Visiting the betel garden evokes ancient Vietnamese customs from the time of the Hung kings. There is a legend about the betel and that tells of a young man dying and turning into an areca tree; his wife in her grief dies beside him and turns into a betel plant, attaching herself to the tree. Traditionally Vietnamese people invite their guests to chew betel before starting a conversation, and betel and areca are essential betrothal gifts in weeding parties.

In Long Son Commune, the betel is a well known product. It has existed there for thousands of years, having originated from a famous betel from Ba Diem, and has made Long Son famous. Traders go there to buy 7,000 to 8,000 betel leaves a day to sell in Chau Doc, Tan Chau (An Giang), Hong Ngu, Dong Thap, and even to export to Cambodia

The betel garden of Nguyen Phu Trung in Long Hoa Commune in Tan Phu District is an amazing sight, with the betel vines climbing endlessly in the glistening sunlight on the immeasurably high betel trellis. Just a short walk from the garden is Bang Lang Shrine, built to worship Lady Thuong Dong Co Hy on an area of 1,000m².

Near the shrine are three ancient, giant bang lang trees which blossom with purple flowers in winter, creating a sanctuary of calmness and providing an escape from the hustle and bustle of life. The local Cham people hold an annual Bang Lang Shrine Festival on the 15th and 16th day of the 3rd lunar month (April 9 and 10, 2009) to pray for a peaceful life and better crops. Visitors to Long Son during the festival will enjoy diverse artistic activities and local folk games in the jubilant atmosphere of the festival.

An Giang also holds a series of annual festivals such as Ba Chua Xu, Chol Chnam Thomay and Dolta festivals, and has many popular tourist attractions including Ox racing, Sam Mountain in Chau Doc, Cam Mountain in Tien Binh, Tuc Dup Hill, a network of grottoes in Thuy Dai Son, Anh Vu Son, Co To, and many traditional craft villages.

A visit to An Giang will satisfy any traveler’s search for splendid scenery and traditional Vietnamese culture.

On the way to Bay Nui, especially from Tinh Bien to Tri Ton districts, the sight of thousands of palmyra trees reaching straight up to the sky is a dazzling sight.

It takes from 30 to 40 years for palmyra palms to grow to their full height of 20m. The fruit is sweet and succulent and is a popular mainstay in the mountain areas. It is also a source of income for local farmers.

Every morning, as the golden rays of dawn shine through the early mist, local vendors load their poles on their shoulders and head to popular tourist destinations such as Lam Vien Tourist Park in Cam (forbidden) Mountain to sell the palmyra fruit. For just a few thousands of dong travelers can enjoy the sweet and fragrant mountainous fruits.

Palmyra has many uses; it can be frozen and sold as a refreshing soft drink, fermented with wild plants and made into palmyra beer and made into a sugar which is used in a sweet soup. Palmyra fruits are also mixed with water and made into soft, crispy rice which is served with sugar and ice.

There are many more tasty dishes made from this versatile fruit, including palmyra candy, palmyra jelly and palmyra cake which is made from sticky rice mixed with palmyra rice. The sticky rice is fermented and stored for a year before being mixed with the palmyra rice, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for an hour. The resulting cake has a sweet fragrance and dark yellow color.

Palmyra is enjoyed in all its forms by tourists to Bay Nui.

Located in An Hao Commune, Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province, the majestic mountain sits imposingly in the Mekong Delta at an altitude of 710m above sea level.

During annual festivities lasting from the 4th to the 7th lunar month, Cam Mountain is busy and lively with pilgrims, tourists and the vibrant ambiance of traders on the mountain sides.

There are about 500 households with 3,000 residents living on the mountain, plus about 1,000 visitors to the mountain every day; therefore the trading activities, in particular of agricultural products and foodstuffs, are always hectic and lively.

The market on Cam Mountain is nestled halfway up the mountain on a 3m-wide pass blanketed by endless green trees. The market, named Thien Tue Hamlet Market, is open for one hour every morning when the sun is rising and the fog is dispersing, so people call it “misty market”. Goods are not arranged on counters or stalls but rather are displayed in baskets, pots and heaps. The foods sold here are varied, with chicken, pork, beef, duck and many vegetables, especially bamboo sprouts and some strange vegetables which are only available on the mountain.

