Hà Tiên is a Provincial city in Kiên Giang Province, Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Its area is 10,049 ha and the population as of 2018 is 81,576. The city borders Cambodia to the west. Hà Tiên is a tourist site of the region thanks to its beaches and landscapes.
Etymology
The name "Hà Tiên" is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese word: or, meaning "river spirit".
History
In Atlas Universel by Pierre M. Lapie, published in 1829, this territory was called Cancao ou Pontiamo. Some Modern Chinese and Vietnamese documents called the area the Kingdom of Hatien.
Pre-1680: Akadra of Nokor Phnom, Banteay Meas District of Cambodia, referred to the bamboo fortifications once used in the town. Many works incorrectly referred to Banteay Meas District as "Panthaimas", the early name of the district in which it was located. It was variously spelled as Panday-mas, Ponteamass, Fong-sing, Phủ Sài-mạt, Phutthaimat or Banthaimat, Ponthiamas or Pontheaymas, Pontiano, Pontiamo, Panthai-mas, Bantaimas, Pontiamas, Pontaimas, Bantay-mas, Banteay M'eas, Pontiamas, Pontiamasse, Po-taimat, and many other variations.
Around 1680: Góng-háu gwok. Known in the Latin script as Cancao or Cancar, Peam in Khmer language and ancient AnnameseMáng-khảm or Giang-thành, known internationally as Manscape.
1724: Long-hồ dinh of Nam Hà. Long-hồ is the Annamese pronunciation of Góng-háu.
. Buddhism is said to have reached Cambodia through Banteay Meas, brought there by chance when a ship carrying Buddhaghosa was blown there by a storm in 415 AD. Buddhaghosa had with him the famous Emerald Buddha statue, for many centuries thereafter a state treasure of Cambodia and later Laos, until it was carried away by Thai invaders to be placed at its present location in the Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok. Cancao was established by a group of a few Hoa people, mostly men who helped the Ming dynasty and were opposed to the Qing dynasty, led by Mạc Kính Cửu. When they arrived in Nam Hà, the Nguyễn-phước rulers ordered the king of Cambodia to grant land to these Hoa people, and made an active business town. Cochinchinese people gradually arrived there. This town later was merged into Quangnamese territory when Mạc Kính Cửu confirmed its sovereignty to the Nguyễn-phước rulers and he then obtained the title of ruler. The capital was at the time Hà Tiên, referring to the guardian deity of the Giang-thành river, given by ruler Nguyễn Phước Châu. In Mok clan's territory there were 7 casinos : Máng-khảm, Lũng-kỳ, Cần-bột, Hương-úc, Sài-mạt, Linh-quỳnh and Phú-quốc. Today this land corresponds to the Cambodian coastal provinces with Vietnamese provinces Kiên Giang, Hậu Giang, Cà Mau and Bạc Liêu.
Economy
Around 22 km south of Hà Tiên is a large cement plant located in Kiên Lương. Its history goes back to the Republic of Vietnam, where it was one of the largest industrial projects when construction was started in April 1961.
Daily fast ferries are available to Phú Quốc island. In the low season they normally operate twice a day - at approximately 08:00-08:30 and then 13:00-13:30. In the high season they run more frequently, with up to 3 fast boats each making up to 3 crossings every day. The trip takes about 80-90 minutes. There are also now 4 car ferries operating from Hà Tiên to the north east corner of the island at Bai Thom. These run on demand, not to a fixed schedule and can start as early as 05:00 and run until 21:00. This takes about 2.5 hours.
Border crossing
A road border crossing between Vietnam and Cambodia, called the Hà Tiên International Border Gate, is located 7 km west of Hà Tiên in the village of Xà Xía. On the Cambodian side, the border crossing is known as the Prek Chak International Border Checkpoint in Kampong Trach District, Kampot. The border crossing was opened in 2007. It is open from 07:00 to 18:00. Besides conventional Vietnamese visas, this border crossing is also listed as a Vietnamese e-Visa point of entry for foreigners.
