19 Best Sights in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Originally built in the 10th century, Ang Pagoda has been rebuilt and restored several times. Set on 10 acres among ancient trees, the pagoda still retains its beautiful Khmer architecture. Ang Pagoda is 5 km (3 miles) from the center of Tra Vinh, a short walk from Ao Ba Om pond, and right across the road from the Khmer Culture Museum.

Ba Chua Xu is the prosperity goddess of the Vietnamese folk religion Thanism, and this is her temple. It was built about half way up Sam Mountain in the early 1800s after, legend has it, villagers discovered in the forest a female statue dating to the 6th century. The temple is constructed in what is commonly thought of as Chinese style, with four levels, and the tiled roofs have become green with age. Within is the statue of Ba Chua Xu, and locals come here to ask for protection. During the fourth lunar month, the 23rd–27th are festival days and locals celebrate with dances, praying, and by making offerings. Surrounding the temple are pleasant gardens and some small caves, and from up here there's a sweeping view of the surrounding countryside; on a clear day you can see neighboring Cambodia.

Established in 1926 in the southern Vietnamese city of Tay Ninh, Caodaism is a monotheistic religion, in which Cao Dai is believed to be the creator of the universe. The temple in My Tho is a smaller offshoot of the main Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh (also called the Holy See Temple), and was built in the early 1970s. The colorful structure, which is done up in every shade of the rainbow and then some, has impressive wooden carvings of deities, immaculately painted iron grillwork, and handsome tiles.

A riot of color, this Cao Dai Temple, on the far side of the river, off Lac Hong, is pale yellow, with sky blue, red, and green accents, and inside the floor tiles change color from one to the next. At the front of the temple, on a carved wooden table with drawers, sit thick gilded candlesticks and offerings while ceramic egrets stand on either side. Established in 1926 in the southern Vietnamese city of Tay Ninh, Caodaoism is a monotheistic religion, and this temple is similar to the one in My Tho; both are branches of the main Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh, also called the Holy See Temple. Adherents worship Cao Dai, whom they believe is the creator of the universe. From the temples towers, take in the view of the river and surrounding countryside.

Twelve kilometers (7.5 miles) outside Soc Trang, in the village of Dai Tan, this is the largest Khmer pagoda and religious school (for novice monks) in the area. The original pagoda, built in 1815, was destroyed during the Vietnam War and was rebuilt in 1969 using bowls and plates—hence the name (chen means bowl). The garden has several thatched huts in which pilgrims can meditate, and a lively market operates in front of the pagoda gates.

This is a vibrant Vietnamese temple that was built more than 200 years ago by a Chinese family called Ngo. A descendant, Ngo Kim Tong, who died in 1970, spent 42 years fashioning the pagoda's brightly colored statues, dragons, and gargoyles. Inside are candles so big and so broad—each about 40 feet high and so wide that two people extending their arms around it can barely reach each other—that have been burning continuously for more than 40 years.

Part lighthouse, part religious building, Dinh Cau Temple is worth visiting while exploring Duong Dong town, its marina, and the night market. The temple sits on a rocky outcrop and was constructed during colonial times to honor the goddess of the sea, who would in turn protect the sailors and fisherman.

This Khmer temple was built in 1637, and the tall trees on its 5-acre grounds are home to a small school and hundreds of storks, explaining one of its nicknames—Stork Pagoda. The pagoda, about 5 km (3 miles) from Tra Vinh, is also known as Cave Pagoda because of its cave-like entrance, as well as by its Khmer name of Kompom Chray (banyan tree wharf). It was once also called Bat Pagoda but bombing in 1968 scared the bats away and they've never returned. The monks here are famous for their woodworking skills and the intricate bonsai garden they tend while not studying, praying, and chanting.

Hang Pagoda is a best visited in the late afternoon when the birds come home to roost, but try not to stand under a tree because the bird droppings come down like rain.

