White Jade Region

(Baonghean) -Nghe An used to be the "fence" of Dai Viet nation. As soon as he came here to collect taxes, fight off foreign invaders, and keep the border safe, Ly Nhat Quang - the 8th son of King Ly Thai To chose Bach Ngoc land as his capital. The ancient Bach Ngoc place name is now the area of ​​3 communes Ngoc Son, Lam Son, and Boi Son of Do Luong district. This land is known to many people for the famous and sacred Qua Son temple, a historical relic ranked at the national level.

Qua Son Temple Festival.

There is still the sacred temple reflected in the river, and the Ba But Pagoda, Nhan Boi Pagoda, Phuc Hau communal house... Time has covered it with moss, but people still remember the great contributions of King Uy Minh Ly Nhat Quang, of the guardian gods, and the people. Lam River still rolls with waves, witnessing many changes of the homeland. Each house, each rice field, each tree, ferry... still retains its ancient, peaceful features. Visitors from all over the world seem to forget all their worries to feel the beauty of the sky - clouds - river - water, the sacredness of the "first sacred" Qua Son in Nghe An. As for me, every time I come here, I linger to talk with Mr. Nguyen Huy Hy - Deputy Manager of Qua Son Temple, a person passionate about historical research, to better understand the cultural sediments of this ancient land along the Lam Giang River. Turning the pages of the book that had turned yellow, Mr. Hy said: "Bach Ngoc is not only the political and military center of Nghe An, but also the land of Buddha." During the Ly Dynasty, Buddhism was the national religion. King Ly Thai To was also a Buddhist who often went to the temple to pray to Buddha. Therefore, during his time as a district governor in Nghe An, along with the task of keeping the border peaceful and helping villagers stabilize their lives, Ly Nhat Quang also focused on developing Buddhism here. He built and renovated pagodas, opened a Zen monastery to teach Buddhism. Nhan Boi Pagoda and Ba But Pagoda were also built during that period. According to Ly Te Xuyen's records in the book Viet Dien U Linh, during the Tran Dynasty, every time he went to fight the Yuan-Mongol invaders, the king often came here to perform the "welcoming the gods to battle" ceremony, praying for the wise Uy Minh Vuong to help the insurgents have good luck and success, quickly defeat the foreign invaders, and keep the border peaceful. During the Tran, Later Le, and early Nguyen dynasties, the people of Bach Ngoc were classified as ritual-creating people, exempted from paying taxes and serving in the army to take care of the temple as if taking care of the very source of the country.

During the resistance war against the French, Major General Nguyen Son was assigned by Uncle Ho to command the Inter-Zone 4 Front. He chose Bach Ngoc as the place to build a military base, ammunition depot and essential supplies for logistics. During the war against the American invasion, Qua Mountain was the location of the Inter-Zone 4 Air Defense Command. Many key missile units were established on this land, undertaking key tasks.

During the period from 1951 to 1956, Bach Ngoc was home to many large schools such as Huynh Thuc Khang School (the predecessor of Vinh National School), Lien Khu 4 Pedagogical School (the predecessor of Nghe An Pedagogical College)... The rice grains and potatoes of the people of Bach Ngoc helped them overcome difficult and chaotic times. The names of mountains, rivers and even familiar villages have imprinted countless memories of a turbulent time. The people of Bach Ngoc have the right to be proud of having protected, sheltered and nurtured thousands of outstanding children.

Many talented people of the country are also children of Bach Ngoc. This land is famous for its studiousness and respect for etiquette. Here, there are 3 big families: Dang, Cao and Dao, with many successful and honorable people: Dang Tat, Dang Dung, Dang Quy Cong, Nguyen Dao Thuc...

Continuing the tradition of their homeland, the children of Bach Ngoc region continue to rise up, holding many important positions of the State such as Lieutenant General Cao Tien Phien - Secretary of National Security and Defense of former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; Writer Cao Tien Le... In Con Chua hamlet alone, there are more than 30 people with university and post-graduate degrees, 3 doctors and 5 masters. Typical examples include Dr. Nguyen Dien Trong - former Vice President of Hanoi University of Construction, Nguyen Huy Chieu - Doctor of Mathematics, lecturer at Vinh University, currently working in Korea; Nguyen Thi Thu Trang - Doctor of Mathematics, Central Institute of Mathematics... In university entrance exams, many children of Bach Ngoc passed prestigious schools, bringing glory to their homeland.

The name Bach Ngoc is no longer on the administrative boundary map of Do Luong district, but the tradition of the land and people here is still often mentioned as a source of pride. That cultural source still flows from ancient times to the future like the Lam river that never runs dry...

Nguyen Le