Châu Đốc is a district and town in
An Giang province, bordering
Cambodia, in the
Mekong Delta region of
Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 112,155.
The district covers an area of 100 km².
The town is located by the
Hâu River (a branch of the Mekong River flowing through Vietnamese territory) and Vinh Te canal. Châu Đốc is situated 250 km west of
Hồ Chí Minh City. It takes about six hours to travel by bus from Hồ Chí Minh City.
History
The site of Châu Đốc (Khmer:មាត់ជ្រូក) was long in history a territory of the Kingdom of
Funan(Khmer:អាណាចក្រ
នគរភ្នំ) (Vietnamese: Vương quốc Phù Nam). The territory became Vietnam’s about 300 years ago. The town is near the picturesque mount of Sam where the Sam mount lady (Vietnamese: Bà Chúa Xứ Núi Sam) is worshipped. The Sam Mount Lady Ceremony is held every April of
lunar calendar (May) every year.
"Mort Chrouk"(Khmer:មាត់ជ្រូក) was the Cambodian name vietnamized in Chau Doc.
Population
Vietnamese, Champa, Khmer live together in harmony here. The three main religions in this region are
Mahayana Buddhism (Kinh/Vietnamese,Hoa/Chinese);
Theravada Buddhism (Khmer/Cambodian), and
Sunni Islam (
Cham). The total population is around 120,000 with a vast majority of Kinh (Viet) on the
Khmer Krom space.
Economy
Châu Đốc is famous for its variety of
fish sauces (
nước mắm) and mainly "mắm tai", a kind of anchovy. The local economy is based on culture of basa
catfish export and on tourism. The town is a busy trading center due to its border position with
Cambodia.
Accommodation
The Victoria Hotel is the only notable hotel in the area. There are other hotels that are situated near Nui Sam.
Cam Mountain is a famous mountain in Chau Doc. Its summit is about 1000 meters above sea level.
Towns and villages in Chau Doc District
The honous paper in Châu Phú temple
