Ca Mau Cape – A grain of alluvium encroaches on the sea and adds more forest

Tourists from the capital take souvenir photos at the Hanoi Flag Tower at Ca Mau Cape (Hoang Nam)

As a famous destination with typical geography, culture, scenic beauty and eco- tourism of the whole country, Mui Ca Mau National Park is also a sacred and beloved place in the hearts of every Vietnamese person, a place everyone wants to visit once.

Ca Mau Cape National Park - World Biosphere Reserve, an interesting destination in the land of nine dragons

Mui Ca Mau National Park was established in 2003 when Dat Mui Nature Reserve was converted into a National Park in the system of special-use forests of Vietnam. This is the largest primeval mangrove forest in our country, bordering the East Sea and the West Sea, so it is affected by both tidal regimes: semi-diurnal tides of the East Sea and diurnal tides of the West Sea. This is the breeding ground of many aquatic species of high economic value and a stopping point for many migratory waterfowl species to winter.

Tourists from Dien Bien and Bac Lieu provinces take photos at the National GPS coordinate landmark 0001 Ca Mau Cape (Hoang Nam)

Mui Ca Mau National Park has an area of ​​about 41,862 hectares. Of which, about 15,262 hectares is the mainland area, the remaining 26,600 hectares is the coastal area in contact with the mainland. The park is divided into 4 main sub-zones: strictly protected sub-zone (12,203 hectares), ecological restoration sub-zone (2,859 hectares), administrative - service sub-zone (200 hectares), marine conservation sub-zone (26,600 hectares).

The road to the tip of Ca Mau Cape, mangrove trees stretch high across (Hoang Nam)

Currently, Mui Ca Mau National Park has a very rich and diverse flora and fauna, with about 28 to 32 species of mangrove trees; about 26 species of mammals, 93 species of birds, 43 species of reptiles, 139 different species of fish, with 9 species of amphibians, 49 species of plankton, and many other rare species... Among them, there are two species listed in the world's red book: long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), silvered langur (Trachypithecus cristatus) and four species listed in the Vietnam red book.

On May 26, 2009, Mui Ca Mau National Park (Ngoc Hien district) and U Minh Ha National Park (U Minh district) in Ca Mau province were included in the list of World Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO. On April 13, 2013, the Secretariat of the World Ramsar Convention recognized Mui Ca Mau National Park as the 2,088th Ramsar site in the world.

Mui Ca Mau alluvial plain is gradually moving towards the sea (Hoang Nam)

The strip of land jutting out into the sea in the shape of a boat's bow called Dat Mui is where you can watch the sunrise in the East Sea in the morning and also see the sunset in the West Sea. The best place to see this scene is the long, winding breakwater that surrounds the mangrove forest and the land inside Dat Mui, or right at the stopping points on the alluvial ground (where the mainland is expanding).

According to the elders here, Ca Mau Cape advances hundreds of meters into the sea every year without any human intervention. The plant ecosystem here has two main types: mangrove and apricot trees, which live together and support each other. The apricot trees gradually move towards the sea, surviving by stretching their roots to catch alluvium to survive, but the apricot roots also act as a "breakwater" to cover the fallen mangrove fruits that are planted in the ground to grow. The large, sturdy mangrove trees extend their long, hard roots, covering the apricot trees and accumulating alluvium to nourish the young mangrove trees that gradually grow.

Tourists enjoy admiring the mangrove forest at Ca Mau Cape, which hundreds of years ago was a sea area, but is now solid land. (Hoang Nam)

That symbiotic life has brought Ca Mau Cape and the Fatherland forward to the sea for hundreds of years, carrying the proud appearance of the Vietnamese people on the path of opening up the land, as the poet Xuan Dieu said:

“…. Our Fatherland is like a ship

That is the bow of our boat, Cape Ca Mau…”

Tourists from neighboring provinces next to the iconic Ca Mau Cape (Hoang Nam)

As the first rays of dawn gradually break out with red light illuminating the entire sky, the mangrove forests here also gradually awaken. The immense green of mangroves, of mangroves, of sparkling alluvial land blends with the blue of the sea, captivating visitors.

Sunset at Ca Mau Cape (Hoang Nam)

When the afternoon comes, the sunset brings along colorful clouds, making the scenery of Ca Mau Cape more lyrical and romantic. The image of the majestic and peaceful Fatherland appears every day at Ca Mau Cape like that.

