Binh Thien Lake is located in the adjacent area of the three border communes of Khanh Binh, Khanh An and Nhon Hoi in An Phu District, An Giang Province in southern Vietnam . According to a local legend, a general from the Tay Son time (1778-1802) chose this location for his troops sanctuary.
Due to the dry soil, the general set up an altar to offer gifts and prayers to God, hoping in return they would receive water. At the worshipping site, he planted his sword into the ground then withdrew it. From the gash in the soil came a current of water so plentiful that it Binh Thien Lake is close to the Vietnam-Cambodia border so the local people have both cultural and economic exchanges. Most of them make their living by fishing from motorboats on the Mekong River.
In the rainy season the lakes surface expands to around 900ha, as compared to 300ha during the dry season. During the flood season, the branch of the Binh Di River that flows into Binh Thien Lake is muddy with alluvia, but in the lake the water is clear blue.
Near the lake, there is a village of the ethnic Cham people who have maintained their unique cultural identities. The village lane is shaded with trees.
During the Ramadan Festival (the 9th month of the year in the Islamic calendar) when the Muslims eat only vegetarian food, Cham people wear their most beautiful clothes. According to Islamic Monk Masale, this Cham village has existed for more than 100 years. There are hundreds of houses-on-stilts surrounding a Mosque. Images of the elderly people going to the Mosque for a prayer meeting, young Cham girls in their traditional costumes with a white headscarf and children playing in the yard under the trees shading during the Ramadan time are often seen. The Cham people in this locality who follow the religion of Islam are called Cham Islam or Cham Muslim, who have built up the cultural identities of the Cham ethnic group living in the Mekong River delta.
Doan Cong Huy, Chairman of Nhon Hoi Commune Peoples Committee, said that An Phu Districts authorities have devised a project to build this commune into a tourist area for cultural preservation, relaxation and entertainment, which belongs to the Khanh Binh border economic zone in An Phu District. The project will include the northern area close to an eco-residential area for 400 households who live on farming and tourist services, and the southern area close to Binh Thien Lake . The total acreage under the project is 139ha with a total investment capital of nearly 1,000 billion VND.
