(BGO) – Though Bac Giang is not my hometown, I love this place so much so I am dazed with the longing for the up and down of the land in the North side of Cau river. Long time ago, it was famous as Kinh Bac land with beautiful landscape, good citizens and proudly historical cultural relic sites.
The mountains and rivers in Bac Giang are not too magnificent but truly romantic. Cau river and Thuong river seem to flow endlessly in the poems and sayings till present time. The ranges of Tay Yen Tu and thousand year old tower pagodas of Vinh Nghiem (Yen Dung district), Am Vai (Luc Ngan district), Dong Thong (Son Dong district)... are the attractive destinations to numerous visitors.
A corner of Bo Da pagoda. |
Visiting these destinations, the tourists will have chance to “read” the past again, contemplate the historical lessons and spiritual experiences to gain more knowledge and filter the soul.
Coming to Bac Giang, any visitors can feel the cultural depth of the sacred land. Listening to a Quan ho performance in the North side of Cau river, any one can live in the delicate beauty of the well know folk art form.
Placing the foot on Vinh Nghiem pagoda (Yen Dung district), the tourists not only admire the solemn landscape and architecture at their leisure but also further penetrate the noble score in the conception of religion and life created by Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong in Truc Lam Zen Sect. This place offers the guest with chance to look at precious wood blocks which was recognized by UNESCO as the world document heritage in Asia Pacific area.
The Red silk cotton tree in Lang Son commune (Yen Dung district). |
Or visiting Yen The and standing at Phon Xuong station relic site, I recalled the memory of the uprising against the French invaders lasting for 30 years under the great flag of hero Hoang Hoa Tham. The lesson about the patriotism still lights up from several historical relic sites.
Most of historic stages left deep imprints on Bac Giang land such as temple worshipping Thach Linh general in Hung Vuong era in Tien Lat (Viet Yen district); temple worshipping princesses in Ly dynasty in Truong Giang (Luc Nam district); Bo Da pagoda in Tien Son (Viet Yen district) in Ly dynasty; Ho Bac pagoda built in Tran dynasty in Nghia Phuong (Luc Nam district); famous ancient Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Tri Yen (Yen Dung district)...
Dong Thuong is not only famous for the traditional carpenter village but also for the humorous local people. The surrounding wall of the village attracts any new comer by many beautiful pictures and embossment which were created by the local skillful artists to build a unique Dong Thuong village.
Meanwhile, Lang Son village by Thuong river has a lonely red silk cotton tree which lights up a corner with red flowers in March. On the occasion, it lures many youngsters to come and take photo and then they call it “alone red silk cotton tree”. Under the tree, there is a holy shrine worshipping Ba Co which becomes an impressed spot in the local spiritual tourism programme. The integration of real and unreal factors help create huge attraction.
Visitors enjoy the fruit land of Luc Ngan. |
An effective tourism package is surely made by exploiting the humanity in the spirit. Bac Giang province has several famous religious establishments which creates great advantages in spiritual tourism development toward positive way.
Thus, Bac Giang province boasts many favourable condition for diverse tourism forms in several localities all year round. Though this location did not become capital in the past, Bac Giang still deserves as the sacred land with romantic mountain and river as well as good land and citizens.
And, not only me but also many others who were not born here still choose this land to return with lot of affection.
Nguyen Huu Quy