The mark of Ca Mau Cape - when the country's territory gradually expanded towards the sea

Coming to Ca Mau Cape, visitors can visit and take souvenir photos at the typical symbols of the Cape such as GPS coordinate marker 0001, miniature pano (image of a ship), visit the breakwater, snail symbol, mudskipper, forest village bridge, milestone of the end of the Ho Chi Minh trail, Lac Long Quan Temple, Mother Au Co Statue, ...

Hanoi flagpole at Ca Mau Cape stands tall next to the vast mangrove forest (Hoang Nam)

In particular, there is also the Hanoi Flag Tower at Ca Mau Cape, which was donated by the Party Committee and people of Hanoi Capital to the province, and was inaugurated in 2019. Visitors can walk up to the upper floors of the Hanoi Flag Tower to see the panoramic view of Ca Mau mangrove forest, the vast East Sea, and the Hon Khoai island cluster looming from afar. The scenery of the forest and the sea blend together to create a beautiful, poetic scene that is rarely found anywhere else.

Coming to Ca Mau Cape, visitors can watch the sunrise and sunset on the sea (Hoang Nam)

Tourists coming here will be able to experience the route through the forest, down the boat or canoe on Lach Vam canal to see the oyster cages close together on the river surface and have the opportunity to learn about seafood farming. Explore the mangrove ecosystem, learn about the creatures under the forest canopy. Go to the ideal stopping point to watch flocks of migratory birds. Or take a look at the alluvial land gradually advancing to the sea.

According to travel agencies, Ca Mau Cape is always the choice of tourists in many tours, especially domestic tourists. The reason is that many people want to visit the last land of Vietnam, to witness with their own eyes the wonders of nature as the country's territory gradually expands towards the sea.

Dawn on Ca Mau Cape (Hoang Nam)

Ms. Vo Ly Mai Phuong, a tourist in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, said that when coming to Ca Mau Cape, in addition to admiring the diverse and amazing mangrove ecosystem, you can also see the vastness of our Fatherland. "If you watch the sunrise and sunset at an alluvial land, you will see the vastness of the country. But what's more interesting is that if you come back a year later, that place may have been filled with alluvium to form land." - Ms. Vo Ly Mai Phuong said.

“But the most convenient is to visit many linked points in the same trip. When visiting Ha Tien, Phu Quoc then returning to Rach Gia, going straight to Ca Mau Cape, returning to Ca Mau City then visiting Bac Lieu City, then returning to Soc Trang. Therefore, Dat Mui is an indispensable point in that chain” – Ms. Phuong added.

Famous crab dish in Ca Mau Cape (Hoang Nam)

Speaking to reporters of the Economic and Urban Newspaper, Mr. Tran Hieu Hung, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau province, said that Mui Ca Mau National Park is an important point in the chain - tourist route in Ca Mau in particular and the whole region in general. If the tourism regional linkage is well organized, Mui Ca Mau will be an indispensable link to promote regional tourism. Most recently, in just 5 days of the Lunar New Year 2024, 103,368 (307 international visitors) visited tourist areas, sites, relics and stayed in Ca Mau province, an increase of 17% over the same period. Of which, more than 50% came to Mui Ca Mau.

“To promote the prime tourism advantages of Dat Mui, the province is implementing many in-depth policies and solutions. Accordingly, it is focusing on investing in upgrading and building new eco-tourism tours; promoting regional linkages in tourism exploitation and development, especially the linkage and cooperation program for tourism development between Ca Mau and Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta provinces; creating favorable conditions to connect travel agencies and tourism service enterprises between localities” – Mr. Tran Hieu Hung strongly advised.

 

On March 29, 2024, in Can Tho City, Economic & Urban Newspaper in collaboration with the Mekong Delta Tourism Association and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho City co-organized the Workshop "Building and developing tours, routes and unique tourism products in the Mekong Delta".

The workshop was attended by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of 13 provinces of the Mekong Delta along with many researchers, scientists, and tourism businesses to assess the potential, location, and advantages of tourism in the Mekong Delta provinces. From there, find solutions, overcome weaknesses, and develop Mekong Delta tourism effectively and sustainably. In addition, discuss solutions to promote Mekong Delta tourism to domestic and foreign tourists.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/dat-mui-ca-mau-mot-hat-phu-sa-lan-bien-them-rung.html