Bong Gorge

(Baonghean) - Anyone who has traveled up and down the Lam River or along National Highway 7 will surely remember a magnificent landscape, a spectacular scenic spot. "Mountains upon mountains, waters flowing gently, the emerald water surface intertwined with trees at the base of emerald rocks." That is the scenic spot of Eo Vuc Bong in Bong Khe commune, Con Cuong district.

Bong Gorge

The Bong Gorge, nestled beside the Bong Son mountain range, is a multi-tiered terrace of the Tran Ninh plateau, one of the highest peaks of the Indochinese peninsula. Legend says that Bong Gorge is the deepest gorge of the Lam River, where three dragon heads converge. One dragon's tail extends upstream of the Lam River, another downstream, and a third the entire length of the Diem stream. The green dragon was tasked with training the long-lived carp in the upper reaches of the Lam River in martial arts, while the golden dragon selected and trained the carp downstream. The fiery dragon in the Diem stream was responsible for drawing water from the stream, spraying it as rain, and creating the Bong Gorge as the Vu Mon Gate.

Every year, as autumn arrives (around August or September in the lunar calendar), the Lam River rises, and the green and yellow dragons lead their proud army to Eo Vuc Bong to compete in the "Dragon Gate" race. This is the final "test," and those carp that leap and fly over the Dragon Gate of Eo Vuc Bong mountain will be transformed into dragons, spewing cool, refreshing rain to nourish the forests of the Western region, making them ever more lush. Indeed, today, when you visit Con Cuong and have the chance to climb to the summit of Eo Vuc Bong mountain, you will see a vast expanse of water and sky, with the Lam River flowing from upstream, downstream, and out through Khe Diem, winding and curving like a swimming dragon. During the rainy season, not only carp but also many other fish species from Eo Vuc Bong cross over and rush into Khe Diem and Khe Can streams. Some locals, without nets, still catch many large fish with their bare hands.

People of the past considered this a sacred site of the dragon clan, and they erected a temple here at the Gate of the Dragon's Lair by the Bong Gorge to worship and pass on to their descendants, past, present, and future generations, the importance of protecting this rare and precious historical site.

TB

(Synthetic)