The temple was established in 1820 at the foot of Sam Mountain. There are two legends about its construction.

The first legend is that the temple of Lady Chua Xu was built because the people here believed Lady Chua Xu to be sacred.

The second legend relates that Madam Chau Thi Te, wife of Thoai Ngoc Hau, the builder of the Vinh Te Canal, swore to erect a temple when the canal, whose construction claimed many lives, was completed. She died before carrying out her oath. Thoai Ngoc Hau implemented her plans by building the temple of Lady Chua Xu.

At first the temple was made of bamboo. In 1962, it was roofed with double tiles. Then in 1972, it was rebuilt (except the 10m-long stone wall at the back, which was the old platform of the tower). The monument was completed in 1976.

Local people spread two stories about the name of the mountain. In one it is said that the mountain was too rugged and full of beasts and inaccessible to everyone except the gods of the mountains, hence the name Forbidden; in the other it is said that when Nguyen Anh was hunted by the Tay Son troops he took refuge in the mountain and forbade anyone to access, hence the mountain got such name.

The average temperature on the mountain ranges between 18°C and 24°C. It is accessible by car and foot. If trekking, visitors will pass many scenic spots and vestiges along the way such as Thanh Long Stream, Thuy Liem Cave, Phat Lon Pagoda, Phat Nho Pagoda, a statue of Maitreya, and Van Linh Pagoda.

Most impressive among them are Van Linh Pagoda and Maitreya Statue. The pagoda was reconstructed in 1995 on an area of about 500m² with a lot of structures. Its architecture is a combination of traditional and modern style. In the centre of it is located the Buddhist Sanctorium, and in front of it are three towers. The middle tower is a 9-storey Avalokitesvara pavilion 35m in height, each storey is for worshiping one Buddha statute (the ground storey for worshipping Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, the first storey for Maitreya Buddha, etc. the highest storey for worshipping Buddhist relic). The Avalokitesvara pavilion is flanked by the 1.2-ton-bell tower on one side and a stupa on the other side. If having a chance to climb up to the highest level of the Avalokitesvara pavilion, visitors will be able to catch the entire view of the serene Cam mountain peak and the biggest statute of Maitreya in Viet Nam, 33.6m in height.

Going in the eastward direction from the foot of the mountain, visitors will come across a forest, about 100ha Lam Vien Tourist Park which offers many entertainment services and local specialties.

The forest includes a 845ha special-purpose forest surrounded by a 645ha buffer zone. It is the habitat for many colonies of water birds, bats and various others such as rare and endangered animals and reptile species. Scientists estimate that it is home to over 70 species of birds, including 2 very rare species of Giang sen (Mycteria leucocephala) and the Dieng Dieng (Anhinga Melanogaster); 11 species of animals belonging to 6 families and 4 orders; 20 species of reptiles; 5 species of amphibians; 23 species of fish, including Ca com (Chitala ornata) and Tre trang (Clarias batrachus) having the scientific value and being in danger of extinction. The flora is equally abundant and splendid with over 140 specified floral varieties which represent the second largest number of plant species in the Mekong Delta region, only after the Xeo Quit Cajuput Forest in Dong Thap Province. They include 22 varieties of trees, 25 varieties of shrubs, 10 varieties of vines, 70 varieties of grasses, 13 species of aquatic plants, 22 varieties of ornamental plants, 9 varieties of fruit trees and particularly many varieties of medicinal herbs of high value.

The best time to visit Tra Su is at the high water season, from September to November. At this time of the year, the entire forest floats on a vast area, so a motor-boat is the only way to travel around. Indeed, rowing along the green mysterious canals is a particularly good idea, since the tourists are able to stop as they chose to pick wild berries or fruits or go for a bit of fishing in quiet contemplation.

To get to Tra Su Cajuput Forest, first go to Chau Doc City and then turn left about 17km to Nha Bang Town in Tinh Bien District. From there it is only 4km to Cam Mountain, which is right next to the Tra Su Cajuput Forest.

In the period of resistance fighting against US imperialists, Tuc Dup Hill became a secret base for Viet Minh soldiers due to its distinctive characteristics together with brave fighting will and wisdom of An Giang people. In the hard time lasting in 128 days, the enemy who had a very powerful military force such as fighting jets, artillery and infantry did not defeat our determined fighting will. Consequently, the US enemy was defeated. Since American spent a sum of money about 2 million dollars on bullets and bombs used for this hill, the hill was later named a terrible name called “2 million – dollar hill”.

