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Before setting foot on the mound, visitors are to be drawn to a floating village, which necessarily involves dozens of fish rafts besieging this little mound. Dropping in these rafts, we are all touched by sincere words from peasants of their precious lives and living and how they are concerned. Seated on these rafts, we delight in gleeful swarms of fish wagging their tails when fed and the breezy air blowing from the river. These are the golden moments to get first contact with this peaceful mound.
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Visitors to Son mound can take a brief stroll around the leafy glade of shady orchards and appreciate the exotic sweetness of numerous fruits and bulbs. The mound is dedicated to rambutans, mangoes, pomelos, jack fruits, guavas or milkwood fruits… Between around Lunar March and May, orchards enter high harvest and attract legions of keen gourmands. Thanh Tam farm is reputed for its orchards of hundreds of Nam Roi pomelos, while Thanh Dat farm prides itself in exuberant longan orchards and Song Khanh farm makes its mark with succulent rambutant orchards… Each farm shines on its own and altogether enriches visitor experiences. We will indeed be captivated to pluck ripe fruits on the branches ourselves, sit under the huge shade and relish the choicest sweetness of tropical fruits at their best.
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Visitors are also warmed to genuine locals here. Son mound hosts less than 100 households, of whom only 15 specialize in tourist services. The locals mainly eke out a living from horticulture and their fish rafts. When asked about horticultural techniques, cooking or baking… the locals are more than ready for sharing and chatter.
Another great tourist product on Son mound is flying snakehead fish. Here visitors are stupefied by fleeting snakehead fish from the river to snatch the bait, some of which fly as high as 30 to 40cm. Besides, a real-life experience of peasantry here is also worth a try.
Rustic and authentic delta cuisine is also a great advantage of this mound. Farms typically deploy available ingredients on the mound for tourist purposes. A meal for visitors normally involves three to four farms.
There are 20 popular cakes and confections adopted by Son mound villagers in meals for tourists, including in cakes, deep fried cakes, wet rolled cake with mung beans, Vietnamese crepes, steamed banana cakes o silkworm cocoon cakes… Son mound popular cakes are now widespread not just locally and nationwide, but also known worldwide and have won numerous accolades in popular cake contests across the Southwest.
Lan Thao
(Source: Vietnam Today 10/2021)