Long Xuyên


Long Xuyên is the provincial city and capital city of An Giang Province, in the Mekong Delta region of south-western Vietnam. It is located approximately 1,950 km south of Hanoi, 189 km from Ho Chi Minh City, and 45 km from the Cambodian border. The population of Long Xuyên city is over 368,376, with an area of only 106.87 km².
Long Xuyên is the second most prosperous city in south-western Vietnam, just after Cần Thơ city.
The city is subdivided to 13 commune-level subdivisions, including the wards of: Mỹ Bình, Mỹ Long, Mỹ Xuyên, Bình Khánh, Mỹ Phước, Đông Xuyên, Mỹ Quý, Mỹ Thạnh, Mỹ Thới, Bình Đức, Mỹ Hòa and the rural communes of Mỹ Hòa Hưng and Mỹ Khánh.

Economy

Long Xuyên is a very developed city in merchandising and processing fish industry with more than six plants and 10,000 workers.

Education

Long Xuyên is home to An Giang University and the Long Xuyên Teacher's Training College. An Giang University is the second largest university in the Mekong Delta. An Giang University has more than 8,000 students and began as a teaching trainer's college. It was given university status in 2000. Currently they have faculties in Education, Agriculture, Economics, IT, and Marx-Lenin Ideologies.
There are three main high schools in Long Xuyên city: Thoại Ngọc Hầu, Bình Khánh and Long Xuyên. Thoại Ngọc Hầu high school was once known as Long Xuyên high school, with currently over 2,000 students. Thoại Ngọc Hầu is a specialized school for majors of English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Literature, and Biology.

Culture

Long Xuyên is the center of the Hòa Hảo religion. There are also many Catholic churches, as well as some people who follow Buddhism and other religions. Each March, Châu Đốc celebrates the Bà Chúa Xứ festival, a large religious festival on top of Sam mountain.
Also, former president Tôn Đức Thắng's birthday is celebrated in Mỹ Hòa Hưng.
Local dishes include the standard Vietnamese fare as well as some variations on the area specialties.
Each year, many tourists pass through Long Xuyên on their way to Châu Đốc, which is a major stop-over on the way to Cambodia. However, tourists rarely stay in Long Xuyên. Bà Chúa Xứ Shrine is a sacred place that is visited by many people who pray for financial success.

Notable residents