Lòng Tàu River, () also known as Lòng Tảo is a river in the

Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...

of Vietnam.

Description

Long Tau River is a

distributary A distributary, or a distributary channel is a stream channel that branches off and flows a main stream channel. It is the opposite of a ''tributary'', a stream that flows another stream or river. Distributaries are a result of river bifurc ...

of the

Đồng Nai river The Đồng Nai River ( ) is a river in Vietnam that originates in the Central Highlands region of the southern portion of the country. It is approximately 586 km in length, making it the longest river to be entirely located in Vietnam. It g ...

that runs through

Cần Giờ district Cần Giờ is a coastal suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City, in the Southeast region of Vietnam. The district is located 50 km from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. As of 2019, the district had an area of 704,45 km² and population of 71,526. Cần ...

and feeds into Gành Rái Bay from its eastern branch at . It branches out when it reaches

Nhơn Trạch district Nhơn Trạch is a rural district of Đồng Nai province in the Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography ...

, with the western branch becoming the Đồng Tranh River into Soài Rạp River while the eastern branch is a continuation of the Lòng Tàu. Due to its complex and windy path, a system of skeletal range light towers are stationed along the river to help ship navigate. The

Phước Khánh Bridge Phuoc Khanh Bridge (), is a bridge being constructed that aims to cross over the Lòng Tàu River, a distributary of the Saigon River and Đồng Nai River in Vietnam. Description Planning and Design Phuoc Khanh Bridge is being constructed as a ...

Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway The Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway, is an expressway under construction in Ho Chi Minh City, Long An province and Đồng Nai province, Vietnam, most of the route is part of Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 (stretch of Mỹ Yên – Vĩnh Thanh) ...

is currently under construction and will span the river Overall, it runs for 75 kilometers from where it splits from the Dong Nai River and continues into Ganh Rai Bay. It has an average depth of 15 meters, running along the

Cần Giờ Mangrove Forest Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve ( Vietnamese: ''Khu dự trữ sinh quyển rừng ngập mặn Cần Giờ'') or simply known as Mangrove Forest (''Rừng Sác'') is a wetland located at the eponymous coastal district that 40 km southeast a ...

before emptying out into the Ocean.

History

As one of the primary waterways between

Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

and the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

, the Long Tau River has played a prominent economic and military role in the region. Its strategic location has made it the host of prominent warships and military operations and many times a strategic target for both attack and defense. It currently connects to the Cai Mep deepwater port with a second container port in the works. The main route between Ho Chi Minh City and the Cai Mep terminal for vessels and barges is separately known as Long Tau Channel. As the case with many high-traffic rivers of the Mekong Delta, the banks of Long Tau River are lined with factories. There have been a number of shipwrecks on record, including the sinking of the Vietsun Integrity cargoship in 2019. Aside from a transport-focus waterway, the river also has had villages along its riverbanks, though there have been ongoing plans towards the economic development of the Can Gio communities. Despite its traffic, it remains a spot for fishermen.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Tau River Rivers of Ho Chi Minh City Rivers of Vietnam