My hometown river

Vam Co is a river in the South of the Dong Nai river system, 280km long, originating from Cambodia, the part in Vietnam alone is more than 190km long, with two direct tributaries, the Dong Vam Co River and the Tay Vam Co River.

According to French historical documents, this river is called "Vaïco", originating from the Khmer word "piăm vaïco", meaning "cow herding river", the Vietnamese mispronounced it as Vam Co, this shows that the river was the ancient buffalo herding road.

Vam Co Dong flows into Vietnam at Thanh Long border commune, Chau Thanh district, then passes through Ben Cau, Hoa Thanh, Go Dau, Trang Bang districts (Tay Ninh).

Along the territory of Duc Hoa, Duc Hue, Ben Luc, Can Duoc districts (Long An), combined with the Vam Co Tay river in Tan Tru district (Long An) to create the Vam Co river.

The section of Vam Co flowing through Long An forms the natural and administrative boundary between the two provinces of Long An (Can Duoc district on the left bank) and Tien Giang (Go Cong town and Go Cong Dong district on the right bank), pouring water into the Soai Rap river and flowing into the East Sea.

In particular, the section near the junction between the Vam Co River and the Soai Rap River mouth also has another impressive name, "Vam Bao Nguoc" because this last section curves strongly, forming three consecutive arcs like a wraparound, which is also the origin of the word "Bao" in "Bao Nguoc".

The legendary Vam Co Dong has long been an endless source of inspiration in folk songs, poems, modern music and sweet, lyrical vọng cổ. The river has a beautiful, winding beauty like the beauty of a young woman bowing to welcome guests:

"The abandoned net drifted downstream on the Vam Co River.

Thuy Kieu is far from Kim Trong like I am far from myself.

"The water of the Vam Co River is so clear that you can see the bottom.

The Mekong River flows gently

Who is going to My Thuan, Tien Giang?

I miss the guy who played the guitar in the past.

The mark is the poem Vam Co Dong composed in 1963 by musician Hoai Vu (real name Nguyen Dinh Vong, from Quang Ngai, born in 1935), when he was on a business trip from the "R" region - the code name of the revolutionary command area in Tay Ninh, following the Vam Co river down to the "lower region" of Long An.

"In the Red River, do you know?

My hometown also has a river.

I always call with passion

Dong Co River! Oh Dong Co River!

Oh...oh Dong Nai River, oh oh river

The blue water never changes its course”…

This poem was composed into a song of the same name by musician Truong Quang Luc (born in 1935); and resonated poignantly in the vọng cổ song “Dòng Sông Quê Em” by composer Huyen Nhung.

Heritage Magazine