Historic Ben Tam Ngua (Horse-Bathing Wharf) on Tien River

A riverine urban memory landmark along the Tien Riverbank near the junction of Nguyen Huynh Duc and 30 Thang 4 Boulevard in My Tho Ward. From the late 19th through the mid-20th century, hundreds of horse-drawn carriages transporting delta produce and passengers from Go Cat and the Old Market gathered on this gently sloping riverbank every afternoon so coachmen could bathe their horses.

Following the 1679 founding of My Tho Dai Pho and especially during the late 19th century when paved roads connected the Old Market and Go Cat with the steamship wharf and the 1885 My Tho Railway Terminal, horse-drawn carriages (single-horse 'tho mo' coaches) became the backbone of urban transport in My Tho. Hundreds of carriages hauled delta rice, tropical fruits, textiles, and passengers across Dinh Tuong daily. After grueling shifts under the tropical sun, coachmen led their horses down to the gently sloping alluvial bank where Nguyen Huynh Duc Street meets the Tien River and My Tho Creek, giving rise to the historic toponym 'Ben Tam Ngua' (Horse-Bathing Wharf). According to local gazetteers and oral histories, the riverbank here featured a firm sandy-silt gradient and calm currents during afternoon flood tides. Every day between 15:00 and 17:00, strings of horses from the Old Market, Hang Bong Market, and Swing Bridge stands trotted down to the water's edge; the chime of brass harness bells mingling with splashing hooves and coachmen's calls created an iconic riverine scene unique to the Mekong Delta. Historians also recognize the corridor stretching from Ben Tam Ngua along Nguyen Huynh Duc Street to Go Cat as the earliest settlement axis of 17th-century My Tho Dai Pho. Today, while horse carts survive mainly as heritage rides across the river on Thoi Son Islet, the historic wharf zone and the 30 Thang 4 – Lac Hong Embankment have been transformed into a granite-paved riverside promenade. Strolling the waterfront at sunset as high tide laps the stone steps, visitors can take in views of Dragon Islet and Rach Mieu Bridge while reflecting on a bygone era of bustling horse-drawn port trade.