Place to see: Vinh Long Brickworks, Vĩnh Long, Vietnam

About this place:

The brickworks just outside Vinh Long is a popular stop on many Mekong Delta tours. Beehive-shaped kilns are lined up along the riverbank - and the factory is very much a beehive of activity: Workers use wheelbarrows and portable conveyor belts to load and unload the kilns. Others make moulds for pots and garden ornaments, or use primitive machines to churn out bricks. And yet others unload barges with mountains of rice husks to fire the kilns. Black smoke hangs in the air, and the buildings can get murderously hot under the midday sun. But it's a fascinating place to visit - and a welcome break from all the floating markets.