The Mysterious Mekong River
Ranked #491 in Travel & Places, #21,880 overall
The Mekong River: Southeast Asia's Life
Some rivers seem young and spring like, dancing in joy with sparkling clear water by green wild banks. The Mekong is not one of these. It is Asia's "Big Muddy". It carries the burden of a thousand histories, of long gone empires and Kingdoms and the wasted dreams of long gone war lords. It also carries the yearly hopes of poor farmers for enough food .
It is the future promise of electrical power and irrigation in a hungry world. It is prayed to, praised, cursed and feted, as feared as a dragon and loved as the mother and father of all good things. Every meter has a story to tell and every tributary brings smaller tales from remote mountains. The great, overpowering dragon river, the Mekong, is Southeast Asia's largest and with its destiny hangs the fate of Southeast Asia.
Here's a quiz for you on the Mekong
Test what you know of the Mekong
The Mekong spans so many countries.
Mekong River
Antiques for Collectors
The Mighty Mekong River
Where resides the freshwater dolphins
The Mekong River Biodiversity
Many Species Call the Mekong Home
The Mekong basin is exploding with life and is one of the richest areas in biodiversity in the world. More than 1200 species of fish have been identified and some say there could be as many as 1700. No other river is home to so many species of very large fish including the giant river carp which which can grow up to 1.5. meters and weigh 70 kilograms. Other large fish in the Mekong are the Mekong Freshwater Stingray which can have a wingspan of up to 4.3 meters, the giant pangasius, the Siamese giant carp and the Mekong giant catfish. Upon these and other smaller fish, the lives of millions of people hang in the balance. Mess too much with the Mekong and catastrophe waits.
Other species calling the Mekong home are the Irawaddy Dolphin which are now rare but seen when you visit Kratie in Cambodia. Also, you may see the smooth coated otter and the fishing cat. Even more rare is the Siamese crocodile.
Catfish of the Mekong
Resources in the Mekong
- Farmers, enterprises lock horns
- "Trading relations between farmers and enterprises are not good and are unfair in the long-term," Nguyen Huu Nguyen, chairman of An Giang Province's Chau Phu Tra Catfish Cooperative, was quoted as saying in the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon).
- The top five Asian dishes for tourists to try
- In all countries it is a matter of national pride and an essential ingredient for any self-respecting fishing village or marketplace. So what is it? Take a good couple of kilos of freshwater fish, usually catfish or tilapia, and gut it.
- Florida Angler to Represent US in World Catfish Classic
- Except instead of pan-size pompano, they're fishing for a massive fish whose diet and behavior at the end of the line is on par with a goliath grouper or stubborn tarpon. Larysa had just enough experience with big fish (including Mekong catfish, ...
- Filipino plan may put pressure on Vietnam's tra fish industry
- VietNamNet Bridge ? International press has reported that the Philippines are applying all necessary measures to develop its catfish industry. This means that the country would reduce the tra fish imports from Vietnam and fewer opportunities for ...
Interested to know more about the Mekong River?
Useful references
Life in the Mekong River
Experience it in pictures
Mekong River: The Seventh Longest in Asia
It Runs Through Six Countries
With an estimated length of 4,350 km, the Mekong is the 7th longest in Asia and the 12th in the world. From the Tibetan Plateau, the Mekong runs through China's Yunnan Province and then flows southeast between Myanmar and Laos for a 100 km stretch before twisting southwest to form the border between Laos and Thailand.
Then, its off east and south into Laos for some 400 kms to define another angle of the Laos-Thai border. It crosses into Cambodia where it receives the Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers in downtown Phnom Penh. Then, it creeps into Vietnam and divides into nine channels made famous in a nearly forgotten war past yesterdays Saigon before leaking the last of tired waters into the South China Sea.
More on the Mekong
The Mekong Delta
The Upper Mekong
And the Lower Mekong
From the Upper Mekong in the north down to the Myanmar-Thai-Laos border, the river is relatively clear and fast flowing fed by snowmelt that guarantees a relatively uniform circum-annual flow in the river. In the Lower Mekong, the river is turbid, muddy, heavy, and like the Nile can replenish tired soil if pumped. The upper and lower Mekong may be one creature, but the family resemblance has a Jeckyl-Hyde perversity.
