Visitors only have to drive along the
National Road 923 from the city to Phong Dien for around 10 kilometers, where
they will have to get across the Can Tho River at the wharf.
Once negotiated they will pass rice and
orchard fields before finally reaching Gian Gua. The site is filled with giant
gua trees which are about six meters high. The trees’ roots and branches knit
together so well that people cannot identify which ones are roots and which are
branches. And most visitors are amazed at the spectacular scenery on the site
which covers about 3,000 square meters.
The site is a sacred place for local people
who built a Ba Temple in 1996 to worship a lady they call ‘Ba’ to pray for good
health and happiness. Annually on the 28th of the second lunar month, they hold
worshipping rituals accompanied with many traditional artistic programs. The
ceremony often attracts many pilgrims from the delta.
Currently, the local authorities are
developing it as an eco-tourism site with an eco-diversity system and unique
cultural products.
From Gian Gua, travelers only have to walk
just over four kilometers southwards to find the Cot Cau and Da Noi ponds. The
sites used to be swamps where people found many pillars about 3-4 meters deep
so they call it Cot Cau (pillars). Meanwhile, people also discovered many
square green stones so they name the other pond Da Noi (floating stone).
These sites are still primitive with a fresh
and peaceful atmosphere, so they are an ideal place for those want to escape
the city life and have some small part of nature all to themselves.
Source: SGT