The Mekong River originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, flows more than 4,200 km to the South, passing through 6 countries: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and finally before flowing into the ocean, the river has created a fertile plain, an alluvial land: the Mekong Delta...

The mother river Mekong, when flowing into Vietnam, has a very beautiful name: Cuu Long River (also known as Cuu Long Giang). That is the actual characteristic when entering Vietnam, the Mekong River splits into two main streams, Tien Giang and Hau Giang, then these two rivers branch out horizontally and vertically, depositing fertile alluvium for the delta and then flowing into the East Sea through 9 mouths.

Perhaps, this is the basis for our ancestors who discovered the Southern land to name this river section as Cuu Long. This is also the inspiration for me to embark on a journey to explore the land of Nine Dragons, by traveling along the 9 windy river mouths.

However, in reality, the Ba Lai estuary in Ben Tre province has been replaced by a saltwater dam system (put into use in 2002). According to old documents, the Ba Thac estuary is located on Dung Islet (Tra Vinh), but for many years now, even the locals have not remembered exactly where this estuary is located.

The reason is very simple, over time, the continuous alluvial deposition, as well as the change of some natural flows, the Ba Thac estuary has long been buried. Therefore, the legend of the Dragon land with 9 river mouths, in reality, only has 7 mouths.

No matter how much nature changes, the most important thing is that the great Mother River has created a peaceful land, the foundation for forming one of the residential communities with many unique cultural features, contributing greatly to the Vietnamese cultural treasure.

Centuries have passed since Lord Nguyen entered to reclaim land and establish settlements. The Southern land, located between rivers, has always been a place where extremely unique qualities intersect and converge, which, in a rustic way, is the generous "garden culture".

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