VietNamNet Bridge – The ancient house of the “Dark Dude”, longan orchards and salt fields are the top tourist attractions in the southern province of Bac Lieu.

Don ca tai tu performance in the Bac Lieu longan garden.

In the past, Bac Lieu was renowned as a rich and fertile land. With 156 km of coastline and important estuaries of Ganh Hao, Nha Mat, Cai Cung, and Vinh Hau, Bac Lieu quickly became a transit hub of cargo in southern Vietnam.

Bac Lieu is the hometown of Tran Trinh Huy, who is also known as the Dark Dude, a well-known playboy in South Vietnam in early 20th century.

According to ancient anecdotes, nobody at that time could compare with Tran Trinh Huy for financial capacity and connoisseurship. The Dark Dude made news when he visited fields in a plane. At that time, there were only two planes in Vietnam and one of them was owned by King Bao Dai.

Many people also said that the Dark Dude burned cash to cook tea to win the attention of a girl.

The ancient mansion of the family of the Dark Dude is located at 13 Dien Bien Phu Street, Ward 3, Bac Lieu Town. It is now the Cong Tu Bac Lieu Hotel (Bac Lieu Dude) with six bedrooms.

The price for five normal rooms is VND250,000 ($22) a night and double for the room of the Dark Dude. To hire this room, visitors have to make a reservation as it is popular.

The Bac Lieu bird sanctuary.

This mansion was built in 1919 and used to be the biggest house in Bac Lieu. It was designed by a French architect and built with materials imported from France.

Bac Lieu is also known for its mangrove ecosystem, with old longan gardens and bird sanctuaries.

About 6km from Bac Lieu City, on the road named after late musician Cao Van Lau is the Bac Lieu bird sanctuary - the most famous of its kind in Bac Lieu.

With an area of about 385 hectares, including 19 hectares of primary forest, it is the home to about 49 species of birds, 109 species of plants, and 150 species of animals.

The Bac Lieu longan garden stretches over 11 km across the two communes of Vinh Trach Dong and Hiep Thanh. Everyone knows that Southwest Vietnam is a land of orchards and gardens, and this is the most distinctive longan garden in the Mekong River delta, known as the Centennial Longan Garden.

The salt-field in Bac Lieu.

Step into the garden, visitors can pick fresh longan fruits to enjoy the flavor and sweet tastes. They will also have a chance to enjoy the melodies of don ca tai tu (southern folk music) in the garden.

Salt fields are also Bac Lieu’s specialty. Bac Lieu is the salt basket of the Mekong Delta, with vast salt fields running along the coast.

Bac Lieu is about 290 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Travel time will take about five hours. You can go by luxury bus. In Bac Lieu, do not forget to enjoy three food specialties: tam bi cake, palm worms and banh cu cai (beet cake).

Pha Le