Long Xuyên () is the capital city of
An Giang province
An Giang () is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the Mekong Delta, in the southwestern part of the country.
Geography
An Giang occupies a position in the upper reaches of the Mekong Delta. The Hậu Giang and Tiền Giang branches ...
, in the
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta ( vi, Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long, lit=Nine Dragon River Delta or simply vi, Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông, lit=Mekong River Delta, label=none), also known as the Western Region ( vi, Miền Tây, links=no) or South-weste ...
region of south-western
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
.
History
In 1789, a group of explorers established a small outpost in the Tam Khe canal, naming it Dong Xuyen. Sooner after a marketplace was created and named Long Xuyen, but by the 1860s the area become more well known by the Long Xuyen market than the official outpost's name. From 1877, the reach of Long Xuyen grew as the city's administration become responsible for an increasing number of neighborhoods and wards. It would not be until 1999 would Long Xuyen be designated as a formal city.
Geography
It is located approximately 1,950 km south of
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi i ...
, 189 km from
Ho Chi Minh City
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
, and 45 km from the
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
n border. The population of Long Xuyên city is over 368,376 (2013), with an area of approximately 106.87 km².
The city is subdivided to 13
commune-level subdivisions, including the
wards of:
Mỹ Bình,
Mỹ Long,
Mỹ Xuyên,
Bình Khánh,
Mỹ Phước,
Đông Xuyên,
Mỹ Quý,
Mỹ Thạnh,
Mỹ Thới,
Bình Đức,
Mỹ Hòa and the
rural communes of
Mỹ Hòa Hưng and
Mỹ Khánh.
Economy
As a major urban hub within the rural Mekong River Delta region, Long Xuyen is adjacent to major agricultural operations. With a major docking station in the middle of the city and rivers cutting throughout its landscape, the city connects the residents of the provinces of An Giang, Dong Thap, and Kien Giang province to the region's land-based infrastructure.
With farms in towns surrounding the city connected by roads and canals, Long Xuyen (and its Quadrilateral Region) serves as a major conduit for producers of a number of commodities, with
jasmine rice
Jasmine rice ( th, ข้าวหอมมะลิ; ; ) is a long-grain variety of fragrant rice (also known as aromatic rice). Its fragrance, reminiscent of ''pandan'' (''Pandanus amaryllifolius'') and popcorn, results from the rice plant's n ...
and
basa fish
Basa (''Pangasius bocourti'') is a species of catfish in the family Pangasiidae. Basa are native to the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins in Mainland Southeast Asia. These fish are important food fish with an international market. They are often l ...
being the two most well-known. The proliferation of irrigation canals in the city has provided a major boon to the region's economy, but also poses a threat to environmental protection and community safety.
Education
Long Xuyên is home to
An Giang University
An Giang University (AGU) ( vi, Trường Đại học An Giang) is a Vietnamese public university based in the city of Long Xuyen in An Giang Province. With over 10,000 enrolled students annually, it is one of the major educational and research ...
and the Long Xuyên Teacher's Training College.
An Giang University
An Giang University (AGU) ( vi, Trường Đại học An Giang) is a Vietnamese public university based in the city of Long Xuyen in An Giang Province. With over 10,000 enrolled students annually, it is one of the major educational and research ...
is the second largest university in the
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta ( vi, Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long, lit=Nine Dragon River Delta or simply vi, Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông, lit=Mekong River Delta, label=none), also known as the Western Region ( vi, Miền Tây, links=no) or South-weste ...
with over 10,000 students enrolled in 2021.
There are three main high schools in Long Xuyên city:
Thoại Ngọc Hầu
Nguyễn Văn Thoại, Marquis of Thoại Ngọc ( vi, Thoại Ngọc hầu Nguyễn Văn Thoại, vi-hantu, 瑞玉侯 阮文瑞, 1761–1829) was a Vietnamese military administrator of the Nguyễn dynasty
The Nguyễn dynasty (chữ Nôm: ...
, Bình Khánh and Long Xuyên. Thoại Ngọc Hầu high school was once known as Long Xuyên high school, with currently over 2,000 students. Thoại Ngọc Hầu is a specialized school for majors of English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Literature, and Biology.
