Phu Quoc, known as Koh Tral by Cambodians, is the largest island of
Vietnam. Situated in the Gulf of Thailand, the island is part of
Kien Giang province. The district of Phú Quốc includes the island proper and
21 smaller islets. The district seat, Dương Đông, which is located on
the west coast, is also the largest town on this island, whose total
area is 593.05 km².
Geography:
Verdant and topographically varied, the island offers the visitor an
array for landscapes, ranging from sandy beaches and coves to forested
mountains, river plains and smaller islets which together make up an
archipelago of 26 islands. The island's variety extends to its maritime
heritage, Phu Quoc having both an active fishing industry and good
quality coral reefs, most notably to the south and northwest of the
island.
The population, numbering around 85,000,
has traditionally beeb associated with the sea, and the island's most
the striking cultural traits remain the fishing communities of the two
main towns, Duong Dong and An Thoi as well as host of smaller and very
distinctive fishing villages dotted around the island. The island has
also however attracted considerable migration from to respond to growing
opportunities in the service industries spurred on by tourism.
In the centre and south much of the
original lowland tropical evergreen forest cover has been cleared
leaving behind a mix of agricultural and secondary forest landscapes and
a variety of rural, settlements. These areas contrast with denser and
more extensive rainforest areas in the north which national conservation
laws protect and whose scenery is particularly striking when combined
with the natural coasting and rivers.
Phu Quoc Island is geographically familiar to
Vietnamese people, particularly in the south of the country where its
tropical island status and mountainous character contrasts sharply with
the flatlands of the Mekong Delta. Internationally it is an almost
unknown destination, with only specialist features of the island,
notably the Phu Quoc fish sauce "nuoc mam", Phu Quoc pepper, "ho tieu"
and Phu Quoc dog (unique ridgeback breed) having and international
recognition.
Strategic Location:
Located 10-degree North latitude, Phu Quoc is a tropical island whose
closest landing point in Vietnam by sea is the town of Ha Tien, also in
Kien Giang province and is 46 km away. Rach Gia city, the capital of the
province is 120 km away and be reached by sea and by air (25 minute
fly).
Ho Chi Minh City is some 500 km away and is accessible by air (60
minutes fly).
Economy: Phu Quoc Island is famous for its two traditional products: fish sauce and
black pepper. The rich fishing grounds offshore provides the anchovy
catch from which the prized sauce is made. Pepper cultivation is located
inland in the center of the island. More recently a pearl farm was
established.
Tourism plays an important part of the
economy with the beaches being the main attraction. Phu Quoc is served
by Phu Quoc Airport which air links to
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)'s Tan
Son Nhat Airport and Rach Gia's Rach Gia Airport. A new international
airport is going to be built here. Phu Quoc is also linked with Rach Gia
and Hà Tiên by fast ferry hydrofoils.
Strategic LocationBrief history of the island:
In the early 17th century, Phu Quoc was a desolate area, where
Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants earned their living from sea
cucumbers. From 1782 to 1786, Phu Quoc became a stronghold of Lord
Nguyen Anh, later Emperor Gia Long, in his confrontation with Tay Son
forces. Between 1841 and 1847, 12 villages were recorded on the island,
including Duong Dong, Gach Dau and Cua Can.
In 1869, the French occupied it and set up
rubber and coconut plantations in the island. From 1967 to 1972, a P.O.W
detention camp of 40,000 inmates during the war covering on 400
hectares was built at An Thoi by the Saigon regime.
Population records suggest a very small
population on the island: in the late 19th and early 20th Century less
than 1,000 people resided on Phu Quoc, mostly distributed among small
fishing communities. By the end of Second World War the population was
still less than 5,000. Architectural evidence suggest the some
concentration of population occurred in Duong Dong , where some trading
activities were started under the French occupation. During the American
war the resident population had risen only to between 12,000 and
17,000, although during this more sinister phase of the island's history
a large prisoner population, made up of captured resistance fighters,
had emerged. The Cay Dua former prison remains one of the most visible
historical records of the island from where some 40,000 prisoners were
repatriated to the mainland at the end of the American War in 1975.
After being liberated on 30 April 1975, Phu Quoc has been converted into an ideal tourist destination for nature and sea lovers.
Strategic Location Climate:
The island's monsoonal sub-equatorial climate is characterized by
distinct rainy (June to October) and dry seasons (November to May). The
annual rainfall is high averaging 2,879 mm. In the northern mountains up
to 4,000 mm have been recorded. April and May are the hottest months
with temperature reaching 35 °C. Trips to Phu Quoc can be made all year
round, but the best time is dry season when the sky is always sunny,
clear and blue.
Strategic Location Traditional Customs & Festivals:
Like special events everywhere, the local festival days based on the
lunar calender falling on Oct.,16 (Dinh Cau Temple); Nov., 20 (Thuy Long
Thanh Mau Temple); July 15 (Temple consecration ); July 30 (Sung Hung
Ancient Pagoda consecration); Ham Ninh Lady's spirits memory; Oct.7
& 8 (Su Muon Pagoda); Sep. 25 & 26 (Suoi Da Pagoda; Sep. 26
& 27 (Ganh Gio Pagoda); August 27 (Nguyen Trung Truc monument's day)
; July 27 (Phu Quoc jail martyr Vietnamese monument's day); Jan. 15
(Gia King's Temple day); From Oct.3, 1997 (Many local people died in the
Storm no. 5 ); May 16 (Bon Canh Temple day).
Strategic Location Traditional products:
Phu Quoc Island has worldwide been famous for its two traditional products:
the pepper and fish sauce. The numbers are quite surprising: hundreds of
fish sauce workshops (annual output: 10 million liters) and countless
pepper gardens (total area: 500 ha). Visitors to pepper gardens will be
captivated by word of "itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny coins" of patient growers
while at fish sauce workshops, they will be amazed at the sight of
dozens of bulky barrels being lined up and waiting to be jammed with
fresh fish. You will be tempted to try a few pungent green pepper coins
and half a spoonful of the tasty salty sauce.
