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Long An
Area: 4,493.8 sq. km
Population: 1,423.1 thousand habitants (2006)
Capital: Tan An Town.
Districts: Ben Luc, Can Duoc, Can Giuoc, Chau Thanh, Duc Hoa, Duc Hue, Moc Hoa, Tan Thanh, Tan Tru, Thanh Hoa, Thu Thua, Vinh Hung, Tan Hung.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Khmer, Tay, Hoa...
Introduction: Geography, Tourism, Transportation.
Attraction:
- Historical & Cultural Vestiges: Binh Ta Vestiges, Ton Thanh Pagoda.
- Cultural Travel: Praying for rain Festival.
Geography
 Located on the Mekong Delta, Long An is surrounded by Tay Ninh Province and Cambodia on the north, Ho Chi Minh City on east, Tien Giang Province on the south and Dong Thap Province on the west.
Long An is divided into smaller areas by a complex network of rives and canals. Silt from Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay rives has raised the level of the field of Long An. This silt makes a good condition for agriculture. The terrain is quite flat except some hills and mounds on the north. The western area belongs to the Plain of Reeds.
Climate: Long An is on tropical monsoon climate. The rain season lasts from May to October and the dry season lasts from November to April next year. Annual average temperature is 27.4ºC. Annual average rainfall is 1,620mm.
Tourism
Visitors are attracted to Long An by value of Oc Eo culture that develops on the Mekong Delta from 1st BC to 6th century  BC. 12,000 objects of 20 prehistoric monuments and 100 Oc Eo culture relics have been found. Beside these, Long An preserves valuable sites including House with Hundred Columns, Rach Coc Fort, Ton Thanh Pagoda. In Dong Thap Muoi Eco-tourist Site, tourists can discover many special flora and fauna and try typical dishes of the South.
Transportation
Long An has National Highways No.1A crossing Tan An Town, National Highway No.62 linking to Binh Hiep Border Gate to Cambodia, National Highway No.50 from Mytho (Tien Giang) to Ho Chi Minh City via Can Duoc Townlet. Long An is 47km from Ho Chi Minh City.
Attraction
1) Historical & Cultural Vestiges
Location: Binh Ta Vestiges are situated in Binh Ta Hamlet, Duc Hoa Ha Commune, Duc Hoa District, Long An Province.
Characteristics: The vestiges are remnants of the Oc Eo-Phu Nam culture from the first to seventh centuries.
Binh Ta’s architectural and archaeological vestiges including Go Xoai, Go Don and Go Nam Tuoc can be found 40km north-east of the town of Tan An in Long An Province.
 Go Xoai Temple at a depth of 1.7 to 1.9m is considered a one-time celebration place of the Phu Nam people. On a collection of 26 gold objects discovered in Go Xoai, there are thin gold leaves with sentences of Buddhist sutra written in the ancient Sanskrit language.
Other valuable objects were also excavated here. There are pieces of Oc Eo pottery, metal, precious stones, sandstone and a series of other relics from primitive man discovered around the temple.
Architectural works discovered in Binh Ta’s vestiges are a temple dedicating to the Siva deity of Brahmanism which appeared in India around the first century BC and was introduced to southern Indochina at the beginning of the Christian era. Most of the works were constructed for religious purposes, but at the same time played a role as a cultural and political centre of the ancient state. 
Location: Ton Thanh Pagoda is situated in Thanh Ba Hamlet, My Loc Commune, Can Giuoc District, Long An Province.
Characteristics: This is the oldest pagoda in Long An.
Built in 1808 by northern emigrants, Ton Thanh Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Long An. Several valuable ancient statues with its design in 19th century still are remained in the pagoda. Vietnamese poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu lived in this pagoda from 1859 to 1861.
2) Cultural Travel
Time: 18th day of the fourth lunar month.
Place: Long An Province.
Characteristics: Traditional sacrifice-offering ceremony, the praying-for-rain ceremony is also presented by ghe races on the rivers and canals. Ghe is made by long and tapering bamboo, contains 20 rowers.
(Source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism) |