Avocado is the main fruit of the mountain and is sold for VND4,000 per kilogram. As many pilgrims trek to the mountain every day to pray for good luck and health, bread vendors here can also earn a lot of money. However, the specialty of the mountain is the medicinal plants which visitors can buy at small shops from the base to the peak of the mountain. There are dozens of herbal remedies, even fungi and honey. Moreover, some are fried, including the flying gecko, mountain snake, scorpion, and wild animal parts such as elephant feet and horns, porcupine quills, bear hands and pangolin leather.

After strolling around the mountain to visit the temples and see the splendid mysteries of nature, passer-by should stop at one of the small restaurants perched along the mountain sides to enjoy mountain cuisine, from hot-pot of wildlife to the specialty of the Mekong Delta, banh xeo (pancake), which are enjoyed with many kinds of healthy vegetables.

Upon reaching the Great Buddha Pagoda, pilgrims can relax and try some dishes in small restaurants around this area, as well as in some coffee shops scattered on the mountain. The panoramic view from here is spectacular, with the valleys, white falls and smaller mountains below.

When trekking on Cam Mountain to enjoy the magnificent and mysterious landscape and to pray for good luck and health at pagodas, visitors can also go shopping and experience the varied cuisine of the mountain.

Thoai Ngoc Hau, a general during the Nguyen Dynasty, led the army and thousands of residents to dig the Thoai Ha Canal in 1818 with rudimentary tools. The canal is 30 kilometers long and runs through the foot of Sap Mountain, linking Long Xuyen City in An Giang Province and Rach Gia City in Kien Giang Province.

Nui Sap Town in An Giang Province’s Thoai Son District is about 25 kilometers away from Long Xuyen City on Road 934. To reach the top of the mountain, one may climb or rent a bike for VND5,000 per person to ride on a 4 meter-wide concrete path that winds and zigzags up for 1,500 meters.

Many pagodas varying in size, architecture and design are scattered on the road from halfway up to the peak. The most striking is a pink statue of Mitreya Buddha, eight meters in height and located at Duyen Phuoc Pagoda. The traditional pagoda with towers and curved roof has existed for many years, and was rebuilt in 1994. It is decorated with statues of dragons, lions, turtles and phoenix.

On top of the mountain the path ends at Doi (Bat) Cave, where many rocks are piled up on one another. Above the cave is a stone yard where passersby can sit and enjoy the fresh air and tranquility, viewing the scenery of immense green fields, far away rivers and canals, orchards and houses glistening in the sun.

On the way back down visitors will see what looks like a man-made painting, with Lake No.1, Lake No.2 and Thoai Lake linked together and crossing caves and tunnels in the mountain. Those are vestiges of stone exploitation that was developed into a tourist site.

Other noteworthy attractions to visit include Thoai Son Temple, site of the statue of General Thoai Ngoc Hau and a stele featuring the origin, landscapes and history of the mountain, and, in Nui Sap Town, the Thoai Ha Canal, Ong Bon Pagoda, Vong Dong stone mountain and Ba Pagoda.

Nowadays, That Son is place with many specific festivals and customs… of Southern Khmer people such as Chol Chnam Thmay Festival, Pisat bo chia Festival, Pha Chum Benh Festival (known as Dolta Festival)… and the most typical festival is above all others is Bay Nui Ox Racing Festival which annual takes place in the end of September and beginning of October.

On the huge That Son Range along highway 91 from Long Xuyen to Chau Doc, Anh Vu, or Ket, Mountain is a well known and favorite destination for travelers. The 225m-high mountain is located in Thoi Son Commune, Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province.

Along the rough roads to Anh Vu Mountain there are many restaurants and rest stops with various specialties in green gardens. Tourists could stop at one of them as “Hammock Rest Stop” to be warmly welcomed by friendly faces and should order palm juice, a specialty of this region. After a couple of minutes resting in hammocks will make them feel fresh to continue to the mountain.

In a minute, the mountain will be appeared and tourists will be surprised by its magnificence and beauty but it is not difficult to reach the Ket tourist area near the top of the mountain. Step by step, tourists can start climbing the stairs to conquer this legendary mountain.

