48 hours in Binh Duong

Binh Duong not only has industrial zones but also features many beautiful tourist spots and entertainment venues that few people know about.

Binh Duong is the gateway to Ho Chi Minh City, with convenient roads, and its capital is Thu Dau Mot City. This area is historically significant, with historical sites such as Phu Loi, Bau Bang, Ben Suc, Lai Khe, especially the D Resistance Zone, famous for Tương Bình Hiệp lacquer village, the pottery craft, and fruit-laden orchards.

The 48-hour journey to explore Binh Duong follows the suggestions of Mr. Doan Cuong, a specialist at the provincial Tourism Promotion Center, alongside a group of tourists from Ho Chi Minh City. The program is suitable for travelers departing from Ho Chi Minh City who have 1-2 days of spare time to combine work and leisure.

Day 1​

Morning

Have breakfast and coffee at Thu Dau Mot City. Some popular breakfast suggestions here include Cây Me pig's intestine porridge, Mộc crab noodle soup, and Dạ beef noodle soup. The dishes range from 30,000 to 60,000 VND.

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A corner of Phu An Bamboo Village. Photo: Nguyen May

After breakfast, set off for Phu An Bamboo Village (also known as Phu An Eco-Bamboo Museum and Botanical Conservation), located in Ben Cat town, about 20 km from Thu Dau Mot City. It is the first bamboo ecosystem reserve in Vietnam, a familiar destination for those who enjoy rural landscapes. Here, it preserves about 1,500 bamboo clumps with 300 bamboo, rattan, and sedge samples belonging to 17 varieties (accounting for 90% of the bamboo species in Vietnam). Among them, there are many rare bamboo varieties such as mai ống, vàng sọc, ngà, lồ ô vàng, and mạnh tông.

In 2010, Phu An received the Equator Prize from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for biodiversity protection, serving community development and climate change response. In 2016, it was also recognized as a member of the Association of Botanical Gardens in the French-speaking world. It is also a great place for photography and relaxation.

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Inside the Dai Hung ancient pottery village. Photo: Ha Thanh

One of the must-visit destinations in Binh Duong is the 150-year-old Dai Hung ancient pottery village and the Tương Bình Hiệp lacquer village (about 3 km from downtown Thu Dau Mot). This is the oldest pottery production and preservation site in Binh Duong. Here, you will have the opportunity to discover the handmade pottery production process, including steps like hand-shaping, wood-firing, mixing colors in the traditional style, and sourcing raw materials from the quarry.

Dai Hung pottery kiln preserves and maintains traditional crafts, contributing to building and developing the economy with characteristic products. "Visiting Binh Duong without experiencing pottery making loses the value of the trip," Mr. Cuong shared. Every day, this famous kiln produces items consumed across Vietnam, with traditional designs such as jars, pots, and vases.

After visiting and learning about the pottery-making process and the lacquer village, tourists will have lunch at restaurants in downtown Thu Dau Mot. Suggested dishes include eel porridge with mangosteen salad and steamed rice cake with shrimp. These are three dishes from Binh Duong honored by the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association in its quest to seek the values of Vietnamese culture. Recommended addresses: Vuon Xua Quan, Chieu Nay Quan, Vuon Mang Quan, Vuon Mang Binh Nhâm.

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Mangosteen salad, a specialty of Binh Duong.

Afternoon

Visit the Tran Van Ho Ancient House (Phu Cuong ward, Thu Dau Mot City), an architectural artistic relic recognized at the national level in 1993.

The house was built in February 1890 in a traditional style with three compartments and two wings, featuring 36 round columns, with 6 rows of round columns from front to back, each row of 6 columns resting entirely on stone blocks, with tiled floors. The main façade of the house faces southwest (towards the Saigon River). This is one of the favorable feng shui directions that residents in the South often choose for building houses, especially wealthy families.

Hoi Khanh Pagoda is an ancient pagoda in Thu Dau Mot City, built in 1741. It houses a statue recognized by the Asian Record Organization as the longest reclining Buddha statue in Asia. The highlights of this ancient temple include its historical, cultural, and architectural values, especially as many historical relics and artifacts hundreds of years old are preserved. Hoi Khanh is also seen as a typical pagoda representing the common characteristics of ancient pagodas in Binh Duong.

According to Mr. Cuong, Hoi Khanh Pagoda is associated with the activities of Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac (the father of President Ho Chi Minh). From 1923 to 1926, Mr. Sac, along with Tu Cuc (Phan Dinh Vien) and Master Tu Van, founded the Honorary Association here.

