Phu Quoc’s Hundreds of Kilometers of Rivers and Canals
Apart from the beautiful blue beaches and luxury resorts, perhaps no other island in Vietnam has as many large rivers and canals as Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province).
If we have the chance to visit Phu Quoc, let's rent a small boat and go upstream to see the two largest and most typical rivers of Phu Quoc tourism. These are the Duong Dong and Cua Can rivers.
Cua Can River on Phu Quoc Island is about 15 kilometers long, beginning in the Ham Ninh mountain range (Ham Ninh commune, Phu Quoc city), flowing southwest, and emptying into the sea in Cua Can commune.
This river flows through some areas known to locals as Rừng Cấm, đồng Cây Sao, đồng Bà... (Photo by Dung Truong.)
For decades, many hamlets have grown up along the Cua Can River. Residents work as fisheries, both in the river and in nearby marine areas.
The river flows through vast forests for the majority of its length. The depth and width of the water surface in river segments vary greatly because they are formed by nature. The Cua Can River is nearly 30m wide at its widest point, but there are small sections of the river that are less than 5m wide, just wide enough for a small boat to pass through.
When the water is still, you can see all the way to the bottom of Cửa Cạn River. Both sides of the river have beautiful landscapes with low, intertwined shrubs that are home to locals.
A long sandbar protrudes from the mouth of the Cua Can River, which flows into the sea, and blocks it. People can thus easily enter and exit when the tide is high. This estuary is almost "bottomless" when the sea level is low, only wide enough for a small boat to pass through. This is another unique feature that gives the river its name.
Duong Dong River is the longest river on Phu Quoc island, stretching 21.6 kilometers. The river originates in the Silver Rock stream and flows east-west.
In Duong Dong town, the Duong Dong River empties into the Dinh Cau Sea (Phu Quoc city). The main anchorage for ships and boats in Phu Quoc is the Duong Dong estuary.
In addition to the main flow, some Duong Dong River sub-tributaries include Rạch Ông Trì, rạch Cầu Lớn, Suối Đá, Suối Tiên..., with a total length of up to 63km.
During rough seas, the number of fishing vessels moored at the mouth of the Duong Dong river can reach thousands (Photo: Dinh Quang Thieu).
Over 10,000 households live along the banks of the Duong Dong River and its tributaries. There are no rivers in our country that have a dense density of dense and bustling coastal dwellers like the Duong Dong River.
These households are primarily involved in fishing, fish sauce, and small trade.
For many years, the pollution of the Duong Dong river water source has been severe due to a large amount of domestic wastewater discharged directly into the river. Local governments have repeatedly requested that competent authorities find solutions to help reduce pollution in the Duong Dong River.
In addition to the two major rivers, Duong Dong and Cua Can, Phu Quoc Island have the Rach Tram River and a fairly extensive canal system totaling more than 100 kilometers in length.
Cau Su creek in An Thoi town is the largest canal in Phu Quoc. The canal is more than 10 kilometers long, with water surface widths ranging from 5 to 30 meters depending on the segment.
Cau Su Creek connects directly to the sea and does not meet with larger tributaries. This is what distinguishes Cau Su Creek from the rest of the canals on Phu Quoc Island.
With these characteristics, many locals believe that, despite being a canal, Cau Su Creek is no different than a river. Fishermen's boats enter and exit the creek on a regular basis and use it as a safe anchorage.
Source: Hoàng Giám