Pristine beauty of a submerged forest

10:28' 08/11/2007 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge - In the midst of south Vietnam's Mekong Delta lies a watery, 20-ha primeval indigo forest bursting with reeds, rushes and water lilies. Visitors will be enraptured by the primitive beauty of the Xeo Quit forest – a region bordering the My Long and My Hiep communes in Dong Thap Province. This culturally historic area was once a revolutionary base for resistance forces in the wars against the French and US armies, but today the ecologically diverse forest is a popular tourist destination. Sampan boat trips run regularly through the vast swampy marsh under an immense canopy of dense cajuput trees. Tour guides wearing traditional loose-fitting blouses and bandanas navigate the canoes skilfully throughout a maze of tree roots covered in multi-layered brown bark. The air is cool and humid with the fragrance of cajuput flowers wafting among the vegetation. Every so often a moor-hen sings out while Kingfishers fly off into the luxuriant jungle of trees. Although the area was largely devastated during the war, by 1975, more than 100,000 ha of forest still remained; covering parts of Long An, An Giang, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces; and thanks to restoration efforts, much of the diverse ecological system has been re-established. At points along the canals, however, the dug-outs, and thatched houses of the liberation army can still be seen. Leading out of the estuaries, the "Kingdom of Rice" is an area alongside the Mekong's canals where large schools of river fish swim and several types of rice-eating birds like to flock. The banks are home to harvest mice, snakes and turtles that can appear and disappear at a blink of an eye. Locals make good use of this diverse natural landscape in creating specialty food dishes like Dong Thap Muoi (harvest mouse baked with chilli and citronella) and snake stewed with spices. Brave tourists are welcome to try these indigenous delicacies for themselves. For those with less daring palettes, there are other delicious local dishes like sprouts of lotus with baked fish dipped in seasoning. After sipping rice wine, one can lie back in a hammock and contemplate the exotic tranquillity of the area. Xeo Quyt is also an ideal meeting-place for artistic camps. The intriguingly beautiful forest is considered a great source of inspiration for photographers, artists and sightseers alike. (Source: Nhan Dan/Thanh Nien)