Known as Hoa Binh Islet (Peace Islet), it sits in the middle of Bay Mau Lake in Thong Nhat Park. It earned the nickname “cat islet” after visitors noticed stray cats roaming freely there in late 2025.
The park has seven entrances, but the islet can be seen only from the Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street gate. Visitors entering through other entrances mostly pass through the park without realizing that it even exists.
While the islet can be reached by boat. Visitors rely on Chu Ngoc Phong, a park employee who ferries guests across in a motorboat. The trip takes about two minutes amd a return trip costs VND30,000 ($1.15) per person.
Phong says the islet has a temple that locals visit on the first and 15th (full moon day) of each lunar month. Interest in the islet grew recently after social media posts about the cats began circulating.
Some 30 cats, and also two dogs, live there, often resting around a fallen trunk that serves as their shelter. Staff brought the first cats here 20 years ago to manage the rat population. Over the years they have multiplied to form the colony seen today.
Phong and the temple caretaker feed the animals.
He says: "They're clever. Sometimes they get bored with dry food and go fishing in the lake themselves."
Fish bones can be found scattered around the island.
After learning about the place on social media, Tuong Trang visited the islet with a friend, and says she was drawn by the peaceful atmosphere that made it feel like an escape into nature.
She brought food for the cats, capturing photos of them as they peered from the trees.
Tieu Nguyet had visited Thong Nhat Park many times but never knew the islet existed. On her first visit to it, she said it was calm and has a charm that made her want to return.
Due to a lack of trash bins and cleaning staff, some visitors voluntarily clean up after spending time with the cats.
