Hà Tiên

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Hà Tiên is a provincial city in An Giang Province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. It covers about 100.5 square kilometers and has around 100,000 residents (2019). The city lies on the coast and borders Cambodia to the west, making it a popular spot for beaches and scenic views.

The name Hà Tiên means “River Spirit,” a reference to the guardian of the Giang-thành river. The area has a long history, with early Khmer and Chinese settlers. It grew into a busy trading town after Chinese settlers led by Mo Jiu established markets there, and it later became part of Vietnamese territory under the Nguyễn lords and received the name Hà Tiên.

Nearby, a large cement plant stands about 22 km south in Kiên Lương.

Getting there and around: Buses connect Hà Tiên with Rạch Giá and other Mekong towns. Fast ferries operate to Phú Quốc island; in the wet season there are about two trips per day, and in the dry season more often, with trips around 80–90 minutes. There are four on-demand car ferries from Hà Tiên to Bai Thom on Phú Quốc, running from about 05:00 to 21:00 and taking roughly 2.5 hours.

Border with Cambodia: The Hà Tiên International Border Gate is about 7 km west of town. The Cambodian border checkpoint is called Prek Chak. The border opened in 2007 and is open from 07:00 to 18:00. Foreigners can also use an e-Visa entry at this border.