Can Tho City

Can Tho City, the capital of what is now Can Tho Province in the Mekong Delta, It has has been called Tay Do, or "Western Capital", referring to its role in the Delta as a region before the French colonization and during it. It is 170 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City on the south bank of the Hau River. It also is on the Con Son and Con Au canals, and is the meeting point of the nine rivers that flow to the South China Sea.

Long regarded as the capital of the Mekong Delta, the province and city are is trying to develop its infrastructure and to fight poverty in a bid to become the biggest economic center in the resource-rich region by 2010.

Infrastructure

For transportation, Can Tho Airport, 10km south airport is being upgraded to handle light cargo planes that can fly to Southeast Asian destinations. There is already hydrofoil transport to Ho Chi Minh City, but the port is being enhanced to a handling capacity of 3 million tons per year, to export food and import fertilizers, according to Nguyen Van Duoc, vice director of the province's Planning and Investment Department.

Education

It contains Can Tho University.

Vietnam War

A major battle was fought during the Tet Offensive, with the 21st Army of the Republic of Viet Nam Division and C Company, U.S. 5th Special Forces Group defending it for four days.