A Chinese-style pagoda built in 1838, Huong Pagoda sits behind teal wrought iron gates with a hint of art deco. Beautifully and brightly painted, the pagoda has red doors with gold floral designs, intricate scenes painted on the short walls between the second and third upturned roofs, and, resting on top, colorful animal figures. If you're lucky, a monk will be there and you can sit for tea and persimmons.

The beautiful Khmer pagoda and nearby communal longhouse and meditation center are off the road behind graceful palm groves and huge banana trees. The richly worked interior of the pagoda houses extensive gilded wood carvings. Originally constructed in the 16th century, the pagoda was rebuilt in the French-Khmer style at the turn of the 20th century. It's an almost ethereal photo opportunity if you can snap monks posing in the foreground.

Legend has it that about 400 years ago Khmer monks constructed this pagoda, 3 km (2 miles) from Soc Trang, to honor the flying foxes (a type of bat) that live in the surrounding fruit trees. In Buddhism bats are considered sacred and, above all else, lucky. Strangely, the bats don't eat the fruit of the trees on which they live but feed on fruit trees several miles away. The best time to see these nocturnal creatures is dawn or dusk. Keep an eye out for the graves of five-hoofed pigs behind the temple; these creatures are believed to be bad luck so are given to the temple to be cared for until their death.

This example of a Khmer Hinayana Buddhist pagoda was built in the 1940s to serve and provide spiritual well-being to Can Tho's Khmer community. Access to the interior is limited nowadays, but the pagoda is an emblem of one of the numerous ethnic groups that live side by side in the Mekong Delta.

A Khmer temple has stood in this spot since 711 and the beautiful complex, also known as Bodhisalaraja, is now the center of Khmer spiritual life in Tra Vinh. A library with unique wooden features was added in 1916. The monks here are quite friendly and sometimes like to practice speaking English with male tourists.

A centuries-old Chinese pagoda that underwent a 20th-century renovation, Ong Pagoda, or Phuoc Minh Palace, is an important cultural and spiritual meeting place for Tra Vinh's Chinese community. The interior is shaped like the Chinese character for earth and the exterior represents the character for water, and throughout the pagoda mythical characters abound (some in front of a very pretty patch of artificial lawn). Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, this colorful pagoda hosts the Nguyen Tieu Festival, which marks the first full moon of the lunar new year.

This picturesque 19th-century Chinese temple is inside the Guangzhou Assembly Hall, which is next to the redeveloped Ninh Kieu Pier waterfront park. Ong Temple is dedicated to Chinese military leader Kuang Kung (known as Quan Cong in Vietnam). Many of the decorative features of the temple, completed in 1896, were imported from China.

This colorful temple, built in 1932, sits on top of a hill 4 km (2½ miles) east of Duong Dong Town. Access is via 40 stone steps, and it's more of a working temple than tourist destination.

On the road to the Cambodian border, 5 km (3 miles) northwest of Ha Tien, this atmospheric cave pagoda is in an echoey cavern in a limestone karst, with various chambers holding funerary tablets. The cave is home to a colony of bats (so keep your mouth closed when you look up), and the views from some of the openings across to Cambodia are just stunning. At the base of the mountain there is a small monument shaped like a clenched fist that commemorates the murder of 130 local civilians by the Khmer Rouge in 1978.

About 5 km (3 miles) from the Vinh Long Market, this large Chinese Confucian temple was built in the mid-19th century. It's decorated with multicolor dragons and statues of Confucius, which is odd because the monks here practice Buddhism. Added to the original structure is a different style of hall built in honor of a local fighter against colonialism, Phan Tanh Gian, who committed suicide in the 1930s rather than submit to French rule. Often the locals refer to the temple by his name rather than its official title. Although the temple has opening hours posted on the gate, it's often inexplicably closed.

Delightfully fanciful, this pagoda built in 1849 features European and Asian design elements and is set within lovely ornamental gardens with bonsai and lotus ponds. Take some time to soak up the tranquil atmosphere of the pagoda, which was built in the shape of the Chinese character for nation, then tour the grounds to see the giant Buddha statues, including a very happy laughing Buddha.