Mang Thit is a brick kiln village in Vinh Long, 81 mi (130 km) south-west of Ho Chi Minh City. Domed kilns line about 19 mi (30 km) of the Co Chien River, and hundreds still fire river clay with rice husk. The river gives the clay and carries the finished bricks away. Follow the clay to the kiln, and the kiln to the river.
What Is the Mang Thit Brick Kiln Village?
The Mang Thit brick kiln village is a belt of domed kilns about 19 mi (30 km) long, set along the Co Chien, Mang Thit, and Cai Nhum rivers and the Thay Cai canal in Vinh Long. Locals call it the Red Kingdom for the red-brown colour of its brick. A village here means a belt of working yards and kilns across several communes, not one settlement with a gate.
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Where it lies | Vinh Long, about 81 mi (130 km) south-west of Ho Chi Minh City |
| Waterways | Co Chien, Mang Thit, and Cai Nhum rivers; Thay Cai canal |
| Length | About 19 mi (30 km) |
| Heritage zone | About 3,060 ha (11.8 sq mi) in four communes under the 2024 master plan |
Why Do Sources Disagree on How Many Kilns Stand?
Sources count different things in different years: kilns working, kilns standing, or kilns protected. The figures should therefore be read as measures of different moments, not averaged into one total.
| Point | Figures in circulation | Figure used here |
|---|---|---|
| Peak, 1980s | Nearly 3,000 working kilns; other accounts give 1,500 or over 2,200 | Nearly 3,000 in the 1980s |
| Standing today | 700–800 in 2024–2025 reports; about 800 lit in 2025 and 2026 reports | 700–800 stand |
| Protected | 653 in the preservation project | 653 under the project |
How Does a Mang Thit Kiln Turn River Clay Into Red Brick?
A Mang Thit kiln fires hand-stacked clay bricks for about seven days on rice husk, reaches about 1,652°F (900°C) on the last day, then seals shut so the bricks cool. Reports of a month or more include cooling and unloading; the fire itself runs about seven days, and owners differ.
| Step | Stage | What happens | Figure or material |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dig and mix | Workers dig clay from Co Chien bank pits and mix it with sand | Ratio set by the brick-maker |
| 2 | Shape and dry | Bricks are shaped, once by hand and now mostly by machine, then dried in yards | Shaped clay bricks |
| 3 | Stack | Bricks fill the kiln floor to the roof | 10,000–20,000 per load in one account |
| 4 | Fire | Rice husk feeds a slow fire | About 7 days; peak 1,652°F (900°C) |
| 5 | Seal and cool | Clay seals the firing mouth | Clay seal |
Kilns can stand 23–49 ft (7–15 m) tall. One owner’s kiln holds about 30,000 thin bricks in its walls.
How Did Mang Thit Become the Red Kingdom?
Mang Thit became the Red Kingdom over more than a century because river clay lay on the Co Chien banks and boats carried bricks across the Delta. The trade took shape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Kilns grew into clusters along the Thay Cai canal, where boats loaded bricks at the bank. By the 1980s, nearly 3,000 kilns worked throughout the year.
Why Did So Many Mang Thit Kilns Close?
Kilns closed as costs rose after 2010, when production moved from circular kilns to continuous kilns. More than 1,000 kilns were demolished in about ten years. Reports cite cost and competition but name no single cause.
The kilns are not ruins: hundreds still fire, and the province protects 653. Vinh Long approved a master plan to 2045 that treats about 3,060 ha (11.8 sq mi) of kiln land as a heritage and tourism zone.
What Protects the Kilns Today?
The 2024 plan covers My An, My Phuoc, Nhon Phu, and Hoa Tinh, now regrouped after administrative changes. Authorities announced the plan on November 16, 2024, with the aim of making the zone a national tourist area.
A support policy asks households to keep idle kilns standing, and more than 360 households are named. Reports still ask whether every kiln or only representative examples should be retained because upkeep costs money. These are working properties, so a visit needs the owner’s invitation.
How Do You Reach the Mang Thit Kilns?
