Binh Duong

Bình Dương

Craft villages, fruit orchards and temples just north of Saigon.

Region: South · Southeast
Province: Ho Chi Minh City
Best weather: November–January
In this guide: 6 places · 6 dishes

Overview

Former Binh Duong province, now part of Ho Chi Minh City, is better known for factories than tourism — but behind the industrial parks lies three centuries of southern craft heritage. Lai Thieu has been making ceramics for over 300 years, Tuong Binh Hiep is famous for lacquer, and Phu An still works with bamboo.

It is also an orchard area: Lai Thieu's fruit gardens are the closest place to Saigon to pick mangosteen, rambutan and durian in season. Add a couple of temples and a cathedral and you have a satisfying day out of the city.

The fruit season peaks from May to August. The dry season (December–April) is the most comfortable for exploring.

Where to go

Hoi Khanh Pagoda

Chùa Hội Khánh

One of the oldest pagodas in the south, founded in the 18th century, with a giant reclining Buddha and fine woodcarvings.

Phu Cuong Cathedral

Nhà thờ Chánh tòa Phú Cường

A Gothic-style red-brick cathedral in the centre of Thu Dau Mot, built in the early 20th century.

Phu An Bamboo Village

Làng tre Phú An

A conservation garden of hundreds of bamboo species with workshops on traditional bamboo craft.

Lai Thieu Fruit Gardens

Vườn trái cây Lái Thiêu

Family orchards where you can pick and eat mangosteen, durian and rambutan straight from the trees in summer.

Dai Nam Van Hien

Đại Nam Văn Hiến

A huge temple-and-theme-park complex with a gilded main temple, an artificial mountain, a zoo and water parks. Popular with Vietnamese families.

Thuy Chau Eco Park

Khu du lịch Thủy Châu

A green park with gardens, ponds and pools — a weekend escape for city families.

What to eat

Local specialties worth seeking out in Binh Duong.

Chicken & mangosteen salad

Gỏi gà măng cụt

A summer specialty of Lai Thieu: shredded chicken tossed with young mangosteen segments, onion and herbs.

Beef grilled on roof tiles

Bò nướng ngói

Thin slices of marinated beef grilled at the table on a heated clay roof tile.

Banh beo

Bánh bèo

Soft steamed rice cakes with shrimp floss, scallion oil and sweet fish sauce.

Banh khot

Bánh khọt

Crispy little pancakes topped with shrimp, eaten wrapped in greens.

Roast chicken with puffed sticky rice

Gà quay xôi phồng

Whole roast chicken served with a giant ball of deep-fried, puffed sticky rice.

Shrimp noodle soup

Bánh canh tôm

Thick tapioca-rice noodles in a rich shrimp broth.

When to go

The most comfortable months for sightseeing in Binh Duong are usually November–January.

Hover a month for details. Compare with other places on the season calendar.

Vietnam season calendar arrow_forward

Daily temperature range (°C)

20°25°30°35°

Rainfall per month (mm)

0200400600

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Score

Great
Good
Fair
Wet / extreme

chevron_right Show as table

Month	High °C	Low °C	Rain mm	Wet days	Rating
January	31.8	22.1	33	4	Great
February	33.0	22.3	22	4	Good
March	34.3	23.7	21	4	Good
April	34.4	25.1	106	11	Fair
May	33.0	25.5	259	26	Fair
June	31.3	24.7	319	28	Fair
July	30.6	24.5	361	29	Wet / extreme
August	30.9	24.4	356	30	Wet / extreme
September	30.5	24.1	410	29	Wet / extreme
October	30.3	23.8	313	27	Fair
November	30.6	23.3	161	19	Great
December	30.8	22.5	65	10	Great

Averages for 2016-2025 from Open-Meteo (ERA5 reanalysis, CC BY 4.0). Model data can overstate light drizzle; treat wet-day counts as a guide. How the score works.

Getting there

Thu Dau Mot, the main city, is about 30 km north of central Ho Chi Minh City — around an hour by car or Grab.

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Plan your stay in Binh Duong

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