Dong Tam Snake Farm

Situated about 9km west of My Tho City, Dong Tam Snake Farm (also known as the
Medicinal Plants Cultivation and Research Centre of Military Zone 9) in Binh Duc Commune,
Chau Thanh District, Tien Giang Province is the largest centre for snake rearing and
snakebite treatment in the Cuu Long River Delta. It has long been an interesting tourist site
for domestic and foreign visitors.

Dong Tam Snake Farm was established on October 27, 1979 in an area full of mines and
barbed wire left by the US army. The farm has the tasks of doing scientific research, rearing
and conserving precious species of snakes, medicinal plants and animals, producing
traditional medicines and providing first aids and treatment for people who are bitten by
poisonous snakes in the region. Dong Tam Snake Farm has become a scientific center with
great achievements in curing people. In 1989 it was awarded the title “Labour Hero” by the
State.

The farm covers 12ha. It has separated areas to rear precious species of snakes, such as the
king cobras, burrowing cobras and ringhals, another to grow medicinal plants, a hospital for
snakebite treatment, a research department, an animal reserve and a snake museum.

Every year, about 30,000-40,000 domestic and foreign tourists visit Dong Tam Snake Farm.

King cobras, a very venomous elapid species classified in the “E” grade in Vietnam's Red
Book, are reared in Dong Tam Snake Farm.

Vipers are reared in a natural farming model.

Ran ho meo (Naja siamensis) are reared in a natural farming model.

We followed lieutenant-colonel Vu Ngoc Luong, Deputy Director of Dong Tam Snake Farm
when we visited the farm. We were horrified and also excited when we saw the cobras
nearly 4 meters in length and 18-20kg in weight lying curled up with an upright flattened
head and sparkling eyes. They seemed to be preparing to attack us. The cobras are a
venomous elapid species. They are considered the “king” of the snakes and are classified in
the “E” grade in Vietnam’s Red Book. They crawl as fast as the clouds floating in the wind so
they are called cloud tigers. Each year the cobras deliver only a one baby snake. At present,
Dong Tam Snake Farm has about 200 parent cobras and many young snakes from 3 months
to a year of age.

The cobras are a precious and venomous species. They are classified in the “T” grade and
protected by the State. One gram of their venom can kill 160 people with an average weight
of 60kg. Another elapid species which mainly lives in the mountainous and midland areas
can eject their venom 1.4-1.6 meters away, so visitors should stay far away from them. The
vipers always lurk in green leaves. They look gentle and slow but when they are in danger,
they strike as fast as lightning. The venom of this species will rupture the blood vessels,
causing a cardiac collapse that makes the victim die.

On average, each year, the centre receives over 1,000 victims of poisonous snakes. In 2005
it received over 10 billion VND from the State, ministries and sectors to build an emergency
ward with facilities, machines and equipment for snakebites treatment. Since March, 2006,
the patients here have been treated free of charge. Over the past decades the centre has
saved the lives of thousands of people bitten by venomous snakes. It has a team of experts
and qualified physicians with experience in snakebite treatment. The centre also extracts
the venom of the king cobras and vipers to produce medicines and serums for snakebite
treatment and it also grows Vietnamese medicinal plants. It has hundreds of categories of
medicines for different diseases, from influenza and headache to heart, liver and stomach
diseases.

The snake museum of the Dong Tam Snake Farm has been recognized as the first snake
museum in Vietnam by the Vietnam Centre for Records Book.

Samples of Copperhead Rat Snakes.

Samples of kraits.

The certificate of records of the Dong Tam Snake Museum.

Dong Tam Snake Farm is a unique site in the My Tho-Thoi Son Isle-Dong Tam Snake Farm
tour. At the farm the tour guide will help visitors learn about each species of snakes, their
characteristics and physiology, how to distinguish venomous and non-venomous snakes so
that they can survive when bitten by the snakes. Here, visitors seem to be lost in a kingdom
of hundreds of species of snakes. There are many snakes winding themselves around the
branches. Visitors also have an opportunity to see many rare and precious species of
amphibians, such as pythons, crocodiles and turtles which are in danger of extinction in
Vietnam. Dong Tam Snake Farm has a museum with over 40 specimens of snakes which
have been listed in Vietnam’s record book. This is the first snake museum in Vietnam.

Besides learning about the snakes, visitors will enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the fruit
gardens which are reminiscent of a peaceful countryside. Every year, about 30,000-40,000
domestic and foreign tourists visit this area.