You can reach the kilns by road in 2–3 hours from Ho Chi Minh City, about 81 mi (130 km), or by water from Vinh Long city, about 5 mi (8 km) along the Co Chien. No entry gate is known, and private yards or guided stops can charge a fee, so ask the owner or boat hirer beforehand.
| Route | Distance | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City by road | About 81 mi (130 km) | 2–3 hours, depending on traffic | National Highway 1 to Vinh Long, then Provincial Road 902 by the river |
| Vinh Long city by water | About 5 mi (8 km) | Confirm with the boat hirer | Along the Co Chien |
Since July 1, 2025, Vinh Long includes the former Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces. My An, My Phuoc, and Nhon Phu became Nhon Phu commune, while Hoa Tinh joined Long My and Binh Phuoc to form Binh Phuoc commune. When booking a transfer, name the kiln area as well as the province.
What Can You See Among the Kilns?
On a walk inland from the river bank, you can see the key stages of the craft: boats loading bricks, shaped bricks drying in yards, and domed kilns stacked and fired.
| Step | Where you stand | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The river bank | Wooden boats loading bricks bound for the Delta |
| 2 | A drying yard | Rows of shaped bricks laid out to dry |
| 3 | The foot of a kiln | A domed kiln stacked to the roof, with its firing mouth |
When Should You Go, and How Long Should You Stay?
Go at dawn or in late afternoon, when low light warms the brick and the yards stay cool. Plan 2–3 hours on site, or half a day with a boat. The dry season, December to April, keeps yards and landings firmer; rain makes them slippery.
| Step | Window | What you see | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dawn, about 5:00–7:00 am | Mist and kiln smoke over the Co Chien | The quietest hour according to one photographer’s account |
| 2 | Late afternoon | Low light on the brick and boats on the river | Cooler for walking |
How Do You Visit Without Harm or Disturbance?
Do not climb a kiln, ask before entering a working yard or photographing a person, and leave no litter.
| Step | Habit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wear shoes with grip | Yards and landings become slippery in rain |
| 2 | Ask the owner before entering a yard | Yards are private, working property |
| 3 | Keep off the kilns and out from under weak vaults | Old vaults can fail |
| 4 | Ask before photographing a worker; take no bricks and leave no marks or litter | Consent and care protect a working heritage site |
What Pairs Well With the Kilns on a Mekong Delta Trip?
Pair the kilns with An Binh Islet for orchards, Vinh Long city and Van Thanh Mieu temple for town life, or a floating market for trade on the water.
| Place | What it adds | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| An Binh Islet | Orchards and cycling | A slow half day |
| Vinh Long city and Van Thanh Mieu | A Confucian temple and the river front | A short stop |
| Cai Be or Phong Dien floating market | Trade on the water | A morning stop |
How Can You See the Kilns From a Mekong River Cruise?
A Mekong river cruise can call at the Thay Cai canal. The Calypso Mekong programme uses one Aquila 44 power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six guests. On the 8- and 11-night sailings it enters the canal by day.
| Step | What happens | If the canal is too shallow |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Approach | The vessel slows into the Thay Cai canal between the kilns | It anchors on the Mang Thit River |
| 2. At the kiln | Guests enter a firing kiln by invitation; the owner, hosting up to six, explains the craft and the guide translates if needed | Guests go in by small boat |
| 3. Afterwards | The vessel sails on | Guests take the My An ferry to Phu Da Islet, then drive about 10 minutes to the pottery village for about 60 minutes |
See the Mekong River Cruise Guide for routes, seasons, and vessel choices.
Questions About the Mang Thit Kilns
What Is the Thay Cai Canal?
The Thay Cai canal is a hand-dug waterway where many Mang Thit kilns cluster. It joins the Co Chien River. Settlers dug it to reclaim land and establish hamlets. A canal is dug; the Mang Thit is a natural river that joins the Co Chien and the Hau.
What Do the Mang Thit Kilns Produce?
The kilns make three broad groups of goods: construction bricks and roof tiles, including yin-yang tiles; household ceramics; and decorative terracotta. Some pieces go abroad. Each begins as river clay and ends in a rice-husk fire.
Can You Go Inside a Mang Thit Kiln?
Only when the owner invites you. Many old vaults are unstable, so do not climb a kiln or enter one on your own. The visit habits above apply at every yard.
Mang Thit or An Binh Islet: Which Suits a Half Day?
Mang Thit suits a half day of craft and heritage; An Binh Islet suits a half day of orchards and cycling. Mang Thit is a working belt of kilns on the Co Chien and Thay Cai canal, while An Binh is an orchard island.
What Does Mang Thit Show About the River That Built It?
The Co Chien gave Mang Thit its clay and carried its bricks. The kilns that remain depend on owners who keep them lit or standing, and on visitors who ask before entering. Clay, kiln, river: that order still defines the Red Kingdom.