An Giang Province
Encyclopedia
An Giang is a province
of Vietnam
. It is located in the Mekong Delta
, in the southwestern part of the country, sharing a border with Cambodia
to the northwest.
. The Cam Mountains, also known as the Thất Sơn
range or the "Seven Mountains", are located in the western Tịnh Biên District. Followers of the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương
tradition, founded in An Giang in 1849, refer to these mountains as Bửu Sơn, "Precious Mountains".
An Giang includes 156 rural communes, wards and towns.
The cities of Long Xuyên
(the provincial capital) and Châu Đốc, both of which are located on the Hau Giang branch of the Mekong, exist as independent municipalities.
culture, presumably owing to its position on the river. Traditionally, An Giang has been known for its silk
industry.
An Giang is home to a sizable number of people from Vietnam's ethnic minorities. Due to the province's proximity to Cambodia, the Khmer Krom
are the largest non-Vietnamese group. Other groups, such as the Cham and ethnic Chinese (Hoa), are also found in An Giang.
The Ba Chuc massacre of April 1978, in that border province with Cambodia. On the day the Khmer Rouge began its series of border raids, April 15, 1978, Ba Chuc was a quiet little village of about 3,500 people. For two weeks, ending April 30, 1978, the Khmer Rouge tore through Ba Chuc slicing to bits anything that breathed, literally ripping apart young children limb from limb and hacking the adults to pieces with machetes. When the raids ceased the population of Ba Chuc had been reduced to 2.
Provinces of Vietnam
Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces and five centrally governed cities existing at the same level as provinces ....
of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It is located in the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
, in the southwestern part of the country, sharing a border with Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
to the northwest.
Geography
An Giang occupies a position in the upper reaches of the Mekong Delta. The Hau Giang and Tien Giang branches of the Mekong are the dominant geographical features of the province. With the exception of the west, most of An Giang is fairly flat, and is criss-crossed by many canals and small rivers. This terrain has led to An Giang being a significant agricultural centre, producing significant quantities of riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
. The Cam Mountains, also known as the Thất Sơn
That Son
Thất Sơn, also known as Bảy Núi or Thiên Cấm Sơn , is a range of small mountains located in the Tri Tôn and Tịnh Biên districts in Vietnam's An Giang province.- Overview :...
range or the "Seven Mountains", are located in the western Tịnh Biên District. Followers of the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương
Buu Son Ky Huong
Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương refers to a religious tradition originally practiced by the mystic Đoàn Minh Huyên and continued by Huỳnh Phú Sổ, founder of the Hòa Hảo sect of Buddhism...
tradition, founded in An Giang in 1849, refer to these mountains as Bửu Sơn, "Precious Mountains".
Administration
Politically, An Giang is divided into nine districts:- Long XuyênLong XuyenLong Xuyên is the capital city of An Giang Province, in the Mekong Delta region of southwestern Vietnam. It is located at approximately 1,950 km south of Hanoi, 189 km from Ho Chi Minh City, and 45 km from the boundary with Cambodia...
: 11 wards and 2 rural communes - Tân Châu: 5 wards and 9 rural communes
- Châu Đốc: 4 wards and 3 rural communes
- An Phú: 2 towns and 12 rural communes
- Châu Phú: 1 town and 12 rural communes
- Châu Thành: 1 town and 12 rural communes
- Chợ Mới: 2 towns and 16 rural communes
- Phú Tân: 2 towns and 16 rural communes
- Thoại Sơn: 3 towns and 14 rural communes
- Tịnh Biên: 3 towns and 11 rural communes
- Tri Tôn: 2 towns and 13 rural communes
An Giang includes 156 rural communes, wards and towns.
The cities of Long Xuyên
Long Xuyen
Long Xuyên is the capital city of An Giang Province, in the Mekong Delta region of southwestern Vietnam. It is located at approximately 1,950 km south of Hanoi, 189 km from Ho Chi Minh City, and 45 km from the boundary with Cambodia...
(the provincial capital) and Châu Đốc, both of which are located on the Hau Giang branch of the Mekong, exist as independent municipalities.
Vehicle registration plate
- Long Xuyên 67-B1 XXX.XX
- Châu Đốc 67-E1 XXX.XX
- Tân Châu 67-H1 XXX.XX
- Châu Phú 67-C1 XXX.XX
- Châu Thành 67-D1 XXX.XX
- Chợ Mới 67-L1 XXX.XX
- Thoại Sơn 67-M1 XXX.XX
- Tri Tôn 67-N1 XXX.XX
Demographics
An Giang first became a province in 1832, having been settled by ethnically Vietnamese migrants moving southwards in search of new land. It is believed that An Giang was once an important centre of the vanished Óc EoÓc Eo
Óc Eo is an archaeological site in Thoại Sơn District in southern An Giang Province, Vietnam, in the Mekong River Delta region of Vietnam. It is also one of the modern day communes of Vietnam. Óc Eo may have been a busy port of the kingdom of Funan between the 1st and 7th centuries AD...
culture, presumably owing to its position on the river. Traditionally, An Giang has been known for its silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
industry.
