The source of Lam River

Lam River (also known as Ca River) is more than 400 kilometers long, flowing from the West, through nearly 10 districts in Nghe An and then pouring into the sea, considered a dragon vein of Nghe An.

Just like humans are born with a father, a mother, and a homeland, rivers also have their origins. The source of Lam River is the confluence of two rivers Nam Non and Nam Mo. The intersection of these three rivers is given a very impressive name by the locals: Cua Rao.

In Thai, "nam" means water. Some people say "mo" means "grandfather" and "non" means turbid, others say: "nam mo" means the ancestor of the river, and "non" means "indigo", meaning the river is turbid like indigo, because in Thai, "nam nin" is the water used to dye clothes. The Nam Mo River is 28 km long, starting from Muong Tip commune, Ky Son district, flowing through Luu Kien to Cua Rao - Xa Luong commune. The Nam Non River is 102 km long, originating from Xieng Khouang, Laos, flowing through Ky Son and 7 communes of Tuong Duong district to Cua Rao, converging with Nam Mo to form the Ca River. The legends about the two Nam Non - Nam Mo rivers are personified as the fate of two people.

Indeed, the Nam Non River is winding with many rapids, both sides of the rocky banks stand up as if challenging the fast water, the muddy water splashes white foam, strong like a young man, while the Nam Mo River appears more gentle, smaller, looking like a young woman. This place still preserves the legend that, in the distant ocean, there was a pair of dragons. One day, the pair of dragons swam upstream of the Ca River to the Cua Rao area to play. At that time, on the top of Pu Xai Lai Leng, the heavenly officials were holding a grand party, eating and playing when they saw the pair of dragons come to disrupt, the heavenly court was angry and ordered Thien Loi to throw a red-hot steel blade at the pair of dragons, injuring both of them. The female dragon was slightly injured, dug into the mountain and ran away, creating the Nam Mo River, while the male dragon was seriously injured and became very ferocious, also dug into the mountain, creating the Nam Non River...

Another legend says: Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl who loved a boy from the mountains. They loved each other deeply but because their families forbade it, they could not marry. The girl stood on the high mountain and cried for days and nights, her two streams of tears created two rivers, Nam Non and Nam Mo. The boy loved his lover so much that he absorbed all the two streams of tears and they gathered together to form a large river, which is today's Ca River.

Each story has a different explanation for the formation of the river junction, but they are all very meaningful, which makes this place not only beautiful, poetic but also mysterious and sacred. At the river junction, the fierce, destructive Nam Non river is no longer there, the riverbed is deep, the water is regulated so it flows very smoothly. Along the river, the forest trees cast green shadows, along the shore, small boats are anchored close together; houses, carpentry workshops, shops are gradually springing up according to the urbanization process. The landscape is gradually changing according to the progress of human life. The Cua Rao suspension bridge at the river junction is considered a symbol, a pride of Tuong Duong in the spirit of solidarity, and a highlight in the ink painting built in the 80s of the last century with the contribution of effort and money of tens of thousands of people. The day the bridge was inaugurated was a big festival in Tuong Duong, people from all the villages and neighboring areas flocked here, happy and full of pride. The day the Ban Ve hydroelectric project started construction, a new bridge made of reinforced concrete, more sturdy and convenient for large trucks, was built, the suspension bridge ended its "historic mission".

Standing on the bridge groaning under the drills, we turned our eyes to the side bordering the three rivers, Con Temple looming behind the ancient trees. In the past, the temple had three rooms made of bricks and tiles, but due to the devastation of war, since 1950 the temple has become a ruin. The only traces of the temple now remain at the side gate and in the memories of the elderly people here. However, until now, people still do not know who Con Temple was built to worship, only that the temple is very sacred. When the main way of communication was by boat, fishermen from all over the place passing by here would come to the temple to burn incense and pray for peace. Now Con Cua Rao Temple has been restored quite nicely.

The water at the confluence of the three rivers has changed course countless times. Nature is always mysterious, but it is not silent but always has its own voice. The traces of history (Cua Rao bridge, Con temple...) have also gone through many eras and are gradually changing, people and time have, are and will write history for it. In the future, when the Ban Ve hydroelectric project is completed, the eco-tourism and cultural tourism model will be opened, at that time the confluence of the three rivers - the end of the Nam Non and Nam Mo rivers, the beginning of the Lam river will become one of the destinations for tourists.

Hoang Hao - Nguyen Phuong Thuy -K50 Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi