Advertising 
Phuong Nguyen
Explore the Can Gio mangrove forest – a biosphere reserve that protects Ho Chi Minh City and helps purify its air.
In years gone by, Saigon was hailed as the “Pearl of the Far East”. A bustling commercial center and meeting place for various cultures, this metropolis boasts a mild climate and stable weather. Back when our ancestors explored new regions, they found an area blessed with good geography and weather, largely sheltered from storms and typhoons. Ho Chi Minh City is shielded by one of Vietnam’s most diverse and unique biosphere reserves: the Can Gio mangrove forest.
The forest by the city
I always relish the moment when I’m on an airplane starting its descent toward Tan Son Nhat Airport and look out the window to admire a seemingly endless expanses of green down below. These natural green patches, combined with the winding streams of rivers, create a scene as beautiful as an ink wash painting, lying right next to a bustling urban area on one of the wealthiest plains in Vietnam. This is the Can Gio mangrove forest – a biosphere reserve recognized by UNESCO. It is a crucial ecological conservation area of national importance, known to Saigon locals as “Sac Forest”.
Since ancient times, the green patches of Sac Forest have played an incredibly important role, contributing to one of Vietnam’s most economically prosperous regions for decades, while offsetting natural disasters. Indeed, few tropical storms from the South or the East Sea have struck Saigon. Sac Forest acts as a shield against storms and functions like an air conditioner, swiftly refreshing the city’s stifling atmosphere and making the air fresh and clean.
Much of Sac Forest is bordered by large rivers. Isolated from the mainland, Sac Forest boasts a distinctive saltwater marsh ecosystem, which has remained relatively unaffected by human activities for centuries. Sac Forest’s environment is unique, serving as an intermediary ecosystem between aquatic and terrestrial regions, as well as freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. Owing to these unique environmental factors, UNESCO recognized Sac Forest as Vietnam’s first Biosphere Reserve, incorporating it into the global network of Biosphere Reserves in the year 2000.
The history of Can Gio
Each visit to Sac Forest in particular, and the Can Gio district in general, always reveals something new to me. The area on the outer edge of the Dong Nai – Gia Dinh region has been home to cultures dating back continuously to the Oc Eo period. According to archaeologists and historians, in the past, Can Gio and surrounding areas acted as a “transit station” between the Southeast and Southwest regions. Can Gio, or Sac Forest, consistently played a crucial role throughout the 300-year formation and development of Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City. Over time, with its intricate network of rivers and canals, Sac Forest made major contributions to trade between Saigon and Western provinces, as revealed in the folk verse: “At Nha Be, the river forks in two/ Left to Gia Dinh, right to Dong Nai”. The vital Southern trade systems of Nha Be, Gia Dinh, and Dong Nai all encompass Can Gio and Sac Forest.
Along with its geographical and climatic importance, Sac Forest served as a natural and effective base for revolutionary forces during two revolutionary struggles. Many silent yet fierce battles took place under its canopy of trees.
Today, traveling from the center of Ho Chi Minh City to Sac Forest – a distance of about 60 km – takes only a few dozen minutes. The transformation of the saltwater swampland is evident with each passing day. Authorities have planned and designated Sac Forest as a key national ecological tourist area. Preserving this verdant forest not only impacts the living environment of millions of people in the city center, but contributes to local economic development through tourism development. Economic development harmonized with nature marks a sustainable path toward the future.
On weekends, if you wish to escape the stifling atmosphere of Saigon, head to Sac Forest. Surrounded by open space, green trees, and wildlife, allow yourself to relax and live slowly for a few moments. You will come to appreciate nature with every breath. Sac Forest is not only the city’s green lungs but also a place to shed the troubles nesting in our souls.
