Buzz
Cù Lao Dài (Vũng Liêm District, Vĩnh Long), stretching twenty kilometers like an emerald amidst the silt-laden river, has attracted professional tour groups.
Embark on a Journey to Cù Lao Dài – the Silt-Laden Land of Vĩnh Long Tourism
To reach Cù Lao Dài, travelers can take a ferry from Vũng Liêm pier or cross via Quới An – Quới Thiện ferry, a serene small pier where passengers and ferry staff are amiable, devoid of the rush and bustle found at other ferry terminals.
Since the inauguration of Cổ Chiên Bridge connecting Bến Tre and Trà Vinh provinces, the Cổ Chiên River has suddenly become a focus of tourist interest. For many years, the mighty waters of the Cổ Chiên River have maintained the rustic charm of the island with its bountiful fruit orchards and the melodious tunes of traditional tài tử music echoing through the village.
Upon stepping into Thanh Bình commune, the scent of jackfruit and durian permeates the moist air of the rainy season orchards. Travelers leisurely stroll along narrow paths and may, if interested, request a visit to the local fruit orchards.
Most garden owners warmly welcome visitors. They handpick fruits straight from the trees, cut them down, and share them for everyone to enjoy in the refreshing green surroundings. Apart from the rich flavors of durian and jackfruit, lychees, pomelos, and mangosteens are also irresistibly enticing.
In the past, the island was frequently flooded, so it was primarily suitable for cultivating rice or planting grids. Nowadays, with the investment in building a system of dikes, Cù Lao Dài has become a prosperous agricultural production area in Vũng Liêm district, offering agricultural products such as delicious fruits, smooth-skinned fish, freshwater shrimp, and more.
In some hamlets at the tail end of the island in Thanh Bình commune (such as Bình Thủy, Thông Lưu), locals still maintain traditional grid planting. Alongside grid planting, the locals here have long been acquainted with weaving mats, weaving grid ropes, and more.
In Bình Thủy, Thông Lưu, most households have grid rope weaving machines. Bình Thủy hamlet has been recognized by Vĩnh Long province as a traditional craft village.
According to the history of Vĩnh Long province, this place is one of the typical villages for land clearance and village establishment in the jurisdiction of Vĩnh Thanh under the reign of King Gia Long.
Since the mid-nineteenth century, this island has been regarded as a beautiful model of a new village, with contiguous fields and gardens, rich in temples and pagodas, famous for its dense population and abundance. In Thanh Bình commune, there are still two large grave areas built about 180 years ago.
These are the graves of Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Tuyết (mother of Thoại Ngọc Hầu) and the graves of Mr. Châu Vĩnh Huy and Mrs. Đỗ Thị Toán, the parents of his wife, built during his tenure as the prefect of Vĩnh Thanh.
These grave sites are evidence contributing to establishing Cù Lao Dài as the second homeland of Nguyễn Văn Thoại, also known as Thoại Ngọc Hầu, when he and his relatives fled chaos from Quảng Nam to here.
After exploring the island, tourists often visit the Coconut Grove Leaf Restaurant, which serves authentic and delicious local dishes. The appetizer is usually crispy pancakes.
The pancakes here are made from very fragrant and chewy flour. The secret lies in soaking cilantro to extract water, pouring it into the pancake batter, and frying it on a pan using very little oil, making it non-greasy.
The filling is quite unique with freshwater clams as the main ingredient. Cổ Chiên River clams have a sweet and clear taste and are very white in color, blending with the creamy coconut water flavor in the pancake batter, the crunchy texture of mung bean sprouts, and the fragrant aroma of banana leaf. It's a perfect combination.
The rustic restaurant's service style is very friendly. The aunties and sisters in the kitchen are ready to patiently guide tourists in pouring each pancake to make it crispy.
After enjoying the cake, it's time for steamed wine chicken salad. Free-range chicken, firm and tender, mixed with finely chopped young banana hearts, offers a fresh and delicious taste that never gets old. Next is the sour fish soup cooked with bần fruit. The cute bần fruit adds a sourness to the sweet and tangy fish soup, complemented by the earthy flavor of bananas that is truly unforgettable.
At noon, amidst the tranquil orchard, the melodious tunes of the traditional band fill the air. Even those not inclined towards arts and music can't help but be drawn into the heartfelt lyrics and melodies deeply rooted in the Mekong Delta.
As reported by Saigon Business Times
***
Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourJuly 30th, 2015
