VietNamNet Bridge - Bung Binh Thien is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the Southwestern region of Vietnam. It is located near the Vietnam-Cambodia border and connected with the Binh Di River in An Phu district, An Giang province.

To visit Bung Binh Thien, you can depart from the center of Chau Doc town, An Giang, through the Con Tien Bridge to Provincial Highway 956 to the town of An Phu. You then go to the Khanh Binh border gate, to the Quoc Thai intersection and turn left for 2km to Bung Binh Thien Lake.

Photo: Bung Binh Thien is located among the three border communes of Khanh Binh, Khanh An and Nhon Hoi.

Bung Binh Thien consists of two lakes named Bung Lon and Bung Nho. Bung Lon Lake has a surface area of 193 hectares and Bung Nho Lake is approximately 10 hectares, with an average depth of about 5 meters.

Every August when the water level in the Mekong River rises, flowing into Bung Lon and Bung Nho to make the two lakes become one. The vast lake is covered by lotuses, water lilies and water hyacinths.

The lake water is crystal clear but it just rises and lowers, not flowing. The lake is connected with the Binh Di River, which is bloodshot with alluvium. Oddly, that bloodshot flow becomes blue and fresh when it touches the mouth of the lake. This strange phenomenon looks very clearly in the flood season, making Bung Binh Thien one of the lakes with the most interesting natural phenomenas in the world.

The community of Muslim Cham lives around the lake, with their unique culture and lifestyle. The Mas Jid Khoy Ri Yah mosque with the garlic-shaped dome close to the lake is crowded with prayers each day.

Coming here, you can rent a boat to travel on the lake in the flooding season to see dien dien flowers or wander along the Cham villages to see the old wooden houses and charming Cham girls and kids.

Bung Binh Thien has an average depth of about 5 meters, the surface area of about 200 hectares in the dry season and up to 900 hectares in the rainy season.

Pha Le