Chau Doc Hotel Vietnam Accommodation - Reservation Hotels
Guide
Chau Doc (population 80,000) is an important trading and marketing center
for the surrounding countryside. Until the mid-18th century this region
was part of Cambodia. There is still a large Khmer population and the
largest Cham settlement in the Delta. The Chau Doc district is also the
seat of the 1 - 1.5 million followers of the Hoa Hao religion, founded
in 1939 at the village of Hoa Hao.
There are numerous interesting temples here, especially at Nui Sam and
at Ba Chuc there is a temple and ossuary containing the remains of 2,500
Khmer Krom massacred by the Khmer Rouge in September 1978.
Market
A large market selling fresh produce and black market goods smuggled in
from Thailand spreads from the riverfront down and along Le Cong Thanh
Doc, Phu Thu, Bach Dang and Chi Lang streets.
Nui Sam (Sam Mountain)
Three miles (5 km) southwest of Chau Doc is a rocky hill is literally
honeycombed with sanctuaries, tombs, and temples. Most visitors come only
to see Tay An Pagoda, Lady Chua Xu Temple, and the Tomb of Thoai Ngoc
Hau, but walk right up to the top of the hill where you can get a good
view of the surrounding countryside. From here you can appreciate that
this is some of the most productive land in Vietnam.
Chau Phu Temple
This temple was built in 1926 for locals to worship Thoai Ngoc Hau, the
man responsible for building the nearby Chau Doc Canal which defines the
border with Cambodia.
Catholic Church
The small Catholic church in Chau Doc was constructed in 1920. It's located
on 459 Lien Tinh Lo 10, just near the FB Phu Hiep ferry terminal. Masses
are held each day on 5 am and 5 pm as well as Sunday at 7 am and 4 pm.
Chau Giang Mosque
Take a ferry across the Hau River from the Chau Giang terminal in town
to visit the mosque which serves the district's Cham Muslim community.
Hoa Hao
It was here, 12 miles (20 km) east of Chau Doc, that Huynh Phu So founded
an influential indigenous religion that attempted to rid Buddhism of its
pagodas and clergy. After WW II, the Hoa Hao community created an anti
Marxist political party called Don Xa, which led to Huynh Phu So's assassination
by the Viet Minh. After 1975, the Communists clamped down on the Hoa Hao
and the sect lost much of its influence.
|
