Exploring the rustic yet colorful life of the Mekong Delta people

When traveling to a place, besides the landscape, factors of human and life also give visitors many interesting experiences. So is Mekong Delta. It is a water culture, so undoubtedly, life here is also associated with floating houses, boats, and canals, etc.

If you come to Mekong Delta without discovering the colorful life here, especially in the flood season, it will be a big omission for your trip.

To know how interesting the lives of the people here are, keep reading this article. Surely, you will just want to pack your luggage and depart now.

Where is the Mekong Delta?

The Mekong Delta is located on a flat area of Southwest Vietnam with a system of interlocking canals. It borders the sea to the east and is shielded by the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. Miraculously, the area is also divided by the Mekong River into nine sections. The river carries fertile alluvial layers, adding to the richness of this land.

The rustic life of people in the Mekong Delta

The life on the river

The life of Southwest farmers is simple, rustic but warm, containing humanity. The region is loved by many tourists because of its serene rural beauty and delicious river dishes.

Besides the busy life of the city, there are still some very simple lives of people in the Southwest. That is the street vendors, the motorbike taxi drivers oversleeping, the river-water canoes in the West filled with goods, or children with buffaloes between vast rice fields, etc.

People in Southwest rural areas live mainly on animal husbandry and farming. In the season of ripe rice, the whole rice fields in An Giang wear a golden yellow color. Far away is the image of cows grazing and the sounds of children in the fields.

In the midst of busy lives, there is still a fairy place with sparkling dreams. Children in the countryside are rustic and naturally beautiful as their innocent souls through games such as kite flying, river bathing, etc.

Traditional festivals in the Mekong Delta

One of the interesting features of life here is the unique festivals in the countryside. Perhaps the most notable one is the Bay Nui (Seven Mountain area) cow racing festival in An Giang, leaving many interesting impressions for tourists.

The Seven Mountain cow racing is a festival of Khmer ethnic people in the Southern region. It brings bold cultural folklore, including rake drawing that is a feature of traditional cultural activities, a unique sport in Bay Nui, An Giang.

A boat race in Soc Trang province

Plain terrain with rivers

The Southwest is the convergence of canals and rivers. Unlike the Red River Delta, people the Mekong Delta do not build dams or dikes to avoid floods but choose to live with them.

As a result, from August, water from the upper Mekong River in Cambodia flows to the Southwest, through An Giang, Dong Thap, and other branches of the Mekong River into the sea. Floods bring fish, shrimps, and alluvial, enriching this land.

Sticking with that river scene are boats. They have become an indispensable image in people's lives, a unique cultural beauty that this place has.

Cai Rang floating market is a place specializing in exchanging, buying and selling agricultural products, goods, and food. Also, it is a special attraction in Can Tho city. Today, although the road transport network has developed widely, Mekong Delta floating markets still exist and grow more and more.

Furthermore, travelers can visit Tra Su melaleuca forest in An Giang or Tram Chim bird sanctuary in Dong Thap. Most of the tourists appreciate it as one of interesting things to do in the Mekong River.

In these spots, in the flood season, the water overflows with green duckweeds. Guests will experience the feeling of sitting on small boats to go deep into the quiet creeks, listening to the storks, cranes, cauldrons, or lesser whistling ducks every time they fly by.

Southern amateur music

A Southern amateur music performance

A local art form widely known by domestic and international tourists is the Southern amateur music. Today, all the ecotourism area restaurants and package tours in the Mekong Delta serve this unique type of artistic culture of the locals.

Southern amateur music is a typical folk art form of the region. This is the combination of the instrument and singing, played by young men and women in the Southern region after working hours.

Those simple and lively beauties of daily life have conquered the hearts of visitors to the Southern Delta, making it a worthy place in Vietnam. If you need further information about the Mekong Delta tours, feel free to contact us. Don’t hesitate to like and share the article with others if you find it useful for you. Thank you.