The simple village has been leading in developing tourism and culture to bring interesting experiences to visitors from near and far.
Unlike the Cham people in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan province, the Cham people in An Giang mainly migrated from Malaysia and Cambodia to live in the Hau River, and experienced ups and downs throughout the national history. Although they can speak Vietnamese and live like the Vietnamese, the Cham people in the locality still preserve their ethnic identity and religion.
Rambling on local roads in Cham village in Da Phuoc, visitors will feel as though they were in the Middle East. They can see women wearing hijab, men in sarong, and Mosque Masjid Al-Ehsan. Fridays are the perfect time tourists can learn more about the Cham people’s cultural practices as locals go to mosque and hold cultural activities.
From bustling Chau Doc city, tourists reach Cham village after crossing Con Tien Bridge. Thanks to a convenient traffic system, the village started to welcome the first visitors from 1992, and since then it has become one of the favorite destinations for tourists in the province.
Cham village in Da Phuoc looks quite beautiful in the high-tide season as water is seen everywhere. The stilt houses connecting each other by zigzag wood bridges inspire visitors. Visiting Da Phuoc in the season, tourists will have interesting experiences of traveling by boats on the Hau River and have chance to enjoy local food made from aquatic products.
Tourists also can buy colorful and full-sized karma, which are the most popular products in the village, as gifts for their families and friends or use them on the trip, especially on scorching days in the dry season. The Cham people are also considered the masters of brocade weaving.
In the past, each household owned several weaving frames to make costumes for the Cham community. However, the number of weaving fames sharply declined and they are now only displayed to serve tourists because locals are now more interested in industrial products.
Being aware of Cham village’s potential for tourism development, An Giang had tried to turn it into a tourism destination in the province. The efforts have been paid off as Cham village has become one of the favorite destinations in the province. In bright sunshine day of spring, tourists will be absolutely fascinated by the simple but beautiful village with colorful flowers.
Translated by Tran Hoai