Can Tho is the biggest city in South Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, with an estimated population of 1.5 million. The name Can Tho comes from “cầm thi giang” – river of poems. It is also referred to as “Tay Do” meaning “Western capital”. The city is famous for its floating markets, Buddhist pagodas, delicious food, fresh fruits and friendly, welcoming people. Can Tho’s bustling port is the busiest in the delta.
The region was known as Khmer Krom (lower Khmer, or lower Cambodia) to the Khmer Empire, which likely maintained settlements there centuries before its rise in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Today, the Mekong Delta makes up 47% of Vietnam’s land used for cultivating crops; more than northern and central Vietnam combined. Most of this is used for rice cultivation, and the regions rice making capacity is approximately 54.8% of Vietnam’s total output. The Mekong Delta is also Vietnam’s most important fishing region, with just under half of Vietnam’s offshore fishing vessels.
Life in the Mekong Delta revolves much around the river, and many of the villages are often accessible by rivers and canals rather than by road.
During our visit in Can Tho, we photographed the Fong Dien Floating Market, a chaotic, picturesque marketplace with hundreds vendors in boats buying and selling everything from bananas and coconuts to freshly slaughtered pork and sugar cane and the land based, Can Tho Market. Other photo shoots included the Munirangsyaram Khmer Pagoda where about 30 monks reside.
We also spent a fair amount of time in the late afternoon panning bicyclists and motorbikes as they drove along Can Tho’s waterfront promenade.
I really enjoyed this group of shots. I hope the tour is going well!
The first image is outstanding.Congrats my friend!
Karl, You are the master of light!
Thanks Darrell, I really appreciate your kind words! Anxious to travel and photograph with you again soon in the Philippines!
Thanks Celso!
Hello,
I would like to inquire about a private photography tour in the Can Tho area, for 1 person, for 1/2 day in the morning of 27 February. I would happy to see if I could leave it to your photography guide to help decide the best places to see with the best light situations, less visited sites or “hidden gems” and photographic.
Thank you