ENGLISH RHETORIC.

TOPIC: Introducing An Giang's hometown, historical beauty, nature, specialties, and

people.
“Dòng An Giang sông sâu nước biếc,
Dòng An Giang cây xanh lá thắm,”
Oh! Hello everyone who is watching this video clip. I'm Khang from Talking with Khang
channel and I am studying in class 11C1 of Binh My high school. I just sang a little part of the
song “Giòng An Giang” by the late musician Thu Viet Anh. The song makes listeners imagine
the image of the charming countryside of An Giang with pure, simple and poetic lyrics. And I
am delighted to be here today to tell you about my hometown An Giang.
I’ll start with some general information about geographical features, An Giang is a province
in southern Viet Nam and is located to the west of the Mekong Delta between the Tien and Hau
rivers. The East and Northeast borders on Dong Thap Province, the Northwest borders on the
Kingdom of Cambodia with a border of nearly 100 km, the South and Southwest borders on
Kien Giang Province, the South East borders on Can Tho Province.
There are 2 main types of terrain in An Giang: plain and mountainous. The low mountains are
Bay Nui (Seven Mountains) in Tinh Bien and Tri Ton districts. Most of An Giang is fairly flat by
alluvial sediments and is crisscrossed by many canals and small rivers. This terrain has led to An
Giang being a significant agricultural center, producing significant quantities of rice. Like other
places in Mekong Delta, An Giang is located in the tropical monsoon climate region with two
distinct seasons (rainy season from May to November, dry season from December to April next
year). The basic climate is favorable for agricultural development.
The name An Giang was born starting from the administrative reform of King Minh Mang in
1832 when 12 provinces were established from the towns in the South. In the past, this was a
new land, the Vietnamese migrants moving southwards to reclaim their business.
An Giang has a population of over 2.4 million people, including four main ethnic groups
consisting of Kinh, Cham, Chinese, and Khmer, who have happily loved together for many
generations, cultivating this fertile land together. It is the province with the largest population in
the Mekong Delta and the 8th province in terms of population.
Part of An Giang lies in the Long Xuyen quadrangle which suffers a lot of natural disaster.
However, this is also advantageous to make fertile soil for this land. As a province located at the
headwaters of the Mekong Delta, the source of fresh water is abundant, so it is convenient to
develop agriculture, An Giang has become a province in the Key Economic Zone of the Mekong
Delta. Rice production is over 4 million tons, ranking first in the country. An Giang is not only a
province of rice production, but is also famous for traditional handicraft villages such as Tan
Chau Silk, and Cham and Khmer jewelry. Other local distinctions are the Cho Thu carpentry
village in Cho Moi, delicious dried fish and “mắm” in Chau Doc Town, and villages where fish
are raised in boathouses.
An Giang is a province with specific characteristics, both plain, mountainous forests, mineral
resources, and historical sites bearing the mark of an ancient wet-rice culture. Therefore, An
Giang is considered as a land with rich potential for tourism, especially ecotourism, relaxation,
sightseeing, and pilgrimage tourism.
Sam Mountain’s Lady Festival is one of the most unique festivals in the Mekong Delta Region.
The Temple was simply built with bamboo in the late 19th century. In 1972, the temple was
rebuilt with massive and majestic architecture. Since 2000, Sam Mountain’s Lady Festival has
been certified as a National Festival. In the 4th lunar month each year, people across the country
converge there to worship Sam Mountain’s Lady and wish for a peaceful life and a healthy
harvest.
Not far from the Lady’s Temple is Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb. He was the first man in Nguyen’s
reign to farm, establish settlements, and dig 2 important channels. These channels have a
significant role in the economy and defense of people throughout the Mekong Delta.
The Bay Nui Cow Racing Festival is a sports activity of farmers, which is held annually on the
occasion of the Donta Festival. Donta Festival is a Khmer ceremony that honors ancestors. At
the festival, Mekong Delta residents and tourists flock to converge in An Giang to be immersed
in a passionate and exciting atmosphere. You will be strongly impressed by the water run of the
mighty cows, controlled by smart and clever Khmer farmers of Bay Nui. For many visitors, this
is a special and unique destination in That Son that they will never forget.
When referring to That Son, we cannot help but mention Cam Mountain - the roof of the
Mekong Delta, with a cool climate, and pristine and mysterious beauty. You can find many
ancient temples on the mountain, such as the Great Buddha Pagoda, Van Linh Pagoda, as well as
the biggest Maitreya Buddha Statue in Vietnam. These attractions are not to be missed by
visitors to An Giang province.
It would be an oversight to visit An Giang, yet skip the Tra Su cajuput forest in Tinh Bien
District. The total area of Tra Su is 845 hectares, with 11 species of mammals, 22 species of
reptiles, 5 species of amphibians, and 70 species of birds. In particular, two kinds of birds in Tra
Su Forest are of particular interest: the painted stork and the darter. Ancient cajuput, green
duckweed, and the beauty of flowers and birds give visitors a feeling of peace and relaxation.
Chau Giang Weaving Village: The art of weaving on handlooms is alive and well in the village
of Chau Giang. The village is home to Muslim Cham. They have kept up the craft of weaving in
the traditional Cham way, producing beautifully patterned scarves and other textiles which make
for a great souvenirs.
With so many rivers, streams, and ponds, fish and shrimp are plentiful in An Giang as are
products made from fish and shrimp. For true foodies, this opens up a whole host of umami
flavors including fish sauce (the staple that defines Vietnamese cooking) and “mam”, fermented
fish and shrimp made much in the way as fish sauce, but over a shorter period of time, leaving
much of the flesh intact. This “mam” is the base for everything from hot pots to dipping sauces
and you can find mounds of it at the colorful Chau Doc Market.
From Long Xuyên city, across the golden fields of rice and the majestic Thoai Giang River, we
will go to Oc Eo town, which archaeologists consider the "navel" – the center of civilization and
culture of Oc Eo. Arriving at the ancient Oc Eo City, and catching the sight of the Four Hands
Buddha and Four Finger Tree, visitors feel like they have traveled back in time-immersing
themselves in the atmosphere of the historic Phu Nam land, once a powerful kingdom of South
East Asia.
There are many other destinations that you can’t resist whenever coming to An Giang; especially
My Hoa Hung Island, the Historical Area of President Ton Duc Thang – an important figure in
Vietnam’s recent history and my hometown – An Giang. There is also Tuc Dup Hill – a symbol
of patriotism and the undaunted spirit of An Giang’s people in the struggle for independence and
freedom for Vietnam. There are also bustling economic border zones that are not to be missed, as
well as boat-house villages, which are like a city on the river.
Ladies and gentlemen, An Giang is a beautiful land, throughout the course of hundreds of years
of history. Generations of An Giang human gathered here have joined forces, worked hard to
create, bravely struggled with nature, and fought hard to build an increasingly rich and beautiful
homeland and weave precious traditions, typically patriotic and revolutionary traditions. As a
child born and raised on a land rich in love and the hometown of the outstanding hero Ton Duc
Thang - An Giang. I and other young people are always full of pride, passionate love for the
homeland and strive towards the goal of building An Giang to become a place worth living and
containing humanity. And right now, I am confidently saying that: I'm Ngô Thành Khang and I'm
come from An Giang.