Vĩnh Long () is a

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

located in the

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( or simply ), also known as the Western Region () or South-western region (), is the list of regions of Vietnam, region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong, Mekong River River delta, approaches and empties into the sea th ...

of southwestern

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. Its capital is Vĩnh Long. Its population is 1,046,390 and its area is . Vĩnh Long (spelled 永隆 in the former Hán-Nôm writing system) is a Sino-Vietnamese name, translating as "eternal prosperity." This province covers the central part of the largest

delta island Delta Island is an island long, lying close southeast of Lambda Island and east of Alpha Island in the Melchior Islands, Palmer Archipelago. The name, derived from the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, was probably given by Discovery Inv ...

in Vietnam, and also on the western tip of the southern

river island River Island (stylised as RiverIsland and abbreviated as RI) is a London-based, multi-channel fashion brand, founded in 1948 by Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur), Bernard Lewis. The retailer has a presence in over 125 of worldwide markets, in stores ...

of Bến Tre Province.

History

Modern-day Vĩnh Long was part of Long Hồ ''dinh'' (palace, 營) established by the

Nguyễn lords The Nguyễn lords (, 主阮; 1558–1777, 1780–1802), also known as the Nguyễn clan (; ), were Nguyễn dynasty's forerunner and a feudal noble clan ruling southern Đại Việt in the Revival Lê dynasty. The Nguyễn lords were membe ...

in 1732, comprising the provinces of Bến Tre, Trà Vinh, and parts of Cần Thơ. The area saw some of the heaviest fighting between the Tây Sơn brothers and the Nguyễn lords in the late 18th century; in 1784 Nguyễn Huệ defeated Siamese forces aiding Nguyễn Ánh at the Mang Thít River. In 1951, the Southern Resistance Administrative Committee of the

Democratic Republic of Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it opposed the French-suppor ...

merged Vĩnh Long and Trà Vinh provinces into Vĩnh Trà province. Vinh Tra existed until 1954 (however, as North Vietnam never administered the area for a significant period of time, this arrangement was not enforced). In 1957, the

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

formed Vĩnh Long province, consisting of six districts: Châu Thành, Chợ Lách (now part of Bến Tre province), Tam Bình, Bình Minh, Sa Đéc, and Lấp Vò. In 1961, Cái Nhum District was split from Chợ Lách. Đức Tôn District and Đức Thành District were added in 1962, but joined the newly formed Sa Đéc province in 1966. As of 1975, the province had seven districts: Châu Thành, Chợ Lách, Tam Bình, Bình Minh, Minh Đức, Trà Ôn, and Vũng Liêm. After the fall of South Vietnam, the

Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

merged Vĩnh Long with

Trà Vinh province Trà Vinh () was a former province in the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam. The capital is Trà Vinh City. Etymology Trà Vang was an old name used for this area, a hinterland with a sparse population. In 1825, the area of Trà Vinh was ...

, forming Cửu Long province in 1976. In 1991, Cửu Long was again split into Vĩnh Long and Trà Vinh. At the time of the split, Vĩnh Long province consisted of one city ( Vĩnh Long) and five districts: Long Hồ, Vũng Liêm, Bình Minh, Tam Bình, and Trà Ôn. In 1992, Mang Thít District was re-split from Long Hồ District. In 2007, Bình Tân District was created. On April 10, 2009, the Vietnamese Government issued Decree No. 16/ND-CP establishing Vĩnh Long City in Vĩnh Long Province, based on the entire natural area and population of Vĩnh Long Town.

Geography

Lying between the Hau and Tien rivers in the center of the

, Vĩnh Long is a province well known for fishing.

Administrative divisions

Vĩnh Long is subdivided into eight district-level sub-divisions: * 6 districts: ** Bình Tân ** Long Hồ ** Mang Thít ** Tam Bình ** Trà Ôn ** Vũng Liêm * 1 district-level town: ** Bình Minh * 1 provincial city: ** Vĩnh Long (capital) They are further subdivided into five commune-level towns (or townlets), 94 communes, and 10 wards.

Economy

Prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton An exoskeleton () . is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the intern ...

s and the Basa and Tra

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

are among the many types of fish that exist in abundance in the waters of Vĩnh Long. Its rich, fertile soil makes Vĩnh Long an ideal location for the growing of many exotic and delicious fruits, including the strange-looking mangosteen, the spikey rambutan and the pungently fragrant durian. Because of Vĩnh Long's extensive network of waterways, these fruits and many other items can be purchased for mere pennies from the huge water-based squadron of floating merchants. Traveling by water is a common practice here for such mundane tasks as grocery shopping as well as getting to restaurants and tourist attractions located on small islets accessible only by boat. Tourist infrastructure is still in its infancy here, but comfortable lodging and great food can be had for very reasonable prices.

Transportation

Located approximately southwest of

Hồ Chí 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 ...

, Vĩnh Long is easily accessible by bus, van or car using National Route 1 and the Mỹ Thuận Bridge. Air travel is served by Cần Thơ International Airport which is approximately south of Vĩnh Long. However, the province would also use

's Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport too.

Notable Vĩnh Long residents

* Võ Văn Kiệt * Petrus Ký * Ngô Đình Thục * Hoài Lâm

Gallery

File:Tịnh xá Ngọc Viên.jpg, Ngọc Viên Ancestral Temple Vietnamese Mendicant Buddhist Sect File:Quán Âm Cửu Long.jpg, Statue of Guanyin of the Nine Dragons File:Công Thần Miếu.jpg, Công Thần Temple File:Nhà thờ chính tòa Vĩnh Long.jpg, Vĩnh Long Cathedral File:Văn Thánh Miếu Vĩnh Long.jpg, Văn Thánh Temple

References

External links

Sẽ sáp nhập Bến Tre, Vĩnh Long và Trà Vinh thành tỉnh mới mang tên Vĩnh Long
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinh Long Province Territorial disputes of Vietnam Territorial disputes of Cambodia States and territories established in 1957 Provinces of Vietnam