From a mostly empty area without tress and phenomena of life due to the war’s effect when the peace was returned, the Tuc Dup Hill becomes vital with trees and becomes a historic site recognized and classified by academic ministry. Located near the splendid Co To Mountain, Tuc Dup Hill is currently crowded of visitors on special holidays so that they can see the war remains, enjoy fresh air and admire ranging mountains. Visitors can also visit C.6 tunnel, cave for medical ward of military, the youth tunnel and the town hall… It deserves to be an ideal amusing place as visiting people prized.

"Tuc Dup is not only special in difficult terrain but also one of the key points in the "triangle of fire" of the South. Due to the position adjacent to Cambodia, it’s favorable for the focal point of liaison on the path 1C of the Bureau to the Southwest.”- analyzed Pham Hoang Yen (An Giang Museum). Lieutenant General Et-Ca of US must also fear and announced that "Occupy iron triangle Cu Chi but not occupy Seven Mountains, in which an important base of communism is Tuk Chup (Tuc Dup), it is considered as American only standing on one foot, opponents shall push American out of Vietnam without any notice ".

Excavation at Óc Eo began on February 10, 1942, after French archaeologists had discovered the site through the use of aerial photography. The first excavations were led by Louis Malleret, who identified the place as the Cattigara of Roman merchants in the first centuries of the Roman empire. The site covers 450 ha.

The remains found at Óc Eo include pottery, tools, jewelry, casts for making jewelry, coins, and religious statues. Among the finds are gold jewellery imitating coins from the Roman Empire of the Antonine period. Roman golden medallions from the reign of Antoninus Pius, and possibly his successor Marcus Aurelius, have been discovered at Óc Eo, which was near Chinese-controlled Jiaozhou and the region where Chinese historical texts claim the Romans first landed before venturing further into China to conduct diplomacy in 166. Many of the remains have been collected and are on exhibition in Museum of Vietnamese History in Ho Chi Minh City.

Among the coins found at Óc Eo by Malleret were eight made of silver bearing the image of the hamsa or crested argus, apparently minted in Funan.

The pagoda has been built since Thieu Tri resign of 1847 by Doan Uẩn Governor. In 1861, the main hall and its Patriarchal House were restored by the Most Venerable Nhất Thừa After many times of renovation, the present-time architecture was restored by the Most Venerable Bửu Thọ in 1958.

Standing on a mountain overlooking the town, leaning against a mountain range in the rear and surrounded by dense ancient trees, the pagoda is indeed a beauty spot amidst nature. The pagoda architecture now is a combination of Hindu and Islamic arts coloured by Vietnamese national features.

On the way there, you can enjoy the sights of the two rice fields along the road, and drop by for a short visit to a small Khmer village. You will have a short walk up on the mountain side to see the daily life of mountain people.

The mountain does not only offer beautiful landscapes, but it is also where many historic remains deeply loved by the inhabitants of Nam Bo plain are located. Ba Chua Xu Temple, Tay An Pagoda, Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb, Tao Ngo Garden, and Bach Van Hill are among the famous sites to visit near Sam Mountain. To the top of the mountain, there is a shrine with good views of the surrounding countryside.

The road to the top is on the east side of the mountain. You can walk down along a peaceful, traffic-free trail on the north side which will bring you to the main temple area. The summit road has been decorated with amusement-park ceramic dinosaurs and the like. But there are also some small shrines and pavilions, which add a bit of charm and also remind you that this is indeed Vietnam and not Disneyland.

Long Xuyên is the center of the Hòa Hảo religion. There are also many Catholic churches, as well as some people who follow Buddhism and other religions. Each March, Châu Đốc celebrates the Bà Chúa Xứ festival, a large religious festival on top of Sam mountain.

Also, former president Tôn Đức Thắng's birthday is celebrated in Mỹ Hòa Hưng (Tiger Island).

Local dishes include the standard Vietnamese fare as well as some variations on the area specialties (for example basa fish, mắm thái, and thot not coconuts).

Each year, many tourists pass through Long Xuyên on their way to Châu Đốc, which is a major stop-over on the way to Cambodia. However, tourists rarely stay in Long Xuyên. Bà Chúa Xứ Shrine is a sacred place that is visited by many people who pray for financial success.