Tra Su Cajuput Melaleuca Forest & Ba Chua Xu Sam Mountain Shrine

Category: Wetland Nature Reserve & Revered Spiritual Pilgrimage | Location: Van Tra, Van Giao, Tinh Bien & Nui Sam, Chau Doc City, An Giang

Located near Vietnam's southwestern frontier bordering Cambodia, the Tra Su Cajuput Forest covers nearly 850 hectares in Tinh Bien, An Giang Province, representing the most pristine wetland ecosystem in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle. This ecological jewel harbors more than 140 floral species and over 70 rare waterbird species, including painted storks, Oriental darters, and Asian openbills, functioning as a vital biological sanctuary and natural flood moderator for the lower Mekong River basin. The definitive experience at Tra Su is gliding silently aboard a traditional wooden sampan steered by local rowers dressed in customary Ao Ba Ba tunis. The boat gently parts an endless, radiant green carpet of water lettuce and duckweed beneath a lush canopy of blossoming melaleuca trees. The fairy-tale silence is broken only by the soft dip of wooden oars and the melodic chorus of nesting heron colonies. Visitors can ascend the multi-story observation tower for a 360-degree vista over the emerald sea of trees and walk along Vietnam's longest bamboo bridge weaving through the forest interior. The journey continues to the foot of Sam Mountain in Chau Doc City to pay homage at the sacred Shrine of Ba Chua Xu, the spiritual epicenter of Southern Vietnam welcoming millions of pilgrims annually. Backed by the craggy slopes of Sam Mountain, the multi-tiered pagoda features azure porcelain roof tiles in the form of blooming lotus petals, enshrining a thousand-year-old sandstone holy goddess statue recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, radiating peace and prosperity to all who make the pilgrimage.