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THE
NORTH
I THE
CENTRAL
I
THE
SOUTH |
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The
Mekong
Delta
is
the
bottom
half
of
Vietnam's
two
rice
baskets,
the
other
being
the
Red
River
Delta
in
the
North
.
This
vast
delta
is
formed
by
the
deposition
of
the
multiple
tentacles
and
tributaries
of
the
mighty
Mekong
River
which
has
its
origin
in
the
Tibetan
highland
plateau
2,800
miles
away.
From
its
source,
the
river
makes
its
way
through
China,
Myanmar
(Burma),
Laos,
Cambodia
and
South
Vietnam
before
flowing
out
into
the
South
China
Sea.
The
Mekong's
Vietnamese
name,
Cuu
Long,
means
Nine
Dragons
for
the
nine
mouths
that
terminate
the
flow
of
this
great
river
as
it
is
absorbed
by
the
sea. |
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The
people
of
south
Vietnam
are
often
very
proud
of
the
richness
and
vastness
of
this
land.
When
referring
to
the
rice
fields
in
this
area,
they
often
say,
"co
bay
thang
canh",
meaning
the
land
is
so
large
that
the
cranes
can
stretch
their
wings
as
they
fly.
Today,
the
region
is
one
of
Vietnam's
highest
producer
of
rice
crops,
vegetables
and
fruits. |
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The
Mekong
Delta
was
an
ancient
Khmer
territory.
The
area
was
mostly
marshland
and
forest.
When
the
Nguyen
Lords
took
control
of
this
region,
a
series
of
canals
were
built
and
a
system
of
transportation
was
implemented
in
the
maze
of
water
ways
in
the
area. |
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The
Mekong
Delta
is
divided
into
9
provinces:
Long
An,
Tien
Giang,
Ben
Tre,
Dong
Thap,
An
Giang,
Vinh
Long,
Kien
Giang,
Hau
Giang
and
Minh
Hai.
The
people
in
this
region
are
made
up
of
Vietnamese
and
some
people
of
Khmer,
Chinese
and
Cham
origin.
This
accounts
for
the
variety
of
religions
that
add
to
the
cultural
diversity
of
this
area.
Among
the
religions
practiced
here
are:
Buddhism,
Catholicism,
Cao
Dai,
Hoa
Hao
and
Islam. |
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Life
in
the
delta
is
tightly
woven
with
its
rivers
as
daily
activities
and
businesses
are
conducted
on
its
banks.
Markets,
stores,
ship
yards,
repair
shops
are
some
of
the
more
popular
trades. |
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Floating
markets
are
held
every
morning
from
5:00
to
about
11:00.
Phung
Hiep
market
is
the
biggest
since
it
is
located
at
the
intersection
of 7
major
canals.
It
is
also
a
photographer's
delight
because
it
can
be
seen
above
from
a
bridge.
Cai
Rang
and
Phong
Dien
are
two
other
notable
floating
markets
in
the
delta. |
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Boats
loaded
with
produce
from
nearby
orchards
of
the
Mekong
Delta
converge
to
the
floating
market.
They
carry
mostly
fruits
but
also
coconuts,
vegetables
and
fishes. |
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Buyers
are
local
traders
with
bigger
boats
snapping
everything
by
the
bushels
and
resell
at
local
markets
or
to
wholesale
dealers
from
big
cities,
often
for
a
handsome
profit.
Large
floating
markets
are
not
complete
without
its
floating
restaurants,
floating
gas
stations
and
an
occasional
tour
boat
filled
with
tourists. |
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