Tan Long Communal Temple (Con Rong Islet Cultural Space)

A sacred island communal temple surrounded by the waters of the Tien River on Tan Long Islet (Con Rong / Dragon Islet, formed around 1788) in My Tho Ward. The temple honors the Village Guardian Deity and pioneer settlers who cultivated longan orchards and established wooden boatbuilding yards, preserving riverine Ky Yen festival traditions.

Tan Long Islet (popularly known as Con Rong or Dragon Islet, spanning roughly 330 hectares directly opposite downtown My Tho) began emerging from alluvial deposits in the late 18th century; historical accounts note that in 1788 Lord Nguyen Anh observed its dragon-like silhouette mid-river and named it Long Chau Island. As 19th-century settlers cleared the fertile silt to plant fruit orchards and build timber shipyards, Tan Long Communal Temple was erected at the heart of the island to venerate the Guardian Deity (Thanh Hoang) and pioneer ancestors, anchoring the spiritual life of islanders, fishermen, and master boatbuilders. The temple showcases classic Southern Vietnamese communal architecture with yin-yang tiled roofs crowned by ceramic twin dragons flanking the moon and carp-turning-dragon motifs. Inside, the interconnected ceremonial halls house solemn ancestral altars, gilded wooden horizontal boards, carved parallel couplets, and brass ritual weaponry. Because of its island setting in the main channel of the Tien River, worship traditions here uniquely blend agricultural thanksgiving with prayers for safe navigation and prosperous shipbuilding. During the annual Ky Yen Festivals, residents across Dragon Islet and visitors crossing from Trung Trac Ferry Terminal gather to offer incense, witness traditional Tuc Yet rituals, and watch classical Hat Boi opera accompanied by resonant praise drums. On quiet weekdays, a bicycle or walking visit to the temple beneath century-old longan trees reveals an authentic island village atmosphere just five minutes by ferry from the urban waterfront.