Welcome to My Tho
Gateway to the Mekong Delta, My Tho is the capital of Tien Giang province and an
important market town – although for the famous floating markets, you’ll need to continue
on to Can Tho.
My Tho's proximity to HCMC means it's a popular day-trip destination for
a taste of river life: a flotilla of boats tour the local islands and their cottage
industries daily, though many bypass the town itself. The riverfront makes
for a pleasant stroll and the town, including the lively market (Ð Trung
Trac), is easily explored on foot.
My Tho was founded in the 1680s by Chinese refugees fleeing Taiwan after
the fall of the Southern Ming dynasty. The economy is based on tourism,
fishing and the cultivation of rice, coconuts, bananas, mangoes, longans
and citrus fruit.

A tour of Thoi Son isle in Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang

Endowed with the charming natural scenery, Thoi Son isle in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang now
becomes an ecotourism site. However, few people know that today’s Thoi Son is thanks to the endless efforts of
local people to develop the isolated isle into one of the region’s go-to destinations.

Thoi Son isle, also called Lan or unicorn islet, covers more than 10 square kilometres in My Tho city. This island
is not just a well-known attraction in the Mekong River Delta, but also a famous growing fruit area with the
population of about 6,000 people. The island receives alluvial from Tien River. Here naturally beautiful scenery
converges upon the cultural identities of the southern region.

Thoi Son is now a must-see destination in the south, thanks to local residents’ efforts to use the area’s natural
features to develop tourism.
“When I moved to get married, this area was submerged under water,” Do Thi Tu, a boatwoman in Thoi Son
tourism site said, adding that water level even reached the house ceiling. “Since tourism has gained popularity,
many people have come here to earn a living through offering tourism services,” she said.

Thoi Son is considered a green tourism area and welcomes more than 400,000 tourists every year, including
300,000 from abroad.

Nor Suriani Razak, a Malaysian tourist who was curious to explore Vietnam after so many of his friends told him
about the waterway tours around the country. “Sure enough, I’m impressed by the waterway scenery and food
here, especially the fruits,” he said.

Tourists can experience the waterway scenery of the Mekong Delta by taking a trip on a sampan, one of the
typical vehicles in the southern region.

Raised by the silts of the Tien river, Thoi Son is able to grow groves of luxuriant fruit trees.

Visiting the gardens here means appreciating southern fruit specialties, sipping a cup of warm tea, and enjoying
“Don ca tai tu”, or amateur singing, one of Vietnam’s intangible cultural heritage features recognised by
UNESCO.

Le Van Son, a local farmer, said his fruit garden receives hundreds of visitors both from home and abroad. “To
lure visitors, we have improved our service quality, offered more fresh fruits as well as Don ca tai tu tunes,”
according to Son.

Some traditional handicrafts associated with tourism are booming here. Particularly, bee-keeping always attracts
the attention of tourists, tasting the special honey sweetness.

For Nguyen Anh Tuan, a tourist from Hanoi, a tour to Thoi Son left deep impression on him. “It is unforgettable.
Despite stopping for a while, I feel how considerate the local people are, they’re not too focused on the profits
from offering services,” Tuan said.

Traditional coconut candy-making also intrigues visitors who cannot resist the fragrant aroma of freshly-made
candy.

Tourism has been further boosted on the isle since Rach Mieu bridge opened, connecting Tien Giang with Ben
Tre province.

Tourism here has generated more jobs for local people. Dozens of stopovers and souvenir shops have been
opened, helping improve locals’ income and living standards. Thanks to tourism, many of the previously poor
islanders have jobs and have gradually stabilised their life.

It takes about one hour to get here from Ho Chi Minh City. Its close proximity to the southern hub offers high
potentials for Thoi Son to become a major tourism site in the Mekong Delta.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has proposed the Government recognise Thoi Son and Tan
Long isles as national tourism areas.

Overall, what has most impressed visitors is the hospitality of locals along with fresh fruits and Don ca tai tu
tunes.

Con Phung Island - The Island of Coconut Monk

Con Phung Island is part of Ben Tre Province and is across the Mekong River from My Tho.
Located 12km by road from Ben Tre but just about 30 minutes by boat from My Tho, Con Phung
Island is a place where visitors can see the holy land of the Coconut Congregation with its
original architectural works as well as witness the simple way of life in Mekong Delta region.

