48 hours in Binh Duong

Binh Duong is not only home to industrial zones but also boasts many beautiful, lesser-known tourist attractions and entertainment venues.

Binh Duong is the gateway to Ho Chi Minh City, with convenient transportation links, and its capital city is Thu Dau Mot. It is a former battlefield area with historical landmarks such as Phu Loi, Bau Bang, Ben Suc, Lai Khe, and especially the Zone D war zone, famous for the Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer village, pottery making, and orchards laden with fruit.

This 48-hour itinerary explores Binh Duong, as suggested by Mr. Doan Cuong, a specialist at the Provincial Tourism Promotion Center, and a group of tourists from Ho Chi Minh City. The program is suitable for tourists departing from Ho Chi Minh City, who have 1-2 days of free time to combine work and leisure in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 1

Morning

Have breakfast and coffee in Thu Dau Mot city. Some popular breakfast suggestions here include Cay Me pork offal porridge, Moc crab noodle soup, and Da pho. Dishes are priced from 30,000 to 60,000 VND.

A corner of Phu An bamboo village. Photo: Nguyen May

After breakfast, we'll depart for Phu An Bamboo Village (also known as the Phu An Bamboo Ecology and Plant Conservation Museum), located in Ben Cat town, about 20 km from Thu Dau Mot city. This is the first bamboo ecosystem conservation area in Vietnam and a popular destination for those who enjoy rural scenery. It houses approximately 1,500 bamboo clumps with 300 specimens of bamboo, reeds, and canes belonging to 17 species (accounting for 90% of Vietnam's bamboo species). Among them are many rare and valuable bamboo species such as Mai Ong, Vang Doc, Nga, Lo O Vang, and Manh Tong.

In 2010, Phu An received the Equator Prize from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its role in protecting biodiversity, serving community development, and responding to climate change. In 2016, it was also recognized as a member of the Association of French-Speaking Botanical Gardens in the world . It is also a beautiful place for photography and relaxation.

Inside the ancient Dai Hung pottery village. Photo: Ha Thanh

One of the must-see destinations in Binh Duong is the 150-year-old Dai Hung pottery village and the Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer village (about 3 km from the center of Thu Dau Mot). This is the oldest pottery production and preservation area in Binh Duong. Here, you will have the opportunity to explore the traditional pottery production process, including steps such as hand-molding, firing with firewood, mixing colors in the classic style, and sourcing raw materials from the mine.

Dai Hung pottery kiln preserves and conserves traditional crafts, contributing to economic development with its distinctive products. "Visiting Binh Duong without touring and experiencing pottery making is a waste of the trip's value," shared Mr. Cuong. Every day, this famous kiln ships its products throughout Vietnam, offering a variety of traditional-designed jars, pots, and containers.

After visiting and learning about the traditional pottery production process and the lacquerware village, tourists can have lunch at restaurants in the center of Thu Dau Mot. Eel and taro porridge, chicken salad with mangosteen, and banh beo bi (rice cakes with pork skin) are recommended. These are three dishes from Binh Duong that have been honored by the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association in its journey to discover Vietnamese cultural values. Recommended places: Vuon Xua restaurant, Chieu Nay restaurant, Vuon Mang restaurant, Vuon Mang Binh Nham.

Chicken salad with mangosteen, a specialty of Binh Duong province.

Afternoon

Visit the Tran Van Ho ancient house (Phu Cuong ward, Thu Dau Mot city), an architectural and artistic heritage site recognized at the national level in 1993.

The house was built in February 1890 in the style of a three-bay, two-wing structure, with 36 round columns arranged in 6 rows from front to back, each row containing 6 columns, all resting on stone foundations. The floor is paved with traditional Vietnamese tiles. The main facade of the house faces southwest (towards the Saigon River). This is considered one of the auspicious directions in terms of feng shui, a choice often made by people in Southern Vietnam, especially wealthy families, for building houses in the past.

Hoi Khanh Pagoda is an ancient pagoda in Thu Dau Mot city, built in 1741. It houses a statue recognized by the Asian Record Organization as the longest reclining Buddha statue in Asia. The pagoda's most notable feature is its historical, cultural, and architectural value, particularly the preservation of numerous relics and artifacts dating back hundreds of years. Hoi Khanh is also considered a representative example of the characteristics of ancient pagodas in Binh Duong province.

