Soc Trang Province Travel Guide
Located in the southern part of Vietnam, Soc Trang is bordered by the South China Sea. Its original name means ‘silver depository’, as Soc Trang was once the place where the Khmer king’s treasure was guarded. Nowadays the province is devoted to rice farming, river fishing and fruit farming, and it is one of the poorest areas in southern Vietnam.
Soc Trang city is 230kms (143 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City and is split in two by the Soc Trang river. The most famous places are Chua Doi pagoda, or Bat pagoda, and its giant bats; Chuat Dat Set pagoda, or ‘clay’ pagoda, built in 18th century; and Kl’eng Khmer pagoda, built in the 16th century. Soc Trang is also renowned for its Ooc Om Bok Khmer Festival with its long boat races that take place in December. The provincial capital offers basic accommodation with a few hotels and restaurants.
The province is nicknamed ‘the 170-pagoda province’ and hosts Khmer temples together with Chinese and Vietnamese pagodas. Famous sites include Long Hung pagoda (‘one-pillar’ pagoda), La Han Chinese temple, Phuog Nghiem Tu pagoda and its 10-meter long lying Buddha, and Ho Nuoc Ngot Natural Park. Festivals of the different ethnic groups are held all year round and lend a joyful atmosphere to the province.
Soc Trang is best accessed by road as infrastructure is not well developed in this area.