English (UK) 
Français (France) 
Nederlands (nl-NL) Discover the Mekong Delta and its vibrant floating markets in Can Tho! Immerse yourself in the picturesque boats and colorful atmosphere. Our 7-minute video provides a complete glimpse of this unique region in Vietnam. Learn about the rich history and experience the bustling vibe of Can Tho, the largest city in the Mekong Delta. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity and watch our video now!
This film was made on the basis of photos and videos taken during the trip Vietnam & Cambodia • 2014
A click on this icon above displays the list of chapters of this film about Vietnam. A click on a dot goes directly to a chapter.
Reading the text below will help you better understand the cultural context of the images in this video.
href=https://www.travel-video.info/en/list-of-the-countries/vietnam.html>Vietnam. A click on a dot goes directly to a chapter.
Reading the text below will help you better understand the cultural context of the images in this video.
Chapters:
00:35 • on the Mekong, near Vinh Long
01:03 • here, boats have eyes
02:18 • activity on the banks of the Mekong
03:41 • to the Can Tho market
04:44 • Can Tho floating market
The Mekong
The Mekong is one of those mythical rivers that many dream of seeing one day, just like the Amazon, the Danube, the Nile, the Ganges or the Yang Tse Kiang.
This river, which originates in the Chinese Himalayan heights, is just under 5,000 kilometers long and successively crosses China, Laos and Cambodia to empty into the China Sea in Vietnam. It forms a natural border of Laos with Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Its length and flow make it the 4th largest river in Asia, after the Yang Tse Kiang, the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Yenisei, the great river of Siberia. Globally, it ranks tenth.
The Mekong, a vital artery of Southeast Asia, is a very capricious river and its flow experiences enormous variations according to the seasons. Himalayan snowmelt or monsoon rains cause it to swell disproportionately. The river then reaches in places more than 10 kilometers wide, while in the same place it measures only a few hundred meters at other times of the year. Its flow being much calmer in the delta, these variations are mainly observed upstream.
Thus, in Cambodia, all the houses close to the river are mounted on stilts and there is a phenomenon almost unique in the world on one of its tributaries, the Tonlé Sap.
Tonlé Sap is the name of a river but also that of a lake. During the floods of the Mekong, the water from it flows into its tributary and raises the level of Tonle Sap Lake by several meters, while in normal times, it is the lake that partially feeds the Mekong.
In Laos, the Mekong varies greatly depending on the season.
The Mekong Delta
The Mekong begins to split into two branches at Phnom Penh in Cambodia. One of these branches takes the name of Bassac, while the other remains the Mekong. These two branches of the same river flow towards neighboring Vietnam and branch out there, forming a dense hydrographic network. The topography of the region has considerably calmed the flow of the Mekong and it flows slowly, leaving a large mass of alluvium in its path.
This makes this region one of the most fertile regions in the world. Rice production is so important in the Mekong Delta that it accounts for about half of all production in Vietnam.
Nearly 18 million inhabitants live on these lands interspersed with waterways.
An important economic activity explains the dynamism of this part of Vietnam, and many tourists are attracted by the animation of this multitude of sampans and canoes transporting all kinds of goods.
A huge floating market has settled in Can Tho, the regional capital.
about the place, Can Tho:
Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. The river takes various names along its course, and the city of Can Tho is on one of the arms of the Mekong named Bassac.
The city has just under one and a half million inhabitants and is the largest in the region, except for Ho Chi Minh City, which is just over 160 kilometers away.
The Mekong Delta being an extremely fertile region drained by multiple rivers, a lot of transport is done by boat in the region. Can Tho has one of the most interesting floating markets in Southeast Asia where hundreds of farmers flock daily aboard their canoes to sell their products.
Music:
- YouTube video library - Gently Onwards
- YouTube video library - Infados, (© Infados by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100449
Artist: http://incompetech.com/)
Disclaimer: Despite its appropriateness, copyright issues prevent the use of vietnamese traditional music in "Mekong Delta, Can Tho • Vietnam", hence the use of royalty-free music. Despite our careful selection, some might regret this decision, which is necessary to avoid potential lawsuits. Although difficult, this decision is the only viable solution.
What's the weather like in Can Tho?
Spoken comments in the film:
On the border between Vietnam and Cambodia, a vast plain has succeeded in calming the flow of one of the largest rivers in the world, the Mekong. The lack of relief in this region has created a Mekong that is very different from what it is upstream. Here, we are no longer dealing with a tumultuous river, but rather with a lazy watercourse which generously irrigates the surrounding lands, preparing its enormous delta in Vietnam, several tens of kilometers wide, through which this river will flow in the China Sea.
The Mekong Delta stretches over more than 40,000 square kilometers between two of its arms. The first, located further north-east, has retained the name of Mekong while the other has taken the name of Bassac. Between the two, a multitude of small natural canals favor irrigation and the navigation of small boats.
There are all kinds of boats on the Mekong. And there really are a lot of them... That's kind of why a lot of boats have eyes. If they are not really able to watch to avoid obstacles, of which there are many, at least they protect against evil spirits that threaten navigation.
But there are also boats that only have eyes for tourists...
Obviously, there are not only tourists on the Mekong. Its banks teem with various activities.
One of the most well-known activities on the river in the Mekong Delta is undoubtedly the Can Tho Floating Market. Dozens of pirogues loaded with fruits and vegetables harvested that very morning are heading towards this market where the peasants hope to sell their goods and make a little money.
It is often the women who come to sell the family produce at the market and when all the goods on offer have found a buyer, it is time to return home to prepare for the next day's sales. The return journey is sometimes long, but the Vietnamese perfectly master the techniques of navigation on the Mekong and their smile never leaves them.