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The reclining Buddha statue in Hoi Khanh Pagoda. Photo: Quynh Tran
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Hoi Khanh Pagoda. Photo: Quynh Tran
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The reclining Buddha statue in Hoi Khanh Pagoda. Photo: Quynh Tran
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Hoi Khanh Pagoda. Photo: Quynh Tran
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The reclining Buddha statue in Hoi Khanh Pagoda. Photo: Quynh Tran
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Hoi Khanh Pagoda. Photo: Quynh Tran
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Return to Thu Dau Mot, spend the night at one of the Bcons, Becamex, The Mira, or Long Bao Chau hotels, with prices ranging from 500,000 to 2 million VND per night.

Evening

Tourists can visit the night market and Bạch Đằng pedestrian street, which operates from 5 PM to 11:30 PM daily, with many stalls selling souvenirs, food, local specialties, and street food. Additionally, the market also has an entertainment area for children.

Day 2​

Morning and Afternoon

On the second morning, tourists can choose different dishes for breakfast such as Hue beef noodle soup at Ba Huong, duck noodle soup at Aunt Ut, Ha Phat noodle soup, fish cake noodle soup, and Mười Thanh fermented fish noodle soup, with prices ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 VND.

The next journey begins with a visit to the Vinh Loi Resistance Zone (Tan Uyen town), about 15 km from Thu Dau Mot. “Once a stronghold throughout the D Resistance Zone, this is considered one of the red addresses for source tourism,” Mr. Cuong said.

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The Vinh Loi Resistance Zone area. Photo: Heritage site

The Vinh Loi Resistance Zone was established in 1946, nestled between three large forests in Vinh Tan commune (Cây Bông forest, Sở Tiểu forest, and Thầy Cai forest), spanning over 300 hectares, bordered by two streams—the Cái stream (Thợ Ụt bridge stream) and Vinh Loi stream to the southeast. To the east and west, two transport axes run northward, connecting to the D Resistance Zone and the Thuan An Hoa Resistance Zone. Here, visitors can explore the victory monument, assembly hall, and memorial area.

Lunch at one of the restaurants in Tan Uyen City, such as Tan Phuoc Khanh, Bếp Nhà 2, Bạch Đằng, Le Tuan seafood restaurant, or Xua cuisine. Notably, you should try the catfish and river shrimp, which are local specialties in Tan Uyen.

Afternoon and Evening

Near the heritage site is Bạch Đằng grapefruit garden boasting 5 types of grapefruit (sticky sugar grapefruit, orange leaf grapefruit, guava grapefruit, thanh grapefruit, and green skin grapefruit). Bạch Đằng grapefruits are known for their deliciousness, where the orange-leaf grapefruit variety is the most common—almost every household in Bạch Đằng grows it. This variety has fruit weighing about 1-1.3 kg, with shiny, thin green skin and a pleasantly sweet taste.

Returning to the center, tourists should visit Thu Dau Mot Market. Originally known as Phu Cuong market, it is nearly 100 years old and still the largest market in Binh Duong. The market features French architecture with a clock tower similar to Ben Thanh market. Buying and selling activities continue in the surrounding streets. You can visit or purchase local products.

If you do not prefer to stroll around the market, stop by one of the most famous coffee shops in Thu Dau Mot - Gio and Nuoc. This garden coffee shop, built with bamboo over 15 years ago, has won numerous prestigious architectural awards both domestically and internationally. The shop has a spacious and airy environment, focusing on natural wind and water, with most construction materials made from bamboo, with no concrete columns. The shop operates from 7 AM to 10 PM, with drink prices ranging from 25,000 to 55,000 VND.

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The atmosphere at Gio and Nuoc Cafe.

In the evening, enjoy regional specialties at restaurants in the Chánh Nghĩa residential area such as Kill’s Grill, Tokyo BBQ, Chu SuKi, Sesan, The Palma, and Huong Viet. Additionally, there are some snacks like bánh xèo, hủ tiếu, spicy noodles, tofu, bánh bèo, and snails, all priced at just a few tens of thousands of VND.

Some alternative locations: Tây Tạng Pagoda, Phu Cuong Cathedral, Minh Sang Plaza Trade Center, Traditional Medicine Museum, Thuy Chau Eco-tourism Area, camping at Dau Tieng Lake. If visiting tourism areas and camping, tourists should spend at least one day. The Thuy Chau area is about 20 km from Thu Dau Mot (usually open only on weekends), while Dau Tieng Lake is about 65 km away.