Soc Trang, 231km from HCM City, is the dwelling place of Khmer people.

Kh'leang pagoda is one of the oldest Khmer pagodas in Soc Trang.
Ma Toc (or Bat) pagoda, a Khmer pagoda, about 2km from downtown Soc Trang, is the huge nest for thousands of big bats. It is believed that the pagoda was built during the 16th century, and it has been renovated several times since. The pagoda is famous for its beautiful architecture, especially its numberless trees that houses thousands of bats. Interestingly enough, the presence of the bats has not affected the plants growing in and around the pagoda.
An ancient Buddha statue and a number of Buddhist books written on sugar palm leaves can be admired there.