Can Tho, city in southern Vietnam, capital of Can Tho province. The city is located on the bank of the Bassac River (Song Hau Giang), in the Mekong River Delta, 170 km (about 100 mi) southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. It is an important industrial and farming center. Local manufacturing industries include shipbuilding, rice processing, textiles, and farm machinery. Other important agricultural goods include coconut oil and sugarcane, and the city's outdoor market sells a wide variety of fruit and marine products. Specialties include durian, mangoes, jackfruit, melons, and many shellfish and ocean fish. Transportation in the area is centered on the river, local roads, and Vietnam's major north-south highway. A large nearby airport serves much of the Mekong Delta, and two major ports are located nearby.
The city is home to a large pagoda built in 1946 in the style of Khmer Theravada Buddhism. Can Tho is home to several educational institutions including Can Tho University (founded in 1966), a training college for teachers, and several vocational colleges that teach commerce, finance, medicine, and agriculture. The Department of Agronomy at Can Tho University houses Vietnam's largest research center on rice, one of the country's most important staple foods.
