Mekong River Delta: History, Weather and Best Time to Visit

Where is Location of Mekong River Delta?

Mekong River Delta, also known as Cuu Long Delta, is the southernmost part of Vietnam. It is located to the southeast of Cambodia, is the most fertile land and has the largest population in Vietnam with about 20 millions people. The Mekong Delta includes 13 cities and provinces: Ho Chi Minh City. Can Tho, An Giang, Dong Thap, Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang.

History of the Mekong River Delta:

The Mekong Delta is the cradle of the Oc Eo culture that flourished from the 1^st to the 7^th Centires AD. This culture is distributed mainly in the low-lying area west of the Hau River, including the provinces of An Giang, Kien Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Bac Lieu… and a part of Southeast Cambodia.

Since the 17th century, Mekong Delta was the mash land of Khmer People. And has a history of exploration, starting under the Nguyen Lords, the lords organized the initial administrative units on this land, then gradually expanded until about By the middle of the 18th century, control of the whole plain was completed. The administrative division and arrangement have changed many historical periods.

In 1714, Lord Nguyen appointed a Chinese native from Loi Chau, Guangdong province to be the General of Ha Tien town. According to the book Hoang Viet Giap Ty, in the year of the Rat year 1708, Lord Minh Vuong gave Mac Cuu the position of General of Ha Tien.

In 1757, he received from King Chan Lap two lands Tra Vinh and Ba Thac and Tam Phong Long area. Nguyen Cu Trinh submitted to Lord Nguyen to move Long Ho palace to Tam Bao country. He moved from Sa Dec to make Dong Khau religion, from Cu Lao in Tien Giang to become Tan Chau, and from Chau Doc to Hau Giang, he made Chau Doc. Over half a century (1698-1757), the Nguyen lords had finished setting up administrative bases throughout the South.

In 1779, Nguyen Anh divided the boundaries of 3 palaces Tran Bien (Bien Hoa), Phien Tran (Gia Dinh) and Long Ho (Vinh Long, An Giang). Take the land of My Tho and set it as Truong Don palace, for the headquarters of Giong Cai Yen.

in 1808, Gia Dinh citadel governs 5 towns in the south, namely Phien An (old Phien Tran), Bien Hoa (old Tran Bien), Dinh Tuong (old Tran Dinh), Vinh Thanh (former Vinh Tran) and Ha Tien, and also manage more. Binh Thuan town in the north of Bien Hoa. In which, the whole town of Dinh Tuong, Vinh Thanh, Ha Tien and part of Phien An town belong to the present day Mekong Delta region.

In 1831, the whole country of Dai Nam has 30 provinces and 1 government of Thua Thien. Cochinchina is divided into 6 provinces, so it is called Nam Ky Luc province or Luc province. Those are the provinces: Phien An, in 1836 changed to Gia Dinh (the provincial capital is Saigon), Bien Hoa (the provincial capital). is Bien Hoa province), Dinh Tuong (province capital is My Tho city) in the East; Vinh Long (the provincial capital is Vinh Long province), An Giang (the provincial capital is Chau Doc city) and Ha Tien (the provincial capital is Ha Tien city) in the West.

On February 17, 1859, the French invaded Gia Dinh citadel. In 1861, the French colonialists captured Gia Dinh province and on April 12, 1861, finished occupying Dinh Tuong province. However, it was not until December 18, 1861, that the French captured Bien Hoa province (today in the Southeast region).

On June 5, 1862, the Hue court had to sign the Treaty of Nham Tuat ceding to the French 3 provinces in the Southeast region of Cochinchina, namely Bien Hoa, Gia Dinh and Dinh Tuong. In 1867, the French violated the “peace treaty”, bringing troops to occupy 3 provinces in the western region of Cochinchina, Vinh Long, An Giang and Ha Tien. After that, the French colonialists abolished the ruling style as well as the division of administrative boundaries of the old district of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Population of Mekong River Delta, Vietnam:

Residents in the Mekong Delta are now mainly Vietnamese, indigenous Khmer people living mainly in Tra Vinh province, Soc Trang province and An Giang province. There are still Chinese of equal size in Kien Giang and Tra Vinh provinces, some migrating to the late Ming and early Qing periods recruited by Mac Cuu.

Weather and Climate in Mekong Delta Vietnam:

The Weather and Climate in Mekong Delta has both the southwest and northeast monsoons. Mekong Delta temperature is hot all year round with the temperatures fluctuating between 25 and 28°C. There are a few days of the year that the temperature in the delta falls below 20°C .

In general, there are two main seasons in the Mekong Delta: the dry season and the rainy season. Wet season floods and dry season saline intrusion are two of the main hydrologic problems of the Delta. These also affected to travel experiences of tourists. Below we go into details to see what pros and cons of visiting Mekong Delta in each season.

• Dry Season (from November to April):

The dry season in Mekong Delta lasts from November to April. With February to May time being a little bit hotter and more humid, with less rain. Dry season is considered as the preferred travel time. During this time, the flow in the river is insufficient. That is to prevent saline intrusion and extensive salinization of waterways happens in the lower Delta. The entire Ca Mau peninsula of the Delta is salinized for about 6 months during dry months. Because there is insufficient freshwater flow in the river to displace saline intrusion from the southwestern area of the Delta.

• Rainy Season (from May to early November):

The wet or rainy season is from May to early November, with the highest rainfall level in July and August. The rain comes in short. But heavy showers, happens mostly in the afternoon and just lasts for one hour or so.

It is said that the climatic factors of the area are very suitable for developing almost all types of agriculture. The weather is great for intensification and cultivation. Even during the wet season from May to early November, Mekong Delta can be visited too.

Historical Monthly Average Climate & Weather Conditions in Mekong Delta.

Best Time to visit Mekong Delta of Vietnam:

The best time to Travel to Mekong Delta for good weather is the months between September and November. It is the floating season in the Mekong Delta. When the water from upstream of the Mekong River flows into the two upstream rivers of Dong Thap and An Giang provinces, creating a flood. The weather is comfortable, and the rainfall is low. Visiting the Delta this time, you do not have to worry about the rain as it rarely happens. You can also can take part in many interesting outdoor activities. Such as biking to the countryside, visiting local people, joining cooking classes, go fishing…

Besides the flooding season, summertime is also a great time to visit this region. June, July, and August are in fruit season. Then you can have chance to enjoy more kinds of tropical fruits growing here. Visiting the fruit garden this time, you can enjoy the best fruits such as durian, pomelo, mango, tangerine, and grapefruit.

See More Useful Articles for Mekong Travel:

• Mekong River Delta – Best Things to Do and Places to Visit