An Giang is home to a sizable number of people from Vietnam's ethnic minorities. Due to the province's proximity to Cambodia, the Khmer Krom
Khmer Krom
The Khmer Krom are Khmer people living in the Mekong Delta and the Lower Mekong River area. Under the Khmer Rouge regime- according to the conservative estimates are that 150,000. Under the rule of Vietnam from 1979-93, Cambodia may have lost 20,000 Khmer Krom...
are the largest non-Vietnamese group. Other groups, such as the Cham and ethnic Chinese (Hoa), are also found in An Giang.
The Ba Chuc massacre of April 1978, in that border province with Cambodia. On the day the Khmer Rouge began its series of border raids, April 15, 1978, Ba Chuc was a quiet little village of about 3,500 people. For two weeks, ending April 30, 1978, the Khmer Rouge tore through Ba Chuc slicing to bits anything that breathed, literally ripping apart young children limb from limb and hacking the adults to pieces with machetes. When the raids ceased the population of Ba Chuc had been reduced to 2.
Etymology
The province's name is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese word: 安江, meaning "peaceful river".Political
- Tôn Đức Thắng, famous Communist, ex-President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; later became the first President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Long Xuyên).
- Nguyễn Ngọc ThơNguyen Ngoc ThoNguyễn Ngọc Thơ is a Vietnamese politician who was the first Prime Minister of South Vietnam, serving from November 1963 to late January 1964. Thơ was appointed to head a civilian cabinet by the military junta of General Dương Văn Minh, which came to power after overthrowing and assassinating Ngô...
, vice-president of the Republic of Vietnam before April 30, 1975 (Long Xuyên). - Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, former minister of Vietnamese health (Chợ Mới).
Literature - Arts
- Nguyễn Quang Sáng, writer (Chợ Mới).
- Anh Đức, writer (Châu Thành).
- Nguyễn Chánh Sắt, writer (Tân Châu).
- Vương Trung Hiếu, writer (Thoại Sơn).
- Trịnh Bửu Hoài, writer (Châu Đốc).
- Viễn Phương, poet (Tân Châu).
- Hoàng Hiệp, musician (Chợ Mới).
- Song Ngọc, musician (Long Xuyên).
- Chóe, painter (Chợ Mới).
- Bạch Tuyết, dr. and artist elite (An Phú).
- Tạ Minh Tâm, artist elite (Long Xuyên).
- Đức Tuấn, singer (Long Xuyên).
- Đông Đào, singer (Phú Tân).
Education
- Võ Tòng XuânVo Tong XuanDr. Võ Tòng Xuân is the rector of Tan Tao University . He is the former rector of An Giang University and the former vice rector of Can Tho University. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation....
, professor, dr., artist people, agronomist and former rector of An Giang UniversityAn Giang UniversityAn Giang University was created as the second university in the Mekong Delta in 1999. Before gaining approval from the Ministry of Education and Training, it was a teacher training college. The former Rector of AGU was Dr. Vo Tong Xuan...
(Tri Tôn). - Trần Hữu Thường, teacher (Tân Châu).
- Lê Minh Tùng, Vice-Chairman of An Giang province and current rector of An Giang University
Religions
- Huỳnh Phú Sổ, founder of the Hòa HảoHoa HaoHòa Hảo is a religious tradition, based on Buddhism, founded in 1939 by Huỳnh Phú Sổ, a native of the Mekong River Delta region of southern Vietnam. Adherents consider Sổ to be a prophet, and Hòa Hảo a continuation of a 19th-century Buddhist ministry known as Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương...
sect of Buddhist (Phú Tân). - Buddha Boss (Tri Ton).
Military
- Nguyễn Văn NhơnNguyen Van NhonNguyễn Văn Nhơn was a general and official of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam.He served as a general of Nguyễn Ánh during the Nguyễn Lords' fight against the Tây Sơn rebellion. Nguyễn Ánh prevailed in 1802 and became Emperor Gia Long, establishing the Nguyễn Dynasty. Nhơn then served as the viceroy...
, general of Nguyễn dynasty (former Vĩnh An). - Thư Ngọc Hầu, general of Nguyễn dynasty (Chợ Mới).
- Trần Bá Lộc, collaborator with FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(Chợ Mới).