Things to Do in Sa Dec

Daily riverside market selling flowers, local snacks, and fresh produce. The wholesale flower section near the ferry dock has the cheapest prices in town. Watch women pack bunches of water lilies at dawn.

🕐 04:00-12:00

💡 Try the 'banh xeo' stall on the eastern end — 10,000 VND for a crispy pancake filled with shrimp and bean sprouts.

Paved promenade stretching 1.5 km along the Tien River with willow trees and concrete benches. Watch ferries shuttle between Sa Dec and neighbouring provinces. Good spot for sunset.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Bring mosquito repellent after 5pm. The best view is opposite the old French customs house — now a crumbling yellow building with peeling paint.

Along the Tien River, this village grows ornamental plants across hectares. Narrow paths wind between greenhouses and flower beds. Best in early morning when locals water rows of chrysanthemums, roses and bonsai.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Hire a bicycle for 20,000 VND from a shop on Nguyen Hue Street to explore the back paths without getting lost.

Cantonese-style pagoda built in 1925 with elaborate ceramic dragons on the roof and gilded altars inside. Small courtyard with bonsai trees and a quiet pond.

🕐 06:00-18:00

💡 Go at 6pm when the evening prayer starts — the incense smoke and chanting create a calm atmosphere with few tourists.

Home of the Chinese merchant who inspired Marguerite Duras' novel 'The Lover'. Wooden structure with mother-of-pearl inlay and faded French tiles. Entry is 15,000 VND.

🕐 07:30-11:30, 13:30-17:00

💡 Visit at 9am when the caretaker gives a 10-minute talk about the house's history and the film adaptation.