Read this book on the Mekong
Interesting description
Lonely Planet Vietnam Cambodia Laos and the Greater Mekong (Multi Country Travel Guide)
Amazon Price: $24.97 (as of 05/24/2012)
The Mekong River in History
The Mekong has been here but still waiting to be understood
Let's have a look back at history. The Mekong has been here forever but is still waiting patiently to be understood. The earliest known settlements along its banks date to 2100 BC. These include Ban Chiang, Funan, Oc Eo, Chenla and the Khmer Empires. Countries came and went. Empires exploded and then imploded. Ozymandias wept. From around the time of the fall of the Khmer empire in the 900's, the Mekong became the frontline between the emergent states of Siam now Thailand and Tonkin (North Vietnam) and lived in a continual battering of the warring armies.
It was not until 1540, when the first European that we know of, Portuguese Antonio de Faria came to the Mekong and made the usual impression of testeronic westerners. There was sporadic interest after that but little was known of the river until 1641-1642 when the Dutch, Gerrit van Wuysthoff, led another up river expedition reaching Vientiane. By the mid 19th century, in the great game the French took a serious interest in the area capturing Saigon and establishing a protectorate over Cambodia (1863). Who was being protected and from whom? It would be another 100 years before the awful truth about colonies finally sank in but for that time, Indochine was exploited for everything it had. Catherine Deneuve gives a fantastic portrait of colonial life on the Mekong in " Indochine" and it's really worth seeing.
Serious exploration was undertaken by the French between 1866-1868 but they found the river full of falls and rapids and difficult to navigate. Ah deary me colonial management is such hard work! By 1893, the French extended their control to Laos forming what then was called French Indochina. Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov found the river source in 1890 but as he wasn't French, no one much cared.
After the French relinquished control, the Mekong was seen as a kind of no man's water and left to the local fisher folk, travellers and invaders until the formation of the Mekong River Commission in 1995.
On the Mekong History
First Navigator
In the Naga's Wake: The First Man to Navigate the Mekong, from Tibet to the South China Sea
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 05/24/2012)
Understanding the Mekong and how people relate to it is important in appreciating how key it is to the life in several countries in Southeast Asia. This book evokes the pioneering spirit in each of us.
Livelihood in the Mekong
The Communities in the Mekong
The Floating Market in the Mekong
The Mekong is Life or Death to Millions
The Mekong River Commission
The Mekong River Commission formed on 5 April 1995 by an agreement between the governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam to manage their shared water resources and develop of the economic potential of the river. China and Myanmar became Dialogue Partners of the MRC in 1996 and these countries now work together within a cooperation framework. However we're not talking a passive resource or a wild animal park. The river is life or death to millions and winners and losers in this commission have massive stakes.
The Mekong River Commission provides the institutional framework to promote regional cooperation in implementing the 1995 Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, and it gives a neutral focus for agencies like the ADB and International donors to try to build a sense of joint ownership and responsibility for a resource that has been fought over for millennia.
The MRC supports the Mekong Program, a Regional Cooperation Programme for the Sustainable Development of Water and Related Resources in the Mekong Basin.
Interesting read on the Mekong
Read about this great river
More information on the Mekong River
Mekong River Links
- The New York Times on The Mysterious Mekong
- An intriguing article on the journey of a Mekong river explorer
- Mekonginfo, regional information system on participatory natural resource management
- MekongInfo, the interactive system for sharing information and knowledge about participatory natural resource management (NRM) in the Lower Mekong Basin
- Sustainable Tourism and Eco-Tourism
- Sustainable Tourism and Eco-Tourism
by Annalisa Koeman
Tourism depends for its very existence on quality natural environments; it is equally dependent on human environments, resources and cultures.
For a long time tourism was seen as a soft activity...
When you go to the Mekong
Bring your tilley
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What others are saying on the developments in the Mekong
Issues concern several countries in the Mekong region
- Cooperation between Mekong countries to improve security along Golden Triangle ...
- Senior cabinet members from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand met in Beijing on Oct. 31 last year, and agreed to take joint action to crack down on cross-border crime and secure transportation along the Mekong River. Under the framework of the "Law ...
