My hometown river

Vam Co is a river in the South of the Dong Nai river system, 280km long, originating from Cambodia, the part in Vietnam alone is more than 190km long, with two direct tributaries: Dong Vam Co River and Tay Vam Co River.

According to French historical documents, this river was called "Vaïco", originating from the Khmer word "piăm vaïco", meaning "cow herding river", which the Vietnamese misread as Vam Co, which shows that the river was the road for herding buffaloes and cows in ancient times.

Vam Co Dong flows into Vietnam at Thanh Long border commune, Chau Thanh district, then passes through Ben Cau, Hoa Thanh, Go Dau, Trang Bang districts ( Tay Ninh ).

Along the territory of Duc Hoa, Duc Hue, Ben Luc, Can Duoc districts ( Long An ), combined with the West Vam Co River in Tan Tru district (Long An) to form the Vam Co River.

The section of Vam Co flowing through Long An forms the natural and administrative boundary between the two provinces of Long An (Can Duoc district on the left bank) and Tien Giang (Go Cong town and Go Cong Dong district on the right bank), pouring into the Soai Rap river and flowing into the East Sea.

In particular, the section near the junction between the Vam Co River and the Soai Rap River mouth also has another impressive name, "Vam Bao Nguoc" because this last section curves strongly, forming three consecutive arcs like a wraparound, which is also the origin of the word "Bao" in "Bao Nguoc".

The legendary Vam Co Dong has long been an endless source of inspiration in folk songs, poems, modern music and lyrical, sweet vọng cổ. The river has a graceful beauty, winding like the beauty of a young woman bowing to welcome guests:

"The abandoned net drifted downstream on the Vam Co River.

Thuy Kieu is far from Kim Trong as I am far from myself.

"The water in the Vam Co River is so clear you can see the bottom.

The Mekong River flows gently

Who is going to My Thuan, Tien Giang?

I miss the guy who played the guitar in the past.

The mark is the poem Vam Co Dong composed in 1963 by musician Hoai Vu (real name Nguyen Dinh Vong, from Quang Ngai, born in 1935), when he was on a business trip from the "R" region - the code name of the revolutionary command area in Tay Ninh, following the Vam Co river down to the "lower region" of Long An.

"In the Red River, do you know

My hometown also has a river

I call you forever with longing

Dong Nai River! Oh Dong Nai River!

Oh…oh Dong Vam Co, oh oh river

The blue water never changes its course”…

This poem was composed into a song of the same name by musician Truong Quang Luc (born in 1935); and resonated poignantly in the vọng cổ song “The River of My Hometown” by composer Huyen Nhung.

Heritage Magazine