Places to visit in Can Tho

Things to see:

First, the Can Tho city museum. Better than many provincial museums in that they recognize VIetnam was a country before Ho Chi Minh. It has displays on the Chinese, ethnic Khmer, and Vietnamese, as well as some small but interesting displays of Mekong Delta watercraft. And it has a coffee shop just below the outside stairway. As Vietnamese museums go, it is worth a visit.

Second, Munirangsey Cambodia Temple, a few blocks down Hoa Binh Blvd from the Museum. The Abbot does speak English, and when the temple is crowded, several English speakers can usually be found. Can Tho was Cambodian up until 1730, when a Viet government was organized, and some of the district place names (O Mon) remain.

Chinese Pagoda on Hai Ba Trung street along the waterfront, in front of the Ho Chi Minh statue. This is a Confucian temple and Chineser Assn. Hall. They welcome visitors and have a single page history of their temple in English, French, and German, for visitors available at the desk.

For French military fanatics, walk through the gate past the Can Tho Golf hotel leading to the Ninh Kieu hotel and you are on what was a French Naval (La Royale) Base (8th Riverine Flotilla) up until the 1950s. The tennis courts to the rear were part of the French Naval Officer's club, which is the square building with the nice ceramic (dragons?, Lions?) on the portico, now used as offices. Once the riverside hotel gets renovated, it may still be a nice place to enjoy an iced coffee late in the afternoon when the sun os to the west, and you can watch the traffic travelling the Cai Khe canal. On a note, the current Vietnamese Armed Forces are the owners, and at one time the employees were former VN Naval personnel transitioning to civilian life.

Near Can Tho. A few hours by bus: Soc Trang (Kleang in Khmer). In October or November (lunar dates change) they have dragon boat races. Quite a festival. If you look on youtube you can find footage of some recent ones. Might be worth a day trip, or even an over-nighter from Can Tho.