According to Mr. Cuong, Hoi Khanh Pagoda is also associated with the activities of Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac (the father of President Ho Chi Minh). From 1923 to 1926, Mr. Sac, along with Mr. Tu Cuc (Phan Dinh Vien) and Venerable Tu Van, founded the Honor Society here.

Return to Thu Dau Mot and spend the night at one of the Bcons, Becamex, The Mira, or Long Bao Chau hotels, with prices ranging from 500,000 VND to 2 million VND per night.

Evening

Visitors can explore the Bach Dang night market and pedestrian street, which operates from 5 PM to 11:30 PM daily, featuring numerous stalls selling souvenirs, food and drinks, regional specialties, and street food. Additionally, the market also includes an entertainment area for children.

Day 2

Morning and noon

On Monday morning, tourists can choose from other breakfast dishes such as Mrs. Huong's Hue beef noodle soup, Aunt Ut's duck and bamboo shoot noodle soup, Ha Phat noodle soup, fish cake noodle soup, and Muoi Thanh's fermented fish noodle soup, with prices ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 VND.

The next leg of the journey begins with a visit to the Vinh Loi War Zone historical site (Tan Uyen town), about 15 km from Thu Dau Mot. "This place used to be a vital outpost of the D War Zone, and is considered one of the key locations for historical tourism," Mr. Cuong said.

Vinh Loi War Zone area. Photo: Historical site .

The Vinh Loi War Zone, established in 1946, is a vast area of ​​over 300 hectares situated between three large forests in Vinh Tan commune (Cay Bong Forest, So Tieu Forest, and Thay Cai Forest). It is bordered by two streams: Cai Stream (Tho Ut Bridge Stream) and Vinh Loi Stream to the southeast. Two main roads run north to the east and west, connecting it to War Zone D and Thuan An Hoa War Zone. Visitors can explore the victory monument, the assembly hall, and the memorial temple here.

Have lunch at one of the restaurants in Tan Uyen City such as Tan Phuoc Khanh, Bep Nha 2, Bach Dang, Le Tuan seafood restaurant, or Xua cuisine. In particular, you should try the barracuda and river shrimp, which are specialties of Tan Uyen.

Afternoon and evening

Near the historical site is Bach Dang Pomelo Island, home to five varieties of pomelo (sugar-nipple pomelo, orange-leaf pomelo, guava-like pomelo, Thanh pomelo, and green-skinned pomelo). Bach Dang pomelos are famous for their delicious taste, with the orange-leaf pomelo being the most popular, grown in almost every household in Bach Dang. This variety has fruits weighing around 1-1.3 kg, with a thin, glossy green peel and a sweet, refreshing taste.

Returning to the city center, visitors should visit Thu Dau Mot Market . Originally known as Phu Cuong Market, it is nearly 100 years old and remains the largest market in Binh Duong. The market features French architecture with a clock tower similar to Ben Thanh Market. Trading activities also take place on the streets surrounding the market. You can explore or purchase local products.

If you don't like strolling through the market, visit one of the most famous cafes in Thu Dau Mot - Gió và Nước (Wind and Water ). This garden cafe, built with bamboo over 15 years ago, has won numerous major architectural awards both domestically and internationally. The cafe boasts a spacious and airy atmosphere, utilizing natural breezes and water as its main elements. Most of the building materials are bamboo, with no cement pillars. The cafe is open from 7 am to 10 pm, with drink prices ranging from 25,000 to 55,000 VND.

The space of the Wind and Water cafe.

In the evening, enjoy delicious regional dishes at restaurants in the Chanh Nghia residential area such as Kill's Grill, Tokyo Binh Duong BBQ Street, Chu SuKi, Sesan, The Palma, and Huong Viet. In addition, there are also some snacks like banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancake), hu tieu (Vietnamese noodle soup), spicy noodles, tofu, banh beo (steamed rice cake), and snails, all priced at just a few tens of thousands of dong.

Some alternative destinations include: Tibetan Pagoda, Phu Cuong Cathedral, Minh Sang Plaza Shopping Center, Traditional Medicine Museum, Thuy Chau Eco-tourism Area, and camping at Dau Tieng Lake. If visiting these tourist areas and campsites, visitors should allocate at least one day. Thuy Chau area is about 20 km from Thu Dau Mot (usually only open on weekends), while Dau Tieng Lake is about 65 km away.

Nguyen Nam

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