Rach Cat Fort (Vietnamese: pháo đài Rạch Cát; pháo đài means “fort”) is a military fort with distinctive French-style architecture, surrounded by high walls and featuring platforms for mounting cannons. The building became an impregnable fort for the French colonists in Indochina. Originally a military fort during the war, Rach Cat Fort now serves a new function in peacetime: to support historical research and to meet public demand for visiting tourist attractions in southern Vietnam.
The construction and history of Rach Cat Fort
In 1900, at the risk of exacerbating the spread of World War I, the French strengthened the defensive lines along the southwestern coast of France and the forts along the German-French border. In Vietnam, after occupying Cochinchina, to protect Saigon, the capital of the six provinces, from other Western powers, the French built a coastal defense line stretching from present-day Vung Tau to Can Gio (now belongs to Ho Chi Minh City), and Can Duoc (now belong to Tay Ninh Province) to counter the attacks from the coast to the mainland.
A view from Rach Cat Fort – Photo by James L. Morrison
Long Huu island (today belongs to Long Huu Commune, Tay Ninh Province) is located at the estuary of the major river of Nha Be – Rach Cat – Vam Co – Soai Rap, plays a crucial role in economic development, waterway transport system, and defense, as well as military attack. Therefore, in 1902, the French carried out a field investigation on this island, and a year later (1903), they started to build one of the most significant military defensive works in Indochina at that time – Rach Cat Fort (the French also called it “River Defense System” and “Cap Saint-Jacques”). According to reports, Rach Cat Fort was built on a large scale at a cost of approximately 7 million Francs, 3.5 times that of the Hanoi Opera House.
Entrance of Rach Cat Fort
In terms of construction, Rach Cat Fort covered an area of 30,000 m², with a length of 300 m, a width of 100 m, and 5 floors, including two above ground and three underground. Surrounding the fort is a solid fence with a circumference of 11,988m². To ensure defense, the fort is surrounded by a system of walls 60-80 cm thick, with doors made of 10 cm-thick steel. The wide moat system also helps to strengthen the fort’s defense.
The fortified defensive wall remains intact
On the top floor, there are two platforms with a diameter of 6m, on which four large cannons (type 605 mm) are mounted. This structure is made from cast iron, 10 cm thick. The entrance consists of a 70-cm-thick, 5-m-high, and 84-m-long gate with two rows of loopholes. The main gate of the Fort is 2.4 m high, with two 1.2 m-long doors at the center of the wall.
To get inside the Fort, soldiers must cross a 17 m-long, 2.5 m-wide cement bridge over the moat. Later, the French built a series of reservoirs 2m high attached to the wall, thus sealing the loopholes below.
The entrance door still retains many bullet holes
Below the cannon platforms lies the fourth floor, divided into several bow-shaped rooms. This area was used to supply ammunition and to power the artillery system via a generator. This power source was also provided to the underground floors.
The fourth floor also has two rotating turrets to increase damage in combat. In addition to two cannons, the French also built a row of rooms 2.5 m high, with stairs leading up to the fort’s roof. In addition to two iron cannons, Rach Cat Fort’s defenses were strengthened by numerous blockhouses equipped with machine guns.
On the opposite side of the fort’s gate, machine guns were mounted on a 1.3-m high blockhouse. At the outer ends of this blockhouse, the French built two concrete cannon platforms to mount two cannons: the left one bore the markings M 138, R 1927, 5500 kg, and the right one bore the markings M 138, 1924, R 1927 N4, 5500 kg.
138 mm cannon
The rooms in Rach Cat Fort were built into basements, with numerous alleyways, to ensure the safety of its residents. The entire structure of Rạch Cát Fort is designed to provide an active position for attacking and a safe position for retreating in the event of war.
The most crucial part of the Rach Cat Fort was its artillery at both ends, which was considered the most modern type at that time. Each turret mounted two cannons, with barrel diameters up to 240 mm.
Each weighed 140 tons, and the ammunition dedicated to these cannons weighed up to 62 kg. The maximum firing range of each cannon was 22.7 km. These cannons were mounted on a thick steel turret, designed to rotate 360 °, thereby increasing maneuverability during combat. With this firing range, Rạch Cát Fort can control the situation in the entire sea estuary to Vung Tau as well as the areas of Can Giuoc, Go Cong, Can Gio, and Saigon. During French rule, Rach Cat Fort was repeatedly repaired and expanded, with artillery installations added.
After the Japanese coup (March 9, 1945) in Vietnam, Japanese troops occupied the fort and destroyed many fortifications there. Some weapons inside Rach Cat Fort were removed and taken elsewhere by the Japanese.
The remaining artillery emplacements and artillery pieces have been dismantled
As the French re-invaded Vietnam, Rach Cat Fort continued to be occupied by French troops and became a place where Vietnamese revolutionary patriotic soldiers were imprisoned. During the war against the US (1954-1975), the artillery at Rach Cat Fort continued to be used by the Saigon army to sweep the lower areas of old Can Duoc District, Go Cong Province (now belongs to Tay Ninh Province), Can Gio District (now belongs to Ho Chi Minh City), etc. After April 30, 1975, as Vietnam was liberated entirely, Vietnamese military forces took over and used Rach Cat Fort as a station to this day.
What makes Rach Cat Fort so attractive?
Rach Cat Fort is a relic of both historical and architectural values. Although the fort was built to serve the colonial regime, this relic not only had military value but also played a role in irrigation and rice trade in Cochinchina. With over 100 years of history, Rach Cat Fort has undergone many historical periods and has become a special relic of old Long An (now belongs to Tay Ninh Province), in particular, and of Vietnam in general.
Rach Cat Fort has been designated a national historic site and is becoming a focal attraction, in addition to serving as an ecotourism destination, and is built in harmony with the characteristic river landscape of the Mekong Delta.
Helpful information about Rach Cat Fort
- Location: Long Ninh hamlet, Long Huu Commune, Tay Ninh Province.
- Best for: solo, students, researchers
- Entrance ticket: free
Source: collected by An
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