They have long lived in this boat station and often heard his singing voice. They are happy to enjoy the folk songs as an indispensable spiritual habit. In the songs, they find sympathy and faith in life.
The creator has blessed Ninh Binh province with spectacular scenery. Every tree, rock on the scared land bears the stamp of time. And as tourism is identified as the key local economic sector, the value of history and culture has become very important. Trang An eco-tourism zone has long been known as a unique cultural site and it is likened to “Halong Bay”. It is a complex of beauty landscapes, clouds and mountains and blue water…The unstoppable change of the nature has created a matrix of caves with 9 life gates and 9 death gates for the Trang An. Tourists seem to be lost in paradise here.
6km away from Ninh Binh city, Trang An – the most famous attraction in Ninh Binh covers an area of 2,000 hectares consisting of wetland eco-forests, limestone forests, Hoa Lu’s historic sites and a cave system. The number of tourists of Trang An increased constantly from more than 1 million people in 2009 to over 4 million people by 2012. Trang An boat station with nearly 1.500 boats is considered the biggest one in Vietnam. There are 1,200 boatwomen who mainly come from Gia Vien and Hoa Lu districts. Therefore, Trang An also has the record of having the most boatwomen in Vietnam.
The journey to discover Trang An Eco-tourism complex starts and ends at the same point. Howver, the route in and the route out are not the same. It is an interesting difference. The boat take visitors back to the history of Dinh’s dynasty that used mountains as citadels, rivers as roads and caves palaces. And perhaps, the best attraction of Trang An is its spiritual meaning rather than the beauty of blue water. The boatwomen also desire to explain the history of the place to travelers.
The journey is an exploration of 10 caves and 3 spirituals points. If we want to reach the Trinh temple, we have to go through “dark” cave which is as impressive as the literal sense of its name. Without light, we can see nothing in the length of 300 meters of the cave except the sound of water lapping against the walls. The temperature of the cave is always higher than outside because of a warm underground current.
The Trinh temple is used to worship 2 Generals of Dinh’s dynasty. The “Phu Khong” Temple is used to worship other 7 Generals of Dinh dynasty. People come here not to conduct “noisy” rituals but to listen to echoes of distant memories. Arriving at Tran Temple, touching sacred stone pillars, breathing in the fresh air of the primeval forest, people feel as if their worries faded away. Actually, the feeling has already followed them along the journey.
In the 260-meter-long “Nau Ruou” cave, there is a water well that the ancients used to take water to produce rice wine. The rice wine was very famous for its quality, color and flavor. The most outstanding cave is, perhaps, the “Ba Giot” cave, because of not only its beauty but also its mysterious exotic fable. A man could not get the girl he loved, he came to the cave, lit a candle on a small turtle’s back. He cried three days and three nights and then went to “Si” cave to drown himself. It was so thrilling that the cave burst into tears as stalactite drops, the mother turtle waiting outside the cave became stone.
Trang An is considered as a “outdoor geological museum” of Ninh Binh in particular and of Vietnam in general. The land is approximately 250 million years old in terms of geology. Over a very long period of time, the effects of the earth, the climate, the sea level changes have formed hundreds of valleys, caves and many species of rare animals and plants. Perhaps the flute sound is too familiar in this charming place. The sweet rhythm can be remembered forever once heard.
He is called by some informal names such as the patrol man, the flute man or the crazy man with Trang An soul. For nearly 10 years now, there has been hardly a day without the beautiful sound of his flute. Mr. Le Van Khanh is nearly 60 years old, and like many other people in this region, he earns his living in Trang An eco-tourism zone. His Paddles are gently waving along with the pure flute sound. The boat takes him through the mountains to ensure the safety for tourists.
Not only the majestic mountains and rivers, but also the hospitality of the people here makes visitors love this land. Every dweller of Trang An is also a tourist guide. Is it the reason why its tourism is growing day by day? Trang An Ecological Zone is documented to be recognized as a world natural heritage by UNESCO. It will soon become a must-see in travelers’ guide books. There are still many difficulties facing local people’s life in Trang An. However, with great pride in their motherland, they all look towards a better life in the cultural and sacred land. Trang An is a fantastic destination that would linger on forever in our mind once we visit it.
Source: VTC10 - NETVIET
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