From Vam Lang town (Go Cong Dong district, Tien Giang province), a 7-seater car sped along the Go Cong sea dike, taking us to Tan Thanh beach. Driving along the long dike bordering the coast, the sound of the waves reminded us of Hoang Phuong – the musician who drew inspiration from Go Cong beach (Tien Giang province) to compose the song "Summer Afternoon on the Beach" with its lyrics:
"A summer afternoon drifts by peacefully, gently."
Walking together on the waves one afternoon
The sea is a deep blue, the sky a turquoise color.
At the horizon, the sky and water meet.
...Let the sand fly to form the shape of waves.
"Let the sandy shore forever frolic" has captured the hearts of music lovers and sea lovers.
WALKING ON THE GO CONG SEA DYKE
The Go Cong sea dike was built 70 years ago, stretching approximately 21 km from Tan Thanh commune to Vam Lang town in Go Cong Dong district. Previously, the Go Cong sea dike was a narrow earthen dike designed to prevent seawater from flooding inland areas. Over time, the dike's surface has been eroded, allowing tidal surges to cause damage to agricultural production and the lives of local people. A few years ago, whenever a typhoon hit, Tien Giang province had to deploy emergency response forces to protect the dike and prevent breaches…
Since 1998, the Go Cong sea dike has undergone numerous upgrades and renovations. Particularly from 2009 to the present, the upgrading and renovation of the Go Cong sea dike has been carried out systematically thanks to the program to strengthen and upgrade the southern sea dike system. With central government and local budget funds, Tien Giang province has invested significant resources in upgrading the Go Cong sea dike, including important items such as constructing a backup dike; building breakwaters to protect the dike slopes in vulnerable sections; constructing bridges over the Rach Bun sluice gate; paving the entire length of the sea dike with asphalt; addressing erosion and subsidence; and constructing new Rach Goc and Vam Kenh sluice gates…
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| The Go Cong sea dike is 21 km long, running along the coast from Tan Thanh commune to Vam Lang town, Go Cong district. Photo: M. THANH |
In particular, at the end of December 2021, the People's Committee of Tien Giang province issued Decision 3869 approving the Go Cong Sea Dyke Upgrade Project (Phase 2). The project has a total investment of nearly 200 billion VND from central and local government budgets. The project's goal is to prevent coastal erosion, protect the sea dykes, restore eroded land areas, ensure safety in disaster prevention and control, and protect the lives and property of tens of thousands of households in the Go Cong area of Tien Giang province.
To date, the Go Cong Sea Dyke Upgrade Project (Phase 2) has been completed. The Go Cong sea dyke system is now fully enclosed, with a total length of approximately 21 km, stretching from Tan Thanh commune to Vam Lang town in Go Cong Dong district. The Go Cong sea dyke is now capable of withstanding storms of level 8-9, preventing the impact of high tides and strong winds during the monsoon season, protecting tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land and ensuring the safety of tens of thousands of households in the Go Cong freshwater area.
In addition, the Go Cong sea dike has been upgraded and expanded, with asphalt paving along its entire length, creating a coastal road connecting with other roads in the area; at the same time, gradually forming a coastal transportation axis to serve the socio- economic development, security, and national defense of the coastal region.
GAZING AT THE SEA AND HAVING EXPECTATIONS
As a crucial coastal transportation route, the Go Cong sea dike has transformed the appearance of the Go Cong coastal countryside and is making a significant contribution to the development of tourism in the area. For many years, Tan Thanh beach has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tien Giang province.
With its advantageous geographical location, situated only about 80 km from Ho Chi Minh City and about 50 km from My Tho City (Tien Giang province), Tan Thanh beach attracts tourists from both within and outside Tien Giang province thanks to its pristine beauty and peaceful scenery—characteristics of a Mekong Delta beach. Tan Thanh beach also attracts visitors with its approximately 7 km long stretch of black sand and its abundant and delicious seafood.
If you visit Tan Thanh beach early in the morning, you can walk along the 300-meter-long bridge leading to the sea to watch the sunrise; or admire the moon on full moon nights, its reflection shimmering on the sparkling sea surface… When visiting Tan Thanh beach, you can also swim, watch the waves gently lapping against the sand, see the clam-keeping huts in the distance; or relax, unwind, and enjoy many delicious seafood dishes with the rich flavors of the alluvial sea…
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| Tourists visit Tan Thanh beach. Photo: M. THANH |
After swimming and enjoying seafood, visitors can also explore the Go Cong sea dike area, stretching from Tan Thanh commune to Vam Lang town. This solidly constructed dike, which also serves as a winding coastal road, offers a truly captivating experience. Visitors will be further impressed by the mangrove forests planted along the dike to protect the coastline from erosion. Inside the dike are lush rice paddies, vegetable gardens, and orchards alongside sturdy houses – a valuable achievement resulting from the Go Cong freshwater conversion program.
With the above advantages, the number of tourists visiting Tan Thanh beach is on the rise, attracting thousands of visitors annually. Recognizing the great potential for tourism development, the Tien Giang Provincial Tourism Department, in coordination with Go Cong Dong district, has developed a plan to expand the Tan Thanh beach resort area to over 80 hectares: Tien Giang Tourism Joint Stock Company is currently operating on 4 hectares; Van Binh An Co., Ltd. (now Van Thanh Cong) is investing in and developing restaurants, resorts, and beach tourism entertainment areas on 11.7 hectares; and investment is being sought for the remaining 66 hectares.
Besides Tan Thanh beach, along the Go Cong sea dike in the communes of Tan Thanh, Tan Dien, and Kieng Phuoc, there are many eco-tourism destinations that attract a large number of visitors during holidays, Tet (Lunar New Year), and weekends. In addition, the Go Cong sea dike is a place where many tourists and locals frequently come to admire the sea, enjoy the breeze, fly kites, or participate in fishing activities such as raking for clams, catching crabs, and collecting snails…
The wave-reducing dike system has been and is being invested in and constructed. In the long term, this will help form alluvial plains, creating conditions for the regrowth of the coastal mangrove forests in Go Cong. When the mangrove forests regenerate, they will also contribute significantly to coastal protection, create scenic landscapes, and thus attract more tourists to Go Cong beach.
At the same time, to maximize the rich and diverse potential of its tourism products, Go Cong Dong district is also focusing on developing tourism based on a model of marine ecotourism combined with the culture and history of this famous land, which has been known since ancient times as the land of "four mythical creatures and outstanding people".
Accordingly, eco-tourism areas in Go Cong coastal area have been invested in and put into operation, linking them with tours to cultural and historical sites such as the Royal Mausoleum, the Governor's House, the Temple of National Hero Truong Dinh, the Mausoleum of the Southern Sea God, Tan Dong communal house, etc.; or visiting traditional craft villages (Go Cong altar making village, the production facility of the famous "royal tribute" dish - Go Cong shrimp paste)...
In addition, tours to Go Cong beach can also be linked with ecotourism and resort models in Tan Phu Dong district (Tien Giang province), a locality bordering Go Cong beach.
To become one of the important ecotourism destinations of Tien Giang province in particular and Southern Vietnam in general, Go Cong Dong district needs to focus on exploiting the potential of Go Cong beach and the coastal mangrove ecosystem, historical traditions, cultural festivals, and agricultural-forestry ecotourism... to create new, unique, and highly attractive tourism products.
With its full potential and unique local characteristics, it is believed that Go Cong beach will become a promising ecotourism destination with attractive tourism products, contributing to the sustainable development of the coastal districts of Go Cong.
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