Con Phung Island is part of Ben Tre Province and is across the Mekong River from My Tho.
Located 12km by road from Ben Tre but just about 30 minutes by boat from My Tho, Con Phung
Island is a place where visitors can see the holy land of the Coconut Congregation with its
original architectural works as well as witness the simple way of life in Mekong Delta region.

History
Con Phung Island also has another name as Dao Dua, which is derived from a monk who lived
and meditated on the island for three years during which he ate nothing but coconuts. As an
believer of archiving the reunification of Vietnam by peace, he founded his own sect and pray
with his own region which was a bizarre mix of Christianity and Buddhism and called the Coconut
Religion. Here remains the ruins of the 1500 square metre complex he built, including the
platform with nine columns with dragon carvings where he used to meditate and congregate with
his followers.

A rustic appealing
Most of the villagers live mainly on making furniture with materials from coconut trees. As every
commune in Ben Tre, the coconut metropolis, the daily life of local people here is associated with
coconut. Locals make dozens of handmade products from jewelry to household items such as
baskets, chopsticks, spoons, etc. from stems, fibers and leaves of coconut. Here one can have
the opportunity to witness the process of making coconut candy right under the thatched roofs of
local house, where locals integrate home, social lives with their cottage industry together and out
in the open. Along narrow canals, there are all kinds of delicious Southern fruit such as jackfruit,
saboche, grapefruit, orange, mango hanged invitingly here and there. Visitors can also sample
the savory coconut candies as much as they like, drink tea made from honey bees and longan
flower, visit crocodile garden, or even recline on a hammock in a shady garden. Dong Thap
offers diverse tourism products

Located in the Mekong Delta region, Dong Thap province has numerous sites of interest with
diverse tourism products and services, each with its own appeal.

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A highlight in the local tourism map is Dong Sen Thap Muoi (lotus field) in Thap Muoi district

Most popular tourist attractions could be named as Tram Chim national park, Xeo Quyt relic site,
Gao Giong and Dong Sen Thap Muoi eco-tourism sites, Sa Dec flower village, and dozens of
community-based and homestay destinations.

Tram Chim national park is considered the “green lung” of the Mekong Delta, spanning more
than 7,300 hectares in Tam Nong district. It is home to 250 species of water birds, 100 species of
freshwater fish and 190 species of plants. It is the fourth Ramsar site (Wetlands of International
Importance) in Vietnam and the 2000th in the world.

Director of the park Le Hoang Long said visitors can join tours to try their hands at daily activities
of local farmers such as catching fish using nets and harvesting wild rice. They can also visit
birds in their breeding season.

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Birds flock to Tram Chim National Park.

Located in Cao Lanh district, Xeo Quyt relic site used to be a revolutionary base during the
resistance wars against France and the US. Visiting the boundless cajeput forest in the Plain of
Reeds (Dong Thap Muoi) by boat is really an interesting excursion.

Gao Giong ecotourism area in Cao Lanh district is known as a “green oasis” with marvelous
natural scenery. The mangrove forest in Gao Giong is the habitat of many species of water birds
such as whistling ducks, wild ducks, and white egrets. Visiting the bird sanctuary in the early
morning or late afternoon would be a wonderful experience for any nature lovers.

A highlight in the local tourism map is Dong Sen Thap Muoi (lotus field) in Thap Muoi district.
Visitors could join numerous activities like sailing a boat to pick lotuses, going fishing, and tasting
dishes made from lotus.

Another must-see destination is Sa Dec flower village in Sa Dec city, which is regarded as a land
of hundreds of uncanny flowers and strange herbs. With the aim of becoming a flower city in the
southern region, Sa Dec has launched a green tourism model at the flower village housing more
than 2,000 flora species across 470 hectares.
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Sa Dec flower village

Besides the aforesaid attractions, many households in the province have spent big on
community-based tourism development and homestay services.

Tourists could engage in various activities such as picking fruits at the local orchards, bathing in
pond, playing wire-walker through river, and catching fish.

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ngo Quang Tuyen
said the locality will focus on developing ecotourism, farming experience tourism, and culture,
historical and spiritual tourism.

In 2017, Dong Thap welcomed over 3.3 million tourists, earning 684 billion VND (30.3 million
USD) in revenue, showing a year-on-year increase of 178 percent and 215 percent respectively.-
VNA