My Tho is capital city of Tiền Giang province, located in the Mekong Delta region in the south of the country. There are 168,000 inhabitants (2004) of which about 110,000 live in the city center.

During the French colonial period in Cochinchina, the Armorique naval school was named after the city of My Tho. If the city itself is not very interesting, you can take a boat trip on the Mekong to discover the neighboring islands. The surrounding countryside is considered one of the most abundant gardens in Vietnam (coconut, banana and mango trees). You also immerse yourself in the large expanses of rice fields and the giant orchards.

Cai Be, and Ben Tre upstream from My Tho, are also the starting place for several boat trips. You should leave early in the morning to see the floating market, then stroll along the Mekong River to arrive at Vinh Long. This peaceful town where you can enjoy the quietness of the countryside is an ideal destination to stay.

Where is My Tho?

Because of its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, My Tho is often the first stop on a tour of the Mekong Delta. It is only 72km away.

A little history

It was, in the 18th century, the scene of decisive naval battles against the Tây-Son. History has remembered the victory of Rach Gam on the Tiên Giang River. Like many other regions of the delta, this province was originally a Khmer land and only became Vietnamese in the 17th century, when it was explored by the first settlers. Its rivers, the Tien Giang, the Hâu Giang and the Dong Nai are connected by tributaries. They are used to transport goods to Hô-Chi-Minh-Ville, which made this region an important commercial zone in three centuries.