Lookatvietnam – The Mekong River, one of the world’s major river systems and the heart and soul of South East Asia, is fondly called by Vietnamese as Cuu Long River because when entering Vietnam, the river splits into the Tien and Hau and flows through the country

A fisherman catches fish in Tran De mouth area in Dung Island in Soc Trang Province.

Then, the group headed to Tra Vinh Province, crossing the Ham Luong River on a Co Chien ferry and catching a boat to Cu Lao Dung (Dung Island) in the lower reaches of the Hau River where it splits into three branches before pouring into the sea through three mouths, Tran De, Bach Sac and Dinh An.

However, when reaching Bach Sac, we find that it has narrowed into a canal named Con Tron. Phuong said that Trinh Cong Ly of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Soc Trang Province, told him that what used to be a large branch is now a small canal about seven meters wide. Comparing an old map of Vietnam drawn by the French in 1952 and based on information collected in 1934, and a map made this month, the group also notices this difference.

We spent a night homestaying with a local of the island, enjoying the delicacy of ca loc nuong trui (unscaled fish grilled whole in straw) of the southern part of the island and invited some of the oldest locals to ask them what happened to the Bach Sac river mouth.

Duong Van Canh, aged 73, of Dai An 1 commune in Cu Lao Dung District told the group that he has lived here since 1955 and noticed a new islet had risen in the rivulet mouth Dai Ngai, the point where the Hau river divides into three branches, while the land at Bach Sac mouth was also raised from the silt of the branch of Dinh An mouth, extending seven kilometers into the sea and creating a shelter for clams, helping local fishermen have an income of over 1 billion per year.

Due to the story of the locals and the maps, the group has concluded that the islet in Dai Ngai, then, must have blocked a large amount of water flowing to Bach Sac mouth, making it drier over time. The raising of the mouth in combination with the east-west ocean current at this place has molded Bach Sac into the Tran De mouth.

Therefore, Bach Sac, lying between Tran De and Dinh An, no longer empties into the sea since it no longer exists.

The next morning, the group took the canoe out to sea with the locals to actually see that the loss of Bach Sac is no longer in doubt.

(Source: SGT)