- The Mississippi, Mekong juxtaposed
- But we also learnt that if the Mississippi basin were affected by climate change, it wouldn't impact the American economy and population as severely as the developments along the Mekong River would impact Viet Nam. The Mekong plays a far more important ...
- Mekong Panel Calls for Construction Freeze
- A four-nation commission which manages development along Southeast Asia's Mekong River asserted Tuesday that Laos must not proceed with construction of a controversial dam on the regional artery. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) countries agreed that ...
- New research to save Irrawaddy dolphins from extinction in Mekong
- The research, scheduled for late April until the end of May, is conducted by the Commission for Dolphin Conservation and Development of Mekong River Dolphin Ecotourism Zone, the Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and ...
Mekong countries on Zazzle
To make you remember the Mekong River
On Protecting the Mekong River
The livelihood of the villagers in the Mekong
Save the Mekong River
It is the lifeline of Southeast Asia
Laos' Mekong Dam Delayed
On the March 23 issue of Phnom Penh Post, 263 groups from 51 countries have urged the leaders of Laos and Thailand to cancel the proposed Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River in Laos as they find this to be destructive especially of livelihoods of people in the area. The decision was made and the dam was delayed until further studies have been made.
Xayaburi Dam in the Mekong
The Dam Laos Proposed in the Mekong
This 1260 megawatt dam is now submitted for approval with the Mekong River Commission. Many ocmmunities along the Mekong are opposed to the construction of the dam in Laos as this will affect their lives. As one Mekong resident said, " we catch less fish, have water pollution and get health problems if we use the water". Another one added that this will destroy the seasonal riverbank crops. NGOs are supporting the villagers in their opposition to this dam as well as foreign donors and ask for a moratorium on dam building for at least 10 years as other countries along the Mekong also plan tobuild more dams.
Recently, Laos announced that they will start building the dam as they claimed they have responded adequately to the concerns of the other Mekong countries. This bothers the villagers involved as they are aware that their livelihood will be impacted.
The Free Flowing Water of the Mekong
Mekong for Life Celebration
This third week of March, Walker Stephens, a volunteer based in Kratie with a strong passion for life in the Mekong River organized a flotilla of inner tubes to journey down the Mekong about 20 kms. from the Kampi dolphin pool. The event is to have fun and celebrate the Mekong and the life it gives so many people at the same time highlight the impending decision on the 1,200 megawatt Xayaburi dam proposed in Laos. 95% of the energy generated in this dam will be exported to Thailand so Laos but especially Cambodia and Vietnam will not benefit from it. Instead, it threatens its 300 million fresh water fishery and rice production that depends largely on the Mekong.
This dam is only the first of 11 other proposed dams in the Mekong.
The Mekong: Mother Water
The Mekong is everything to Cambodia-that's why we call it 'mother-water'. We just want to celebrate and play in our river and keep it flowing free.
Khoun Tola, Event Organizer
Living in the Mekong
As a Cambodian growing up in a rural area along the Mekong River, I am touched by ordinary daily life of people trying to adapt to their living conditions...
...by Sothy Eng, professor at Lehigh University, USA
Quoted in City Life, July-August, 2011
The future of the Mekong
To dam or not to dam
Dams are essential to development in the Mekong Region. But more dams can also damage the river and the life in it that will eventually deprive millions of their livelihood and the world of certain species that are unique to the river.
Should more dams be allowed in the Mekong?
Yes, it is needed for development
No, it is destroying the river's life and people's livelihood
skiesgreen says:
No, I was shocked with the proposal and risk of damage when I heard about the plans for that dam.
AnthonyAltorenna says:
It is a tough balance between creating sustainable power sources and the impact on the local wildlife and people who inhabit the region. The scales need to tip towards long term ecology.
WordCustard says:
Progress is important but it has to be properly managed. The threat of the loss of species is very worrying. The impact on the livelihood of people who in many cases survive on a very little is also a serious matter. It sounds like the risks are too great.
skiesgreen says:
No, I dread what man does to the rivers on which we depend for food, water and life.
