The white gold
As far as the eye can see, rice grows. The immense plain of the Mekong Delta is a patchwork of endless shades of green. The soft rhythm of the landscape is broken by the brightly coloured clothing of Vietnamese, who work in the fields. A cyclist rides down an embankment and disappears from view. The sun is high in the sky, it's warm.
As the rice ripens, the landscape slowly turns yellow. After the harvest it becomes visible that this is a water landscape, as clouds recur in the shallow water. Buffalo run the ground loose for the next young plantings, the cycle begins again.
The nine dragons
The Mekong River has traveled more than 4,000 kilometres and seen five countries before reaching Vietnam. In the area known as Cuu Long – the Nine Dragons – the river splits into nine river arms, branching further left and right. The mighty river ends in a large outflow area full of small rivers and canals, and the great plains of the Mekong Delta.
Boat trip
In a sampan you slide through the channels. On either side walls of green with coconut palms, sugar cane and fruit trees. The merry voices of playing children announce the next village. They walk with you for a walk through the village, and discuss what they saw as you continue, to visit a plantation further down the road. Dozens, sometimes hundreds of boats come together at the floating markets. Loaded with rice, fruit and vegetables, the boats are deep in the water, but the products will find a buyer here. Millions of Vietnamese depend on the food production of the Mekong area.
Further to the coast, the landscape changes. The silhouette of temples and pagodas is depicted in open plains of rice paddies and marshes. In the mangrove forests, the sunlight is filtered. Here you will hear mostly birds, and the regular sound of the paddle pulling through the water.
