The attraction of this temple compared to passengers near and far is that the wood carving workshop has been operating for nearly 30 years, with many products that resonate in the Vietnamese fine art market, and is a strictly protected “bird sanctuary”.

Arriving at Hang Pagoda, after admiring the reclining Buddha image in the main hall, and visiting the artistic wood carving workshop, passengers can spend time sitting on the ice spread around the main hall. In our sight, the birds of the morning sky soared high, scattered in search of prey in the fields, and nearby rivers; In the afternoon, they returned, bringing food for the young birds waiting, creating a noisy atmosphere for the whole forest where the meditation was quiet.

After the war ended, especially from the 1990s onwards, the Hang Pagoda campus became a gathering place for many kinds of birds. As soon as the birds gathered back, the monks and relatives in the village were very happy. The pagoda sets very strict regulations on bird protection and forest tree protection, creating a peaceful natural environment for flocks of birds returning to life.

4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong

As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.

From Tra Vinh center:

Route 1:

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 Tra Vinh. 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 Tra Vinh daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com

5. Google Maps of Hang Pagoda in Tra Vinh

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…

6. Visit  Hang Pagoda by yourself

Hang Pagoda in Tra Vinh Hidden Gem

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 Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh.

7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Hang Pagoda

Hang Pagoda in Tra Vinh Hidden Gem

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.

8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of  Hang Pagoda (4k)

If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.

9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers

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. 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

10. Pro Tips

Tra Vinh Khmer pagodas are solemn places, so you should choose beautiful clothes that are still polite and discreet. In the temple grounds, there are many animal statues such as elephants, snakes, etc. If you go with the children, please remind them not to climb because these are sacred symbols of the Khmer people.

The monks don’t ask for money, although donations won’t hurt.

If you plan to extend your tour to Tra Vinh homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.

Visit Tra Vinh or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets. Safety is a priority! Choose Tra Vinh responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.

Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh 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 Cong Cake, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Macapuno Coconut…

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 Tra Vinh in the rainy season, as Tra Vinh always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.

Tra Vinh tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Hang Pagoda, Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple), Khmer minority people’s museum, Ba Dong Beach, Ba Om Pond, Ang Pagoda, Vam Ray Pagoda, Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh, Cau Ke Ancient House or Huynh Ky Old House, Kampong Ksan pagoda, Con Chim islet – community-based tourism…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you

Photo of the day

When people ask me what to see in Mekong today. I tell them view our MekongDelta365.

Can Tho Rice Noodle Factory & Villages
March 27, 2021
PHOTO BY THOMAS VIETNAM, MEKONG COLLECTION
Can Tho Rice Noodle Factory & Villages

Nowadays, there are more and more green and responsible tours which are meaningful and educational as well. This is why Can Tho noodle factory is getting popular for both Vietnamese and foreigners to come and explore the cuisine culture and the typical local life in Can Tho, Mekong Delta.