Dong Nai

Location
Dong Nai is located on the south of Vietnam. It is surrounded by Lam Dong in the north, Binh Thuan in the east, Ba Ria - Vung Tau in the south, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc and Ho Chi Minh city in the west.

Characteristics
Dong Nai has area of 5907.2 km2 and the population of 2,838,600 in 2014. The topography includes some valleys, lowland, hill. The main kinds of land are bazan, alluvial soil. Therefore, it is good condition for industrial plants (rubber, coffee), and orchard. Dong Nai province has an advanced traffic system with many backbone national roads crossing, such as: National route 1A, national route 20, National route 51, North - South railway lines. Dong Nai  province is based on the system of lakes, dams and rivers, of which Tri An Lake with 323 km² and over 60 rivers, rivulets and canals are very favorable for the development of a number of aquatic products: raft bred fish and shrimp. The seasonal tropical forests are protected in Cat Tien National Park, located on the north of Dong Nai and the adjacent Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve. From the mountainous area, Dong Naii River, Vietnam's largest internal waterway, flows southeast through Bien Hoa City, Ho Chi Minh City, and villages along its way. This river plays an important role in supplying fresh water for the whole area.

History
The capture of Dong Nai on December 16, 1861 was an important allied victory in the Cochinchina Campaign (1858–62). This campaign, fought between the French and the Spanish on the one side and the Vietnamese (under the Nguyen Dynasty) on the other, began as a limited punitive expedition and ended as a French war of conquest. The war concluded with the establishment of the French colony of Cochinchina, a development that inaugurated nearly a century of French colonial dominance in Vietnam.

Dong Nai grew into a major suburb of Saigon as the capital city of the Republic of (South) Vietnam grew. Following the First Indochina War, tens of thousands of refugees from the northern and central regions of Vietnam—a large portion of whom were Roman Catholics — resettled in Dong Nai as part of Operation Passage to Freedom. During the Vietnam War, the United States Air Force operated Bien Hoa Air Base near the city. Mortar attacks on U.S. and ARVN targets were frequently staged from residential districts in Bien Hoa. Two of the better-known attacks took place during Tet of 1968 as well as 1969.

in the mid-1950s, Dong Nai was the site of small-scale resistance to the Communist government in the months immediately following the fall of the Republic of Vietnam. In the 1980s Dong Nai experienced an economic resurgence. Dong Nai and the surrounding areas received large amounts of foreign investment capital, and the area rapidly industrialized. As of 2005, Dong Nai is now an industrial center of southern Vietnam, and many factories and warehouses (often funded in collaboration with Japanese, Singaporean, American, Swiss and other foreign investors) operate in the area surrounding the city.

Activities
Hiking, Photography, Camping, Eating, Water activities, Board sliding on grass

Special event in year
Ky Yen festival: 26/6 in lunar calendar.

Ky Yen festival at Nguyen Tri Phuong temple: 16 - 17/10 in lunar calendar.

Specialties
Tan Trieu grapefruit

Stir-fried bat

Wet jackfruit

La dang sour soup

Fried cricket

Fruit

Attraction & activities

 * Da Han waterfall: located at Trang Bom town.Ticket price: 20.000 vietnam dong / person.
 * Nam Cat Tien national park: Enjoy nature and animal. You can rent tents with the price of 80.00 to 200.000 vietnam dong.
 * Tre Viet tourist area: has the area of 45.000 square meters. Enjoy water activities.
 * Buu Long tourist area: located at Bien Hoa. You can enjoy fishing, boat paddling.

How to go
There are many ways to get to Dong Nai. Some transportation that can be used are bus, scooter, motorcycle.

Estimate cost
It depends on how many place you decide to visit. Estimated about 100 USD.