Rach Gam – Xoai Mut Victory National Special Monument

A Special National Monument spanning over 2 hectares along the northern bank of the Tien River in Kim Son, located 12 kilometers upstream from downtown My Tho via Provincial Road 864. The complex commemorates the decisive naval battle on the night of January 19–20, 1785, where Commander Nguyen Hue orchestrated a 7-kilometer riverine ambush between Rach Gam and Xoai Mut creeks, routing nearly 40,000 invading Siamese soldiers within a single ebb tide to safeguard Southern Vietnam.

On the night of January 19 into the dawn of January 20, 1785, the stretch of the Tien River between Rach Gam and Xoai Mut creeks witnessed one of the most decisive naval engagements in Vietnamese military history. Mastering the semidiurnal tidal regime and the river topography shielded by Thoi Son Islet, General Nguyen Hue positioned Tay Son artillery batteries along both riverbanks and tributary creeks, drawing a fleet of over 300 warships and 50,000 Siamese troops led by Chao Thonglan and Chao Suang into a 7-kilometer kill zone. As the ebb tide surged downstream before dawn, crossfire from shore cannons and Tay Son assault vessels sealed both ends of the channel, annihilating the invading armada. Opened in 2005, the site was designated a Special National Monument in 2015. Set across more than 2 hectares of shaded riverside grounds facing the Tien River, the architectural centerpiece is an 8-meter, 20-ton bronze monument of Nguyen Hue atop a boat-prow pedestal. The sculpture depicts the commander drawing his sword alongside a Tay Son archer and a local oarsman. Two exhibition halls preserve over 560 historical artifacts dredged directly from the riverbed, including cast-iron and bronze cannons, stone cannonballs, iron swords, spearheads, ceramics, and 18th-century warship timber fragments. Complementing the military galleries is a restored 19th-century three-bay Southern Vietnamese wooden house relocated from Go Cong, crafted from ironwood and jackfruit timber with intricate carvings. Visitors strolling the riverside promenade can observe barges navigating the historic channel while taking in the cool delta breeze.