Nho Lam power source

For me, the Nho Lam region holds a strange allure, not because of its scenic beauty or delicious food, but because of the deep human connection and fascinating stories imbued with the essence of life. Each visit is a new encounter, a new experience that deepens my understanding of human nature, a fascinating aspect amidst the flow of life.

Here, the names of mountains, lands, and villages still bear the marks of ancient times, yet evoke something very simple and familiar: Ta Hill, Mua Hill, Kim Hill, Ong Hill, Chach Hill, Ba Hill, La Hill, Dai Vac Mountain, Chanh Stream, Bo Stream, Doc Stream, Dai Stream, Nam Ngang Stream... This is the homeland of Cao Lo - a general of Thuc Phan An Duong Vuong, who helped the king create the magic crossbow to fight against invaders. This place was once famous for its iron casting and forging, for its tradition of studiousness and academic achievement, for the story of land reclamation and village establishment, and for its distinctive folk songs.

A view of Nho Lam - Dien Tho (Dien Chau) today. Photo: Cong Kien

I have had the pleasure of meeting extraordinary people from Nho Lam, who, despite their diverse backgrounds and ages, share an unwavering passion. There's Mr. Nguyen The Phuc, a soldier who participated in three wars (against the French, against the Americans, and defending the northern border). There's Mr. Dang Xuan Huynh, a war veteran who travels to various cemeteries to photograph the graves of fallen soldiers from Nghe An province, then traces the addresses to send the photos to their families. There's Mr. Nguyen The Chu, an elderly farmer passionate about traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, skillfully playing the two-stringed fiddle, moon lute, and flute. And there's Cao Cu Hung, a disabled man who uses his hands to move around, earns a living repairing motorcycles, and is honored as a "master"...

Archaeological artifacts found in Nho Lam confirm that Vietnamese people lived there approximately 5,000 years ago. The person who recruited people, established the village, and founded Nho Lam is believed to have been a man with the title Thien Tri Giai Sy, referred to in the Cao family genealogy as the "primordial ancestor." Comparing this with historical records and neighboring areas, it can be determined that Nho Lam was settled in the late 14th century – a period when people from the North migrated to the Thanh-Nghe-Tinh region to open up land, establish villages, and build a "shield" on the southern border of Dai Viet. This means the village was formed more than 600 years ago, a considerable period in the course of history marked by many ups and downs.

The stele commemorating the literary and scholarly associations, and the stele commemorating the well association, are located within the grounds of the Dien Tho Commune People's Committee (Dien Chau District). Photo: Cong Kien

“When you come to Nho Lam, do you see those black fences that look so unique? That’s because the bricks used are made of iron slag. There’s an abundance of iron slag here, a result of the iron casting industry that dates back hundreds of years. This shows that iron casting and forging once flourished in this rural area,” Mr. Dang Quang Lien said enthusiastically when talking about his hometown’s traditions.

The craft of iron casting still leaves its mark in folk songs passed down through generations: "Nho Lam is heavy with slag/If you are lucky, come to Nho Lam." Iron ore was extracted from the mine in Qua Trinh commune (now Nghi Cong - Nghi Loc), then put into furnaces to be smelted into iron slag. There used to be hundreds of smelting and forging furnaces here. Villagers say that there were so many furnaces that there wasn't enough space to dispose of the enormous amount of iron slag; roads, fields, and the ground were all covered in it. With nowhere else to dump it, at night the people of Nho Lam had to carry it to other villages to dump it secretly. Therefore, these villages, even without furnaces, still had a lot of iron slag. Today, people still often use the slag from underground to make bricks for building fences and outbuildings; these bricks are very durable and of good quality.

Cao Lỗ Temple - a general of Thục Phán An Dương Vương, a son of Nho Lâm - Diễn Thọ (Diễn Châu). Photo: Công Kiên

The iron bars were sold to blacksmiths in the village to produce agricultural tools such as plows, hoes, shovels, and knives. Nho Lam's blacksmithing products were of high quality and sold throughout the region, reaching as far as Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu, and even up to Do Luong and Quy Phu. Legend has it that when Quang Trung - Nguyen Hue marched north to defeat the Qing army, he stopped in Nghe An and received additional weapons from the people of Nho Lam. Later, during the peasant uprising led by Nguyen Huu Cau and the Can Vuong movement under the command of Nguyen Xuan On, the people of Nho Lam responded by forging weapons for the rebel army.

Fences built with block bricks made from iron slag in Dien Tho (Dien Chau). Photo: Cong Kien

Today, iron casting is no longer practiced, and blacksmithing has also faded away. However, in return, the younger generations in Nho Lam have inherited the intelligence, dynamism, diligence, and hard work of their ancestors. The tradition of valuing education continues, with many sons and daughters of this region achieving academic success, and various clans establishing scholarship funds. The Nguyen clan, in particular, has dedicated a corner of their ancestral hall to a library dedicated to promoting education, which currently houses over 1,000 books on science, reference materials, and various books on science and technology.

Every year, Dien Tho has around 100 students who pass the university entrance exams, most achieving quite high scores. Notably, in 2014, Cao Ngoc Thai won a Gold Medal at the International Physics Olympiad. Many children of Nho Lam - Dien Tho have achieved success far from home and always remember their ancestral homeland. Mr. Dang Quang Lien added that the descendants of Nho Lam in Hanoi are currently planning to raise funds to restore the Cultural Center and several other architectural and cultural structures that have been lost due to the effects of time and historical changes, so that the cultural heritage of their homeland may endure.