Mekong River Collectibles
Get one in auction
Environmental Concerns in the Mekong River
More dams and blasting
Environmental concerns are many in the Mekong. Foremost of these are the building of more dams and the blasting of the rapids. A number of dams have already been built on the river's tributaries. There is the Pak Mun Dam in Thailand criticized for its damage to the environment and to the livelihoods of affected villagers. China is engaged in an extensive program of dam-building on the river itself with three already completed and another twelve under consideration. Since the building of these dams, many species have become endangered including the Mekong Dolphin, water levels have dropped causing ferries to get stuck and making ferry travel longer, river blockage problems and fish catch have been cut into half. Villagers completely dependent on the river are worried.
Countries along the Mekong have complained about increasing pollution from pesticides runoff and heavy industry waste as well as the potentially devastating low water flow.
Other environmental concerns arise from increased water flow in some parts as China clears rocks and sandbars, blasts gorges, and slows water as it dams and floods other sections. Cambodia is by far the most exposed because of its poverty level. Some of Laos and Vietnam's biggest cities hug the Mekong and would be vulnerable to low water flows and pollution.
More news on Environmental Concerns in the Mekong
Update yourself
- Many Along Mekong River Concerned About Hydropower Expansion
- It would be Cambodia's first on the mainstream Mekong - and one of 12 planned along the 3000-kilometer river. Most remain suspended over environmental concerns, but governments are eager to develop hydropower to boost their economies.
- Xayaburi Dam Redesign Mulled
- A new French study on the Mekong dam predicts no environmental impact, a senior Lao official says. Activists protest the Xayaburi dam in front of the Ch. Karnchang headquarters in Bangkok, April 24, 2012. The Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River may have ...
- How to nip project conflicts in the bud
- With increased public awareness and the dominant role of social media, conflicts of this nature will increase due to anxiety or misunderstanding especially with regard to safety and environmental issues. It cannot be denied that among the factors that ...
- Laos: no work on Xayaburi dam until green concerns solved
- Laos said yesterday it would not make a final decision on construction of the Xayaburi dam in the main stream body of the Mekong River before approval by the international community and countries in the Lower Mekong basin over environment concerns.
For your trip to the Mekong
Bring your camera
The Life in the Mekong and its Tributaries
And the Cities on the Mekong
Some of the big cities of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are right on the Mekong.
More books on the Mekong
What auctions offer
The Mekong Tributaries
Where People Live
A Village along the Mekong in Luang Prabang
A Cruise on the Mekong
Visit the Village of Pum Taskor
Water Savers
You can help limit water consumption
Running the Mekong
For the cause of water
For 10 days, Jeff Dean (American) and Nathalie Samson (Canadian) run through the Mekong on the Cambodian side, about 500 kms, to raise the issue of the lack of pure drinking water in the rural areas. They set out from O'Svay in Stung Treng province on a route that took them through Kratie, Kampong Cham, Kandal, Phnom Penh towards their home base in Kaoh Kok, Prey Veng close to the Vietnamese border.
They covered 50 kilometers a day. They raise funds for a non profit organization, One Filter One Family, which provides water wells and bio-sand water filters for poor families in the rural areas.
Swimming the Mekong
Highlight the Significance of the Mekong
If you happen to be close by, jump in. You need to register, though. Organized by iCan British International School, this event on April 3 is a swim of about 800 meters of the Mekong starting at 9 a.m. across the Japanese bridge at the Prek Leap Agricultural College. Fees are $10 for foreigners and $2.50 for Cambodians. The proceeds will go to local charities but the main aim of the event is to highlight the significance of the Mekong to life in Cambodia.
Looks like this event was a big success with 164 registered swimmers and 60 volunteers, the largest ever in the 15-year history of the annual event. Xavier Riblet came in first at 8 minutes and 24 seconds. The fastest girl, Rebecca Green, crossed the Mekong in 10 minutes and 7 seconds.
Read more on the countries around the Mekong
Interesting places to know and visit
The Best of Cambodia
Yes, Cambodia or Kampuchea as it is popularly referred to in the local language, has a glorious past. For centuries, the Khmer Empire ruled much of Southeast...
Phnom Penh: The Capital of Cambodia
Phnom Penh recently has become a major trip destination for millions of tourists and the boom is just beginning. Angkor Wat in Siem Reap is the great magnet ...
Luang Prabang:The Ancient Capital of Laos
If the Luang Prabang box has not yet been ticked off from your globe trotting must-do matrix, it's time to get yourself in gear and visit this ancient capita...
