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Búng Bình Thiên

Coordinates: 10°55′N 105°04′E / 10.917°N 105.067°E / 10.917; 105.067
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Búng Bình Thiên
Búng Bình Thiên.
Location of the lake in Vietnam.
Location of the lake in Vietnam.
Búng Bình Thiên
LocationAn Phú District, An Giang Province, Vietnam
Coordinates10°55′N 105°04′E / 10.917°N 105.067°E / 10.917; 105.067
TypeLake

Búng Bình Thiên or Nước Trời Lake is a fresh water lake in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.[1] The name that the lake is most often referred to, Búng Bình Thiên, means '[the] lake from the sky', referring to the stillness of the lake's surface and blue color it retains year-round.[2] Located in the An Giang province, about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the province's capital, Chau Doc, within the An Phú District. Búng Bình Thiên links three communes, namely Khánh Bình, Nhơn Hội, and Quốc Thái. It also links the Bình Di River and the Hậu River. [3]

Lake surface area

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The lake's water surface area is 200 hectares and is 4 metres (4.4 yd) deep in the dry season.[4] During the rainy season, the influx of water from the Mekong River causes the surface area to expand to 800 hectares with the depth rising to up to 8 metres (8.7 yd).[5]

Landscape quality

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The lake is still year-round.[6] Large amounts of algae, kelp, and aquatic plants such as water hyacinth, lotus, and water lily contribute to, and maintain clarity of the water of Búng Bình Thiên in times of Mekong Delta floods via filtering silt, oxygenating water, and roots preventing agitation of the lakebed.[6][7]

History and Legend

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In the 18th century, a Tây Sơn dynasty general chose the place where the lake now sits to train soldiers and store food; at the time, the area was very dry and barren, and so a ritual was held to ask the gods for rain and a source of water.[8] Legend states that after this ritual was held, the general thrust his sword into the ground, creating a wellspring from which the lake appeared.[9]

This legend holds a similarity to that of Gia Long Well, in Phú Quốc, in which the well was created by Gia Long's sword slashing into the earth to find water.[10]

Cham people

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Chams MasJid Khoy Ri Yah in the Nhơn Hội village

The area around Búng Bình Thiên is home to many ethnic Cham people who live around the lake and in the villages of Khánh Bình, Nhơn Hội and Quốc Thái. In modern times, the local Cham engage in the modern world, developing businesses and participating in cultural and artistic activities. [3]

References

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  1. ^ "Bung Bình Thien, An Phú District, Vietnam Tourist Information". www.touristlink.com. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  2. ^ News, VietNamNet. "Báo VietnamNet". VietNamNet News (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2024-04-11. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b hanhphuc (2012-12-14). "Bung Binh Thien – a heavenly natural lake in An Giang province". Vietnamimmigration.com official website | e-visa & Visa On Arrival for Vietnam | Lowest Price Guarantee, From US$6. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  4. ^ "Bung Binh Thien – a heavenly natural lake in An Giang province". vietnamimmigration. 2024-08-07. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  5. ^ Truong Hoang Dan and Nguyen Thanh Giao. "Characteristics of Sediment in Bung Binh Thien Reservoir, An Giang Province, Vietnam" (PDF).
  6. ^ a b "Beautiful Búng Bình Thiên in the monsoons – VietNam Breaking News". www.vietnambreakingnews.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ Kosten, Sarian; Lacerot, Gissell; Jeppesen, Erik; da Motta Marques, David; van Nes, Egbert H.; Mazzeo, Nestor; Scheffer, Marten (2009-11-01). "Effects of Submerged Vegetation on Water Clarity Across Climates". Ecosystems. 12 (7): 1117–1129. doi:10.1007/s10021-009-9277-x. ISSN 1435-0629.
  8. ^ "Beautiful Búng Bình Thiên in the monsoons". vietnamnews.vn. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  9. ^ VIETNAM.COM. "Bung Binh Thien: Monsoon Beauty". VIETNAM.COM. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  10. ^ T. D. H., Le (2017). "An investigation into the tale values on the legends of Nguyen Anh (king Gia Long) in the southern region of Vietnam". CTU Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development. 07 (7): 100–108. doi:10.22144/ctu.jen.2017.055.