Annotated links for Mekong Delta travel
Provinces · An Giang
An Giang: Chau Doc to Ha Tien, now one province
The new An Giang joins the old An Giang and Kien Giang provinces, from the Cambodian border at Chau Doc to the coast at Ha Tien and Rach Gia, with Phu Quoc as a special zone. Here are its official portals and the places and festivals that have their own official or press source.
- largest province in the delta
- 9,888.91 km²
- UNESCO lists the Ba Chua Xu festival
- 4 Dec 2024
- special zones: Phu Quoc, Tho Chau, Kien Hai
- 3
The new province in one paragraph
Under Resolution 202/2025/QH15, An Giang and Kien Giang became a single province named An Giang, covering 9,888.91 km² and 4,952,238 people — the largest of the delta's new units. It includes three island special zones: Phu Quoc, Tho Chau and Kien Hai. Chau Doc, Long Xuyen, Rach Gia and Ha Tien remain the names travellers use for its towns.
Sources: Dai bieu Nhan dan — Resolution 202/2025/QH15, full text, 12 Jun 2025; Sai Gon Giai Phong — Phu Quoc becomes a special zone, 1 Jul 2025 · checked .
Official links for An Giang
| Link | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|
| dulich.angiang.gov.vn | Tourism portal of the provincial Department of Tourism; strongest on Ha Tien, Rach Gia, U Minh Thuong and Phu Quoc | Official · loaded 12 Oct 2026 |
| svhtt.angiang.gov.vn | Department of Culture and Sports; festival announcements, including Sam Mountain | Official · loaded 12 Oct 2026 |
| angiang.gov.vn | Provincial government portal | Official · did not load for our checker 12 Oct 2026 |
| angiangtourism.vn | An Giang Tourism Association, merged with the Kien Giang association in October 2025 | Association · loaded 12 Oct 2026 |
| UNESCO listing | UNESCO page for the Sam Mountain festival | Official · loaded 12 Oct 2026 |
Sources: Du lich An Giang — about the portal; An Giang Tourism Association · checked .
Sam Mountain and the Ba Chua Xu festival
The festival of the Lady of the Realm (Via Ba Chua Xu) at Sam Mountain, near Chau Doc, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 4 December 2024. The province's Department of Culture and Sports gives its dates as the 22nd to the 27th day of the 4th lunar month; some press reports start the count on the 23rd, with the main rites on the 25th.
In 2026 the opening ceremony was held on the evening of 6 June at the Sam Mountain National Tourist Area in Vinh Te ward, organised by the provincial People's Committee. The department's notice says the festival draws millions of pilgrims and visitors each year, so book rooms in Chau Doc early.
Sources: UNESCO — Festival of Ba Chua Xu at Sam Mountain; Tuoi Tre — UNESCO inscription of the Sam Mountain festival, 4 Dec 2024; An Giang Department of Culture and Sports — 2026 festival opening, 10 Jun 2026; Viet Nam News — Southern festival wins UNESCO recognition, 5 Dec 2024 · checked .
Ha Tien, Rach Gia and U Minh Thuong on the tourism portal
Most of the place pages on the provincial tourism portal cover the former Kien Giang side. The ones below loaded on 12 October 2026. They are short, in Vietnamese, and useful mainly for the official name and address of each site.
| Place | Official page | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Thach Dong grotto, Ha Tien | portal page | Cave temple on a limestone outcrop |
| Dong Ho lagoon, Ha Tien | portal page | Lagoon on the edge of town |
| Binh San hill relic site, Ha Tien | portal page | Tombs of the Mac family |
| Mui Nai, Ha Tien | portal page | Beach and headland on the Gulf of Thailand |
| Kien Giang museum house, Rach Gia | portal page | Building inaugurated in 1920, 27 Nguyen Van Troi |
| U Minh Thuong National Park | portal page | Peat-swamp forest; Ramsar site |
Sources: An Giang tourism portal — destinations; VietnamPlus — U Minh Thuong National Park, 20 Dec 2019 · checked .
Oc Eo – Ba The: a World Heritage candidate
The Oc Eo – Ba The archaeological site, a special national relic covering over 453 ha with 16 component sites, is the remains of a port city of the Funan period. The dossier for World Heritage listing was submitted to UNESCO on 29 January 2026; an ICOMOS evaluation mission visited from 17 to 24 August 2026, and a decision is expected at the World Heritage Committee in mid-2027. There is no separate visitor website that we could open; the press report below is the clearest current source.
Sources: Bao Van Hoa — Oc Eo – Ba The World Heritage dossier, 11 Jul 2026 · checked .
The Bay Nui bull race
The Bay Nui bull race grew out of the Khmer Sene Dolta festival after the harvest. The 31st edition was announced for 10 October 2026 (the 1st day of the 9th lunar month) at the bull-race field in An Cu commune, in the Tho Mit pagoda area of the former Tinh Bien town. The 30th edition, on 20 September 2025 at Tri Ton, drew 64 pairs of bulls.
Sources: Dong Thap tourism portal — 31st Bay Nui bull race notice, 1 Oct 2026; Sai Gon Giai Phong — 30th Bay Nui bull race, 20 Sep 2025 · checked .
When these links will not help
The tourism portal has few pages for the Chau Doc side: we found no official page for the Tra Su cassia forest or for Sam Mountain itself, only the festival notices. For those, press reports and the companies that run trips are the practical sources.
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and are confirmed late, sometimes only days ahead. Do not book around a date copied from a previous year. For the boat to Phnom Penh, ignore third-party timetables and go to the operator's site, listed on the transport operators page.
Sources: Doanh nghiep Hoi nhap — Tra Su forest, 23 Oct 2024 · checked .
Photos
Common questions
Questions readers send
When is the Ba Chua Xu festival at Sam Mountain?
It runs late in the 4th lunar month. The province gives the 22nd to the 27th day; some press reports start on the 23rd. In 2026 the opening ceremony was on 6 June.
Is Phu Quoc in An Giang now?
Yes. Since 1 July 2025 Phu Quoc has been a special zone of An Giang province, together with Tho Chau and Kien Hai.
Is Oc Eo a World Heritage Site?
Not yet. The dossier went to UNESCO in January 2026, and a decision is expected in mid-2027.
Related
Read next
Provinces · Can Tho city
Can Tho
Can Tho city with former Soc Trang and Hau Giang: tourism portal, Cai Rang, Khmer pagodas, Ok Om Bok.
Directory · Festivals
Festivals and events
Lunar and fixed-date festivals across the delta, each linked to the notice or report that dated it.
Directory · Nature and heritage
Parks and museums
National parks, Ramsar wetlands, relic sites and museums, each with its official page and check date.
Directory · Transport
Transport operators
Bus, boat and air operators serving the delta, one line each, with official websites and check dates.
Directory · Official
Official sources
National tourism and immigration bodies plus each new province's government and tourism portal, with check dates.
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