The Mekong Delta is where a single river becomes many: after crossing Cambodia, the Mekong splits and fans into a network of muddy distributary channels before reaching the South China Sea. Toggle flood season and the floating-market marker below the scene.
Published figures: delta area about 40,000-43,000 sq km; population about 18-19 million; historically nine distributary mouths (Cuu Long, "Nine Dragons"), two since silted; produces roughly half of Vietnam's rice.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Everything renders on your device with WebGL.
Mekong Delta 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows the Mekong Delta as a braided river fan: a single trunk enters from inland Cambodia, converges into one channel, then splits into a network of muddy distributary channels crossing a flat, low-lying plain, reaching the South China Sea through several mouths.
The Mekong splits into two main branches on entering Vietnam - Tien Giang (the Mekong proper) and Hau Giang, also called the Bassac - and each branch divides further as it nears the coast. The delta was historically described as having nine mouths reaching the sea, giving it the Vietnamese name Cuu Long, "Nine Dragons"; two of those mouths have since silted shut, so present-day maps commonly show seven to eight still open.
- Toggle flood season to see how low-lying land near the channels floods during the wet season
- Toggle the floating market marker for a channel-side landmark like Cai Rang, near Can Tho
- Read area, population, and river-length figures in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Delta area | about 40,000-43,000 sq km in southwest Vietnam, depending on the source and boundary used |
| Population | about 18-19 million people across the delta region |
| Distributary mouths | historically nine (Cuu Long, "Nine Dragons"); two have since silted, commonly seven to eight open today |
| Rice production | produces roughly half of Vietnam's rice, widely called the country's rice bowl |
| Mekong River length | commonly cited about 4,350-4,900 km, through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam |
| Cai Rang floating market | near Can Tho, one of the delta's largest floating markets - commonly several hundred boats trading each morning |
| Main branches | Tien Giang (Mekong proper) and Hau Giang (Bassac), splitting further into distributaries toward the coast |
| Flood season | the seasonal monsoon flood pulse regularly inundates low-lying delta land, roughly June to November |
For two other great rivers in this series, open the Nile River 3D Explorer or the Amazon River 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - the channel network, plain profile, and vertical scale are schematic teaching cues, not survey hydrology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Mekong Delta called the Nine Dragons?
The Mekong splits into two branches on entering Vietnam, which further divide into distributaries reaching the sea - historically nine mouths, giving the Vietnamese name Cuu Long, "Nine Dragons." Two mouths have since silted shut, so maps commonly show seven to eight open today.
Why are the delta's channels muddy brown?
The Mekong carries sediment from its long run through six countries; that silt colors the channels brown upstream, lightening toward a more brackish tone near the sea mouths where tidal water mixes in.
Does the Mekong Delta really flood every year?
Yes - a seasonal monsoon flood pulse, roughly June to November, regularly raises water levels and inundates low-lying land near the channels. The flood-season toggle recolors those low-lying areas.
What is the Cai Rang floating market?
A large floating market on a channel near Can Tho, where boats gather each morning to trade produce - one of the most-visited floating markets in the Mekong Delta.
How long is the Mekong River, and which countries does it cross?
Commonly cited at about 4,350-4,900 km depending on the source, flowing through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before reaching the delta.
Is this a scientific terrain model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the channel network, plain profile, and vertical scale are schematic teaching cues, not survey hydrology.