Myanmar: Where the Flying Fishes Play
The Once and Future Land. Myanmar was the heart of the old Empire in the 19th century and will someday be a major tour magnet again. Though it has not been i...
Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor
Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor Wat and the other temples of Angkor built between the 9th and the 13th century A.D. The Angkorian kings not only construct...
More for your trip to the Mekong
Travel gadgets
Recent news on the Mekong River
Updates on what is happening to the Mekong
- Cooperation between Mekong countries to improve security along Golden Triangle ...
- Senior cabinet members from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand met in Beijing on Oct. 31 last year, and agreed to take joint action to crack down on cross-border crime and secure transportation along the Mekong River. Under the framework of the "Law ...
- 190kg ganja found on Mekong bank
- Border patrol police on Thursday morning seized 190kg of compressed marijuana, or ganja, believed to have been sent from Laos, on the bank of the Mekong river in Tha Uthen district of Nakhon Phanom province. Pol Maj Tawee Phanoy, commander of BPP ...
- Many Along Mekong River Concerned About Hydropower Expansion
- Friday, 27 April 2012 Many Along Mekong River Concerned About Hydropower Expansion Rick Valenzuela, VOA | Taikek, Laos "In the past, there were plenty of fish. Now, even if we use 10 fish traps, it's hard to get fish." A Thai company says it is going ...
- Mekong Hotel
- Everything or nothing can be read into Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Mekong Hotel," a docu-fiction that mounts scene after starkly composed scene of two people perched over railings overlooking the placid Mekong River while straddling various parallel ...
For your travel down the Mekong
Get one of these bags
Follow the Mekong Where it Flows
Bargains on the Mekong
What auctions offer
These angels blessed this lens
Thank you so much
More angel blessing for this lens on the Mekong River
Much appreciated
More bargains for your trip to the Mekong
What the auction offers
Share what you know about the Mekong River
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skiesgreen
May 22, 2012 @ 12:50 am | delete
- Well, I have returned and now featured this wonderful lens on Blessed by Skiesgreen 2012-2 and also on Death in the Yangtze. Hugs
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KarateKatGraphics
May 21, 2012 @ 6:55 pm | delete
- very comprehensive & interesting! *blessed*
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aesta1
May 21, 2012 @ 8:40 pm | delete
- Thank for the visit and the blessing.
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poddys Mar 20, 2012 @ 5:58 pm | delete
- Yet another fascinating lens, you have a great talent for making these places come alive. I would love to spend a few months (at least) travelling through this amazing part of the world. Wonderful lens, blessed.
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Wordwinder
Jan 15, 2012 @ 3:44 am | delete
- It would have taken you much effort to gather all this data, arrange them in the proper order, and present them so well. A salute to your endeavor. Yes, every river has its distinct characteristics, that spawn and sustain cultures along its course, direct events, and become an inseparable part of the lives of people living along its banks.
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Ladymermaid
Dec 20, 2011 @ 7:56 pm | delete
- Your articles are always so very interesting and well displayed. Your introduction to the Mekong river is very romantic sounding. I love to read your articles they are well written. Best of wishes.
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grannysage Nov 14, 2011 @ 3:48 pm | delete
- Followed a referral from Tipi who always has great taste. How very educational and well presented. I knew next to nothing about it. The Giant Catfish are incredible. Thanks for doing all this research. I think that it is important to learn about the cultures of other places in this global society.
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Tipi
Nov 14, 2011 @ 9:49 am | delete
- Another great lens by you my dear. This is stunning to visit, now I would love to go to the Mekong River and enjoy the culture there. Wonderful, and blessed!
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AnthonyAltorenna
Oct 9, 2011 @ 8:13 am | delete
- This is a very insightful view into Mekong River area. Very nicely done!
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aesta1
Oct 9, 2011 @ 8:17 am | delete
- Thank you so much.
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by aesta1
I used to associate the Mekong to the war in vietnam. That was all I knew of this mighty river. Now, I have so much respect for its significance in li... more »
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The Mekong: Biophysical Environment of an International River Basin (Aquatic Ecology)
Amazon Price: $80.59 (as of 05/24/2012)
This is an interesting description of the Mekong and its biodiversity and how it gives life to the many countries where it flows. It has as well a tragic history and an uncertain future as many countries have a stake at it.
