HCMC – The century-old Cao Lanh Ferry Terminal in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, which crosses the Tien River, connecting Cao Lanh City and the Lap Vo District of Dong Thap Province, has been permanently shut down since 0:00 today, August 24, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.
Parts of the ferry terminal will be used for the construction of the Hong Ngu-Tan Chau Ferry Terminal, which connects Dong Thap with An Giang Province, according to the Dong Thap Province Department of Transport.
The Cao Lanh Ferry Terminal was put into service nearly 100 years ago. It was originally named Tan Tich and renamed Bac Cao Lanh. In 1992, the Dong Thap government further changed its name to Cao Lanh.
The province put the Cao Lanh Bridge into operation in 2018 to provide better accessibility between Cao Lanh City and Lap Vo District. Since then, the local authorities had downsized the operations of the Cao Lanh Ferry Terminal but many local residents still chose to use the ferry service.
Nguyen Thi Nam, residing in Ward 6, Cao Lanh City, said she sold lottery tickets on the ferry for more than 40 years to support her family. “Now, the ferry is closed and I shall have to sell lottery tickets on land,” she told Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.
“The Cao Lanh Ferry was a part of my childhood. Every time I traveled to Lai Vung or Sa Dec, I had to wait for the ferry. Its closure makes me nostalgic because traveling by ferry is a form of cultural identity of the Mekong Delta region,” Kim Nhi, a local resident, told Tuoi Tre newspaper.
