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Hotels in Chau
Doc
Transportation
Chau
Doc is one of the main entry points from Vietnam
to Cambodia, and, along with Long Xuyen, one of
the key regional centres of the An Giang
province. As such, a there are a number of
different transportation options, both to other
cities within Vietnam, and also over the border
into Cambodia.
Using the
ferry to cross into Cambodia is quite an
experience!
This
Chau Doc Transportation Guide gives some
background information about getting to and from
the city, along with Long Xuyen, and also
getting around within the two places. You can
also use the local transportation options to get
to Nui Sam.
Chau Doc
Transportation Guide
Getting There & Away
Car /
Motorbike
The
bus station is located on Le Loi St., southwest
of the town. A regular bus line runs from Chau
Doc to Ho Chi Minh City's Mien Tay station
(about 6-7 hours), which includes two ferry
crossings. There are also buses from Chau Doc to
Long Xuyen (1.5 hours), Can Tho, and other
destinations throughout the Mekong Delta.
Unfortunately, there is no direct road from Chau
Doc to Ha Tien. To get there by car involves a
drive of about 8 hours via Rach Gia, or else by
boat ferry along the canal. The journey via
ferry is about 8 hours, and they run daily.
Chau
Doc is located 96km from Ha Tien, 117km from Can
Tho, 179km from My Tho and 245km from Ho Chi
Minh City (Saigon).
Boats /
Ferries
Boats across the Hau Giang River to Chau Giang
District leave from two separate docks. The
vehicle ferries depart from Chau Giang Ferry
Terminal, which is located at 419 Le Loi St.
Meanwhile, the smaller, more frequent passenger
ferries depart from FB Phu Hiep Ferry.
Getting Around
Xe
Dap Loi
Xe
Dap Loi drivers will take you anywhere, and are
the best, quickest and cheapest way of getting
around. You should have no problem finding them
- they'll find you! Be sure to negotiate a price
before starting your journey.
Festivals
Ghe
Ngo Festival - An Giang province
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Ghe Ngo
Festival |
According to the Khmer
people, the 15th day of the tenth lunar month marks
the end of their year. Khmer people in Vietnam's
southern Mekong Delta celebrate this event with
ceremonies, feasts and Ngo boat races.
On the Khmer New Year's
Eve, villagers gather in the grounds of their local
pagoda, in a treeless area. The moon is invited to
watch the ceremonies, which begin with the
construction of a bamboo archway, decorated with
leaves and flowers. Beneath this arch stands a table
on which villagers place offerings of bananas,
coconuts, sweet potatoes, cassava and, most
importantly, new sticky rice.
When the moon appears, an old man lights incense and
candles and prays to the Moon Deity. Following this
prayer, children kneel and raise their clasped hands
to the moon. The host of the ceremony places chunks
of sticky rice in the children's mouths, pats them
on the back and tells them to make a wish. These
wishes are said to foreshadow the fate of the
community in the coming year.
Following this ceremony, the festivities begin.
Lantern-rockets, made of paper and powered by
burning oil, careen into the air. Candles are lit
and the dripping wax, collected on banana leaves, is
used to predict the weather. Rafts made of banana
leaves are released on canals. And like at all
successful festivals, the rice wine flows freely.
The following day features Ghe Ngo (Ngo boat) races.
The long, slim boats, often made from the
hollowed-out trunk of a Sao tree, each hold about 50
men. Prior to the race, people place incense and
candles on the boats and, accompanied by a
traditional orchestra of gongs, perform various
ceremonies to choose the boats' captain and crew.
One man is chosen to sit on the prow, where he will
pray to the gods and entertain the rowers. The races
themselves are thrilling, as the rowers push
themselves to the limit, encouraged by the jubilant
cheers of the crowd.
Author:
Ben Thanh tourist
Ox - Race Festival of
the Khmer Ethnic Group - An Giang province
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Ox -
Race Festival |
Ox-race is a typical
sport of the Kho-Me ethnics in Bay Nui - An Giang
province. It is organized at (Don Ta) Festival from
the 9th to 10th of October every year. Don Ta is a
traditional great festival of the Khmer to
commemorate their forefathers.
the festival, the Khme
drift paper boats, organize x-race. Before the race,
a large area is chosen, (200 in long, 100 in wide,
with some water) and plowed and harrowed to make it
slippery. The area is protected by low walls, there
are safety gates for oxen. The race-way is 120 in
long, close to the walls. Starting-point is fixed
with two flags. The oxen that start from which color
have to arrive at the same one. Before the race, the
owners agree and draw lots to decide the
regulations. During the race, the oxen that do not
follow the race-way are decided to lose and those
that step op the scaffolding of others are decided
to win, the owner has to stand firm, if he falls
down from their scaffolding, he is decided to lose.
Before the race, the couples of oxen have to run
round the ground twice to the starting-point, the
owner, with 3cm long rod, touches the ox, getting
pained, the oxen run forwards. The faster the speed,
the more interesting is the race. Unlike the
horse-race, in horse-race, a man on the horse back
and the man to win is the first arrival. The race
starts in the early morning, the locals arrive at
the point earlier. Distant people come from the day
before, they bring with them food, foodstuffs only
to enjoy the whole race. There are no seats for
spectators, only a place to stand. The ground is
crowded, shouting, hand-clapping is heard all the
time, especially at heart-breaking, moments.
An Giang, a land of beautiful landscapes and
historic relics of which ox-race is typical one, not
only for the Khmer ethnics, but for the whole
community.
Author:
Vietnamtourism
Ba
Chua Xu Festival - An Giang province
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Ba Chua
Xu Festival - An Giang province |
The festival of Ba Chua
Xu (also called the Via Ba Ceremony) is held
annually from the 23rd night to the 27th day of the
4th lunar month. To go to the festival, head along
Road No.10 from Long Xuyen to Chau Doc. Sam Mountain
is 5 kilometers away from Chau Doc. Also, one can
take the waterway from Can Tho to Soc Trang, or from
Saigon directly.
On the night of April
23rd, there is a bathing and changing of robes
ceremony for the statue of Ba Chua. The bathing
water is scented and Ba Chua's old clothes are cut
into small pieces to distribute to visitors and
pilgrims. The small pieces of clothes are considered
lucky, keeping one in good health and driving away
evil spirits.
After this ceremony is the Tue Yet Rite, which
starts at midnight on the 25th and continues into
the early morning of the 26th. This rite petitions
Ba Chua's nomination to the heavens with an imposing
procession of dragon dances. The Imperial Sedan
Chair is taken to Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb for a chanting
ritual before being taken back to the shrine of Ba
Chua.
Author:
Vietnamtourism
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