Vĩnh Long | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Seal | |
| Etymology: "Eternal Prosperity" | |
 Location of Vĩnh Long within Vietnam | |
 | |
| Coordinates:10°10′N106°0′E / 10.167°N 106.000°E /10.167; 106.000 | |
| Country |  Vietnam |
| Region | Mekong Delta |
| Capital | Long Châu ward |
| Government | |
| • People's Council Chair | Bùi Văn Nghiêm |
| • People's Committee Chair | Lữ Quang Ngời |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,296.20 km2 (2,430.98 sq mi) |
| Population (31/12/2024) | |
• Total | 4,257,581 |
| • Density | 676.214/km2 (1,751.39/sq mi) |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnicities | Vietnamese,Khmer,Hoa,Chăm |
| GDP[2] | |
| • Total | VND 47.121 trillion US$ 2.047 billion |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
| Calling code | 70 |
| ISO 3166 code | VN-49 |
| HDI (2020) |  0.713[3](29th) |
| Website | vinhlong |
Vĩnh Long (listenⓘ) is aprovince located in theMekong Delta of southwesternVietnam. Its provincial capital isLong Châu ward. Its population is 4,257,581 and its area is 6,296.20 km2 (2,430.98 sq mi).[1] After merging withBến Tre andTrà Vinh provinces, Vinh Long province has many large river islands, including:River island Bảo,River island Minh andRiver island An Hoá. The east of the province has a coastline with theEast Sea.
Modern-day Vĩnh Long was part of Long Hồdinh (palace, 營) established by theNguyễn lords in 1732, comprising the provinces ofBến Tre,Trà Vinh, and parts ofCần Thơ.
The area saw some of the heaviest fighting between theTây Sơn brothers and the Nguyễn lords in the late 18th century; in 1784Nguyễn Huệ defeated Siamese forces aidingNguyễn Ánh at the Mang Thít River.
In 1951, the Southern Resistance Administrative Committee of theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam merged Vĩnh Long and Trà Vinh provinces intoVĩnh Trà province. Vinh Tra existed until 1954 (however, as North Vietnam never administered the area for a significant period of time, this arrangement was not enforced). In 1957, theSouth Vietnam formed Vĩnh Long province, consisting of six districts: Châu Thành, Chợ Lách (now part ofBến Tre province), Tam Bình, Bình Minh, Sa Đéc, and Lấp Vò. In 1961,Cái Nhum District was split from Chợ Lách.Đức Tôn District andĐức Thành District were added in 1962, but joined the newly formedSa Đéc province in 1966. As of 1975, the province had seven districts: Châu Thành, Chợ Lách, Tam Bình, Bình Minh, Minh Đức, Trà Ôn, and Vũng Liêm.
After thefall of South Vietnam, theSocialist Republic of Vietnam merged Vĩnh Long withTrà Vinh province, formingCửu Long province in 1976. In 1991, Cửu Long was again split into Vĩnh Long and Trà Vinh. At the time of the split, Vĩnh Long province consisted of one city (Vĩnh Long) and five districts: Long Hồ, Vũng Liêm, Bình Minh, Tam Bình, and Trà Ôn.
In 1992, Mang Thít District was re-split from Long Hồ District. In 2007, Bình Tân District was created.
On April 10, 2009, theVietnamese Government issued Decree No. 16/ND-CP establishingVĩnh Long City in Vĩnh Long Province, based on the entire natural area and population of Vĩnh Long Town.[4]
On June 12, 2025, the National Assembly passed Resolution No. 202/2025/QH15,[5] which took effect the same day, mergingBến Tre Province andTrà Vinh Province into Vĩnh Long Province.
Following the merger, Vĩnh Long covers 6,296.20 km2 and has a population of 4,257,581.
Lying between theHậu and Tiền rivers in the center of theMekong Delta, Vĩnh Long is a province well known for fishing.
Vĩnh Long is subdivided into eight district-level sub-divisions:
They are further subdivided into five commune-level towns (or townlets), 94 communes, and 10 wards.
Prawns and theBasa and Tracatfish are among the many types of fish that exist in abundance in the waters of Vĩnh Long. Its rich, fertile soil makes Vĩnh Long an ideal location for the growing of many exotic and delicious fruits, including the strange-lookingmangosteen, the spikeyrambutan and the pungently fragrantdurian. Because of Vĩnh Long's extensive network of waterways, these fruits and many other items can be purchased for merepennies from the huge water-based squadron of floating merchants.
Traveling by water is a common practice here for such mundane tasks as grocery shopping as well as getting to restaurants and tourist attractions located on small islets accessible only by boat. Tourist infrastructure is still in its infancy here, but comfortable lodging and great food can be had for very reasonable prices.
Located approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) southwest ofHồ Chí Minh City, Vĩnh Long is easily accessible by bus, van or car usingNational Route 1 and theMỹ Thuận Bridge. Air travel is served byCần Thơ International Airport which is approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Vĩnh Long. However, the province would also useHồ Chí Minh City'sTân Sơn Nhất International Airport too.
An Bình Island (Cù lao An Bình), situated on theTiền River, covers about 60 km² and is known for fertile orchards, homestays, and community-based tourism.[6] Notable sites include:
Places adjacent to Vĩnh Long province | |
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
