Upon reaching the city, tourists will be taken to Huynh Thuy Le ancient house, an outstanding example of the combination of Eastern and Western architecture. The house was built in 1889 by Huynh Thuy Le who was the inspiration for the famous French writer Marguerite Duras to write her novel L’amant (The Lover). Le is the main character in the love story telling of Duras and Le’s first meeting on a ferry connecting Sa Dec and Vinh Long. The novel has been made into a successful film.

The house, covering about 250m², makes a fine impression with its elegant French architecture, traditional Vietnamese design and meticulous Chinese decorations and has been recognized as a national relic.

The next stop is Kien An Cung Pagoda, another national relic in the city. Built in 1920-1924, the pagoda is renowned for its elegant Chinese architecture. The pagoda wears a solid and imposing décor, attracting tourists with its sophisticated interior decorations and its peaceful, green outer yard. Tourists can burn incense here to pray for good health and good luck in the New Year.

The Sa Dec Flower Village has been famous for its variety of flowers and bonsai trees for over 100 years. The village, considered one of the ornamental plant centers of the southern region, covers about 60ha with 600 families and nearly 3,600 gardeners.

In January, this village is busy with the gardeners preparing for the Tet holidays. Sa Dec flowers, including daisies, roses, orchids, apricots and bonsai trees, are shipped all over the country, especially to HCMC.

The next day is a boat trip on the Co Chien River to An Binh Islet, an orchard covered oasis crossed by several rivulets. The islet is known for its Vinh Sang Tourist Area where tourists can ride an ostrich or hunt for crocodiles. The area also has 20 species of rare wild animals. Visitors can see bears, spotted deer, monkeys, pythons, pelicans and rabbits.

Ben Thanh Tourist
86 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1, HCMC
Tel: (84-8) 3520 2020