Culture
As Long Xuyen was designated as a city until 1999, many of its residents have moved from surrounding rural towns.
The Long Xuyen Floating Market is an aspect of the more traditional life that remains from more rural life.
With its close proximity to Cambodia, the city has a significant number of Khmer residents.
Religion
Long Xuyên has a rich religious make-up. It is founding place of the
Hòa Hảo
Hòa Hảo is a religious movement described either as a syncretistic folk religion or as a sect of Buddhism. It was founded in 1939 by Huỳnh Phú Sổ (1920–1947), who is regarded as a saint by its devotees. It is one of the major religio ...
Buddhist sect. There are also many Catholic churches and communities, with the Long Xuyen Diocese celebrating its 60th anniversary with 230,000 members in 2020. It is one of few cities with a
Cao Dai
Caodaism ( vi, Đạo Cao Đài, Chữ Hán: ) is a Monotheism, monotheistic Religious syncretism, syncretic new religious movement officially established in the city of Tây Ninh in southern Vietnam in 1926. The full name of the religion is ...
temple.
Former president
Tôn Đức Thắng
Tôn Đức Thắng (August 20, 1888 – March 30, 1980) was the second and last president of North Vietnam and the first president of the reunified Vietnam under the leadership of General Secretary Lê Duẩn. The position of president is cerem ...
's birthday is celebrated in Mỹ Hòa Hưng (Tiger Island).
Cuisine
With its proximity to Cambodian border to the north, the coastline of the Indian Ocean to the west, and the Mekong River dissecting surrounding towns, the cuisine of Long Xuyen is heavily influenced by both local goods as well as products passing through. More locally,
basa fish
Basa (''Pangasius bocourti'') is a species of catfish in the family Pangasiidae. Basa are native to the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins in Mainland Southeast Asia. These fish are important food fish with an international market. They are often l ...
, mắm thái, and ''thot not'' coconuts are considered locally produced ingredients. ''Bun Ca Long Xuyen'' is a distinct specialty to the city that can be found by street vendors, who make a broth with
snakehead fish and tamarind to eat with rice noodles and herbs.
[ ]
Sports
Long Xuyen is home to
An Giang Football Club (Câu lạc bộ bóng đá An Giang) which plays in the V.League 2, the second tier of Vietnamese professional soccer.
Notable residents
*
Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ
Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ (26 May 190812 June 1976) was a South Vietnamese politician who was the first Vice President of South Vietnam, serving under President Ngô Đình Diệm from 1956 until Diệm's overthrow and assassination in 1963. He al ...
, vice-president of the Republic of Vietnam (before April 30, 1975)
*
Tôn Đức Thắng
Tôn Đức Thắng (August 20, 1888 – March 30, 1980) was the second and last president of North Vietnam and the first president of the reunified Vietnam under the leadership of General Secretary Lê Duẩn. The position of president is cerem ...
, senior Communist Party leader, President of the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
(North Vietnam); later became the first President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
*
Võ Tòng Xuân Dr. Võ Tòng Xuân (born 6 September 1940) is former Provost of Tân Tạo University (TTU), the former rector of An Giang University (AGU) and the former vice rector of Can Tho University. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Roc ...
, agronomist and former rector of An Giang University
*
Vương Trung Hiếu, writer
*
Tạ Minh Tâm,
singer
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
*
Ba Cụt
Lê Quang Vinh ( – 13 July 1956), popularly known as Ba Cụt (), was a Vietnamese military commander of the Hòa Hảo religious sect, which operated from the Mekong Delta and controlled various parts of southern Vietnam during the 1940s and ...
,
Hòa Hảo
Hòa Hảo is a religious movement described either as a syncretistic folk religion or as a sect of Buddhism. It was founded in 1939 by Huỳnh Phú Sổ (1920–1947), who is regarded as a saint by its devotees. It is one of the major religio ...
warlord
A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...
Notable locales
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Xuyen
Cities in Vietnam
Districts of An Giang province
An Giang province
Populated places in An Giang province
Provincial capitals in Vietnam