Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is a network of distributaries in southwestern Vietnam, between Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodia. The river itself starts in the Himalayas and passes through China, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia before reaching Vietnam, which partly explains why the waters are so murky. More than half of Vietnam’s rice and fish comes from the delta region. It’s vital to the Vietnamese economy and diet. Life in the area revolves around water, from the famous floating markets to the vast agricultural industries. An amazing variety of fruits, flowers and livestock grow in the region. The Mekong River Delta is the rice basket of Vietnam, providing the sustenance for millions.

Vinh Trang Temple

Vinh Trang Temple is a Buddhist temple near My Tho in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. It is one of the best-known temples in the region. The temple stands on a 2-hectare (4.9-acre) block filled with fruit trees in the village of My Hoa in the town of My Phong, on the banks of the Bao Dinh canal. In the middle of the 19th century, the temple came into being through the endeavours of the district chief Bui Cong Dat, who organised its erection. He recruited the monk Thich Tu Lam from Buu Lam Temple to preside over Vinh Trang. Following the death of Bui Cong Dat, Thich Hue Dang presided over the remainder of the construction phase and the temple was completed in 1850.