There are over 10 interesting sites on the mountain, from the foot to the top and along its slopes, which tourists should not miss such as Fairy Well and Truc Lam, Ngoc Hoang, Phat Thay, Huynh Long and Phat Mau temples.

Mo Ket, a giant rock, is a rest area located half way up the mountain and from here the mountain appears to be moving as the cloud masses that pass by are always changing. Temperatures here average 18 to 24oC in spite of the heat at noon. Nearby is Dai Mountain, like a giant rock garden, and an ancient temple, both worth a visit.

It’s interesting that there is a well on the top of Ket Mountain. It’s named Fairy Well and is a must-see for those who conquer this mountain. The well looks like a cave adhering to rocks and its water is fresh and cool. No one knows its origin or its source.

That Son Range, and Anh Vu Mountain in particular, are known for the monks who lead a religious life in the mountain such as Doan Minh Huyen, founder of the Buu Son Ky Huong religion with Buddhist origins.

The mountain is open for excursions and religious purposes.

Located in An Hao Commune, Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province, Cam Mountain is famous for its wonderful scenery, ancient temples and pagodas and cultural life of local residents.

There are some theories explaining the origin of the name of the mountain. One legend says that in the eighteenth century, King Gia Long hid on the mountain when he was being hunted by Tay Son troops.

To protect the king, his subordinates spread a rumor that there were dangerous wild beasts on the mountain and strictly forbade residents to go there.

Another legend says that Monk Tay An, master of a local religion called Buu Son Ky Huong, prohibited his followers from building houses and living on the mountain in order to preserve the primitive natural beauty of the site.

Wherever the name comes from, it is sacred to the locals. The elderly often remind their children to say no evil when they go to the mountain.

One good reason to visit Forbidden Mountain is the weather. As the mountain is covered with many kinds of trees, even fruit-trees, and wears an endless green color, it is blessed with cool weather round year. At sunrise and at sunset, the mountain looks like a water-color painting with mist covered forests under billowing white clouds.

A hike half way up this mountain brings trekkers to the cool waters of Long Thanh Mineral Spring. Farther up are ancient towers, pagodas and temples to be admired such as Van Linh Pagoda, Great Buddha Pagoda and Mitreya (Buddha) Statue.

Van Linh Pagoda is charming with its elaborate eight-story tower and curly roof. This quiet sanctuary is fronted by a flower garden and is surrounded by an endless eucalyptus forest.

Facing the pagoda is a 3.6-meter-high Mitreya (Buddha) Statue where tourists can catch a panoramic view of the area.

Great Buddha Pagoda is another place for tourists to enjoy a bit of silence. Another 50 meters up the mountain is Ngoc Hoang Temple where tourists can enjoy the endless green of the rice fields with a few red tiled-roofs thrown into the picture.

These pagodas offer a place to relax and nearby restaurants and coffee shops offer certain dishes and specialties. The view here is spectacular, with the valleys, white falls and smaller mountains below.

The final track of cow racing has held in Vinh Trung village, Tinh Bien district in An Giang province with much excitement and amazement on September 18th 2009. The play station was filled with 30.000 audiences with muddy and puddly racing track and amazing spirit. There are total 72 pairs of cows coming from Khmer ethnic minority in Tinh Bien, Tri Ton, Chau Thanh and Chau Phu districts of An Giang joining this special racing.

This is a traditional and featured festival in Bay Nui (Seven mountains) area which was held in the occasion of  Sen Dolta Festival (the 8th month according to lunar calendar annually) when the farmers finish sowing  the final crop ò the year.

Each pair of cows are tethered the harrow and managed by a man. Each competition includes 2 pairs, following direct elimination rule. They will race 3 rounds attractively and then try their best to reach the target.

More than 30.000 audiences gathered at Tho Mit station to witness this event, many do not mind climbing on the trees.

The track was muddy and puddly but the witnesses kept standing in the mud to not miss an exciting race.

Pairs of cows were accelerating to reach target.

The controller was very exciting even though the mud covered all his face.

One felt on the way.

A pair of cows plunging into the track.

Many photographers finding a nice point to take photos.

Audiences observing with much nervousness

The face after the race.