Those choosing Vinh Long can organize their stay around three specific interests: the museum and architectural history, religious festivals, or an excursion to the nearby island of An Bình. The Vĩnh Long Museum is in the city center, next to a landing point for tourist boats on the Cổ Chiên River. Vĩnh Long Passenger Port began operations in October 2022 and was established as a point of arrival and departure for tourist passenger boats on inland waterways.
Museum and Places of Remembrance in the City
The Vĩnh Long Museum focuses on revolutionary history and the cultures of the Kinh, Hoa and Khmer peoples. The indoor exhibits also include a reconstructed old house dedicated to Hùng Vương. With more than 28,000 documents and artifacts, the museum preserves an extensive collection on the history and ethnic cultures of Vĩnh Long Province. This allows visitors to focus their museum visit on either political history or cultural traditions.
Another way to explore the city’s history is to visit Văn Thánh Miếu. The Confucian temple was completed in 1866. Its complex includes the Văn-Xương Pavilion, where Võ Trường Toản and Phan Thanh Giản are venerated. Confucian ceremonies for Khổng Tử, as well as for saints and scholars, are also held there annually. They take place on Đinh days in spring and autumn. Those interested in the Confucian tradition will find both a specific historical connection and a recurring religious and cultural event here.
Architecture and the Festival Calendar
Thất Phủ Miếu in District 5 is a religious architectural complex in the style of southern China. Craftspeople from Fujian built it between 1892 and 1909; in 1994, it was recognized as a national historic and cultural monument in the architectural category. The complex is arranged around a four-sided courtyard: the front hall, main sanctuary, and eastern and western wings form its sections. Connecting structures called “hà cầu” provide passage between them. The architecture thus tells not only of a style, but also of how its individual parts fit together.
The annual festival calendar at Thất Phủ Miếu includes commemorative days for Phước Đức Chánh Thần, Tam Nguyên and Tứ Quý. The Ông festival on the 13th day of the first and fifth lunar months and the year-end ceremony on the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month are especially prominent. The annual Xuân-tế-cầu-an festival at Công Thần Miếu also follows the lunar calendar. It lasts four days and nights, during which traditional rituals and folk activities continue. Công Thần Miếu is also recognized as a national historic and cultural monument.
The history of the former Hội-Đồng-Miếu includes 85 imperial decrees and a large portion of its sacred furnishings. The local community preserved them and temporarily housed them at Thiềng Đức village pagoda. This tradition adds the history of religious objects and their preservation to the story of temples and festival traditions.
Boat Trip to An Bình and Local Cuisine
An Bình Island, also known as Cù lao Minh, is in Long Hồ District, between the Tiền and Cổ Chiên rivers. The boat ride from Vinh Long takes about 30 minutes; river conditions and the departure point can affect the actual travel time. The island is home to Vinh Sang, which offers folk activities such as pond fishing, crossing a monkey bridge and boating. The operator’s program may change. This makes the excursion a distinct focus to plan around, rather than something to treat as part of the city sightseeing.
The local cuisine offers another distinctive experience: in District 1, Tài Có restaurant serves a traditional fish hotpot based on a family recipe. The dish has been well known for more than 20 years and is served with beef, shrimp, squid and local river vegetables. As restaurant operations may change, it is advisable to check the current offering before visiting.
For the broader travel overview: Vinh Long.
