Visit Uncle Ton Memorial Site at Ong Ho Islet

Ong Ho Islet is located in My Hoa Hung Commune, Long Xuyen City, An Giang Province. Located on the banks of the poetic Hau River, alluvial deposits all year round have created a fertile islet with lush fruit trees. Coming here, visitors will hear about the story of the loyal Mr. Ho as well as the life of beloved President Ton Duc Thang.

The Tiger statue is placed in a solemn place.

The legend of Ong Ho Islet

To visit Ong Ho Islet, visitors must take the O Moi ferry from Long Xuyen City (or rent a private boat). Both the boat dock and the ferry are located next to Long Xuyen market, so it is very convenient.

Arriving at the oasis, visitors will immediately see two large tiger statues carved from stone, majestically guarding the gate. They have been the symbol of this land for over 300 years. According to many elders, in the past, this land was built up by alluvium, emerging in the middle of the Hau River, with dense, wild trees, poisonous snakes, and fierce tigers gathering, so no one came here. When the land was reclaimed, people began to come here to build houses, establish villages, do business and live there until today.

There are many legends associated with the place name Ong Ho to explain this name. One of the most popular legends among the locals is that long ago, an old couple rowed a boat to catch fish and collect firewood when they saw a cat-like animal clinging to a piece of water hyacinth floating on the river, but when they got closer, it was not a cat but a hungry and cold tiger cub.

Feeling sorry for the tiger, the grandparents took it home to care for it. The tiger gradually grew up in that love and became very gentle. When the grandparents passed away, more people came to live in this area, so the tiger retreated into the deep forest. Every year, on the anniversary of the benefactor's death, the tiger brought home a wild boar or deer, placed it by the grave, and then left.

The last time, people saw the tiger walking around the grandparents' grave and at midnight the tiger died nearby. Pitying the animal for its kindness, the villagers buried the animal between the grandparents' graves. Since then, the villagers built a temple to worship the tiger and named this island Ong Ho island. The name Ong Ho island is the pride of the people here, people often say to each other that it is a righteous tiger, a loving tiger, not a fierce tiger.

Here is the ancient Buu Long pagoda, which locals affectionately call “Ong Ho Pagoda”. Ong Ho Pagoda is small, nestled under the shade of ancient oil trees, but still has a strong ancient character. For those who want to learn about culture, Ong Ho Pagoda will be an interesting stop because everything is valuable, from the worship statues, space, legends,...

Every year, the Tiger's death anniversary is held on October 28 (Lunar calendar) with the participation of many local people as well as tourists from near and far. This is an occasion to pray for a bountiful harvest, national peace and prosperity,...

Visit President Ton Duc Thang Memorial Site

Coming to Ong Ho Islet, you cannot miss visiting the President Ton Duc Thang Memorial Site. This is a "red address" that any tourist wants to visit to learn about the life of the national hero Ton Duc Thang. This place used to be the house of Uncle Ton's parents (built by Mr. Ton Van De in 1887), recognized as a National Historical Relic in 1984.

On the occasion of the 110th birthday of President Ton Duc Thang, the government and people of An Giang province inaugurated the Memorial and Temple of Uncle Ton with many new constructions built on a 6.7ha campus. In 2012, this place was recognized by the Government as a special national monument.

The relic site includes: an exhibition house introducing Uncle Ton's life and activities, a memorial house during his youth, a memorial temple, a house displaying wood carvings, the plane that carried Uncle Ton to Saigon to hold a rally to liberate the South and unify the country, a restored model of Uncle Ton's hut in Thai Nguyen , an 80m long suspension bridge welcoming visitors by river and many other literary and artistic works. Each area has its own beauty, designed to integrate with a system of parks, scenic canals, bridges, fish ponds and tree-lined roads, making the memorial site even more intimate.

President Ton Duc Thang's childhood home restored

The exhibition house about Uncle Ton's life and career has vivid images, artifacts, documents and films that help us understand more about Uncle Ton, a shining example of our nation's indomitable spirit, revolutionary morality, modesty and simplicity.

In the memorial area, there are still intact images and artifacts associated with Uncle Ton's childhood - that is the 3-room, 2-wing wooden house with yin-yang tile roof along with household objects and utensils, the green bamboo fence at the alley entrance reflecting on the Hau River in the "Dragon facing the Moon" position. After hundreds of years, the bamboo fence is still green, the fish ponds in the garden are still bright with lotus and water lilies, the orchards are full of fruit all year round,...

Cu Lao Ong Ho is a land based on the word "Duc" and its people are kind, loyal, and steadfast. When Bac Ton was born, Ton Van De - Bac Ton's father and Confucian scholars noticed that the boy had a handsome face, a noble appearance, and a strong will, so they used the middle name "Duc" before the name "Thang" and predicted: This island has a dragon vein, so in the future the boy will definitely be a person who carries the responsibility of the country and the mountains.

With legends associated with reality about the land "where Uncle Ton was born and raised", Ong Ho Islet has long attracted the attention of domestic and foreign tourists when coming to An Giang. That sentiment has been summarized in Southern folk songs:

No matter who goes where

Haven't been to Ong Ho yet, haven't been to An Giang.

Nowadays, Ong Ho Islet has become a special destination attracting domestic and foreign tourists . In addition to the two above-mentioned places, in this fertile land there are also hundreds of ancient houses, the hundred-year-old My Hoa Hung communal house, a fish farming village, a lush green apple garden, etc. Every holiday season, tourists from everywhere flock to the O Moi ferry across the Hau River to visit Ong Ho Islet to enjoy and return to the source./.

Tran Thai Hoc

Source: https://baolongan.vn/den-cu-lao-ong-ho-tham-khu-luu-niem-bac-ton-a193292.html