KHMER CULTURE: The Wat Pătum Wôngsa Som Rông Pagoda in Sóc Trăng Province is one of the most beautiful and largest Khmer pagodas in Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta. VNA/VNS Photo by Thành Đạt

SÓC TRĂNG — The Cửu Long Delta province of Sóc Trăng has identified key tourism products to attract tourists and develop its tourism by 2025.

The province will focus on spiritual tourism in the city of Sóc Trăng which is known as a home to many unique pagodas such as Bửu Sơn or Đất Sét (Clay) Pagoda, and Mahatup or Dơi (Bat) Pagoda.

The city is also home to the Pătum Wôngsa Som Rông Pagoda, one of the most beautiful and largest Khmer pagodas in the region. The highlight of the pagoda is a reclining Buddha statue which is 63m long and 22.5m high.

The province continues to preserve and renovate its relic site Giếng Tiên (Fairy Well) in Châu Thành District, which is believed to be created by a fairy and has existed more than 1,000 years ago. People often come there to pray for peace and prosperity.

In addition, community-based tourism and agricultural tourism will continue to be developed in Mỹ Phước and Phong Nẫm islets in Kế Sách District, Sáu Xom Stork Garden in Mỹ Xuyên District, and in Châu Thành and Cù Lao Dung districts.

Trần Minh Lý, director of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “The province is continuing to create and perfect community-based tourism products and services in Cù Lao Dung, Kế Sách and Mỹ Tú districts, and develop music clubs to serve tourists."

BIG BUDDHA: The Buddha statue in the Wat Pătum Wôngsa Som Rông Pagoda, which is 63m long and 22.5m high, is the largest reclining Buddha statue in Việt Nam. —VNA/VNS Photo by Thành Đạt

The province will build tours to its historical sites such as the provincial Party Committee’s military base located in Mỹ Phước melaleuca forest, where thousands of meetings of the Party Committee were held during war time.

It will promote marine ecotourism in Cù Lao Dung District, and the beaches of Mỏ Ó in Trần Đề District and Hồ Bể in Vĩnh Châu District.

According to Lý, Sóc Trăng is seeking more investment from different sources to develop infrastructure linking tourism sites, religious relics, and craft villages in the province.

The province is also enhancing linkages and cooperation with provinces and cities in the Cửu Long Delta and HCM City to create new tours and products to attract more visitors.

Accelerating digital transformation is one of Sóc Trăng’s goals in tourism development.

The province now has its tourism portal at mysoctrang.vn and a mobile application called “Sóc Trăng Tourism” to promote its food, destinations and history.

Sóc Trăng targets to welcome 2.3 million visitors in 2023, including 64,000 foreign tourists. Tourism revenue is expected to reach more than VNĐ1 trillion (US$42.3 million). — VNS