Song Ngu Son and the aspirations of the people of Nghe An

(Baonghean) - “I am a son of Nghe An province. When I open my eyes, I see the Lam River flowing, the mountains, fields, and villages of my homeland. Why wouldn't I return to Nghe An? I must! My homeland has so much potential. I could stay in Russia or anywhere else. But I still choose to invest in Nghe An simply because I am a son of Nghe An…”

Mr. Tran Quoc Lam, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company, shared this sentiment during our speedboat journey from Lan Chau Peninsula to Ngu Island. "I've been to Ngu Island many times, and I still remember the nervous and anxious feelings of sitting on a motorized bamboo raft to cross the waves, or the precariousness of being on a fisherman's motorboat to explore the island. Only this time, gliding over the waves in a speedboat, did I find a sense of comfort and delight amidst the vast expanse of sky and water."

Tourists move towards the pier to prepare to go to the island.

A speedboat takes tourists to visit Ngư Island. Photo: Trần Hải

The speedboat takes tourists towards Ngư Island.

In the fading sunlight, the beach of Cua Lo appeared faintly behind the constantly splashing water beside the boat. Following Mr. Tran Quoc Lam's pointing hand, we looked towards Cua Hoi, a pristine area. Mr. Lam said that, for the time being, Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company is investing in 5 canoes to serve tourists on the route from Lan Chau Island to Ngu Island. In the near future, they plan to promote waterway tourism along the Cua Lo to Nam Dan route, passing through historical and spiritual tourist destinations such as: the historical site and tomb of the great poet Nguyen Du in Nghi Xuan - Ha Tinh; the temple of Emperor Quang Trung on Quyet Mountain in Vinh City; the Kim Lien historical site and the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh in Nam Dan; the tomb of King Mai Hac De; and the memorial site of the late General Secretary Le Hong Phong...

Mr. Tran Quoc Lam - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company (first row, right) is a pioneer in building the Cua Lo tourism brand.

The development of waterway tourism services is just one of many investment items in the Lan Chau - Song Ngu ecological tourism complex project, which includes resort villas, entertainment, and sports facilities. The project was approved by the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee with Decision 938/QD UBND-CNTM dated March 14, 2014. In the tourism development plan for Cua Lo coastal town, Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company focuses its investment on three main clusters: Lan Chau Island, Ngu Island, and the Nghi Hoa ward area. Accordingly, Lan Chau Island, with an island area of ​​5.74 hectares and a sea area of ​​11.12 hectares, will feature facilities such as a plaza, resort hotels and resorts, massage and mud bath areas, mountain restaurants, and a ferry terminal to the island. Ngư Island, with an exploitable area of ​​47,348 hectares of island land and 38,945 hectares of sea surface, will feature a system of: 3-5 star hotels, a spiritual tourism area, a fishing village, indoor and outdoor amusement parks, mountain resort villas, a cable car station, a diving area, and water sports facilities... In Nghi Hoa ward, a cable car system connecting the mainland to Ngư Island will be built, along with a food street and entertainment services...

Tourists enjoy the thrill of taking a speedboat to the island.

Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Ha, General Director and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company, stated that the project aims to exploit the potential and advantages of Cua Lo's coastal tourism, promote the development of infrastructure in the project area, attract domestic and international tourists to Cua Lo, boost the promotion of local scenic spots, create stable jobs for a segment of the local population, contribute to the state budget, develop socio-economic aspects, and contribute to the development of the tourism industry in line with the province's orientation. In reality, over the past years, tourism activities in the town have developed strongly, but mainly concentrated in the town center with beach bathing as the primary form of recreation. Other activities to retain tourists are limited, failing to fully utilize the tourism potential. There are no attractive entertainment areas, leading to a lack of diverse tourism products, with many tourists only visiting to swim and then leaving without enjoying other offerings. Therefore, investing in the in-depth development of tourism services will contribute to increasing the number of tourists visiting and staying longer in Cua Lo. Mr. Tran Quoc Lam also said that when the project is completed, tourists will come to the coastal town all four seasons of the year, and in particular, the company will aim to serve Asian tourists and tourists from Eastern European countries.

Tourists visit Ngư Island.

The Lan Chau - Song Ngu eco-tourism complex project, developed and implemented in the coastal town, demonstrates the strategic vision of Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company in meeting the needs of tourists for tourism products. This is also a success for Cua Lo town in attracting investment and improving the efficiency of tourism activities. Regarding this, Mr. Nguyen Nam Dinh, Secretary of the Cua Lo Town Party Committee, stated: One of the issues that the Town Party Committee and People's Committee have been and are currently addressing is promoting investment attraction and calling for large investment projects with the expectation that when these projects become operational, they will fundamentally change Cua Lo's tourism infrastructure. This aims to better exploit the beaches and offshore islands, while also linking and expanding tours and routes with key tourist areas in neighboring regions. The Secretary of the Cua Lo Town Party Committee also mentioned that there are currently two large projects underway in Cua Lo town.

Tourists set foot on Ngư Island.

That's the Muong Thanh Cua Lo Hotel construction project, with a scale of 27 floors and 420 rooms. This project is expected to be completed and put into use in mid-2015 and will become a central hub for organizing large-scale conferences and seminars. “Previously, conferences and seminars with around 500 people had to be split across many different locations. With the Muong Thanh Cua Lo Hotel project, it will be possible to organize meals, accommodation, and meetings in a single location, which is very convenient for tourists as well as for organizing conferences,” Mr. Nguyen Nam Dinh shared. Speaking about the potential and development direction of tourism in the coastal city in the current context, the Secretary of the Cua Lo Town Party Committee could not hide his excitement: “Besides having a long and beautiful coastline of over 10 km, Cua Lo also has the Lan Chau peninsula, and offshore there are Ngu Island and Mat Island.”Ngư Island has recently received approval from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defense for tourism development, combining defense and economic activities. Currently, the investor has commenced the project, completing all planning approval procedures, obtaining an investment certificate, and is now carrying out initial operations. I believe this is a new highlight for Cua Lo tourism in 2014. In the following years, this investor will implement the remaining components, the most important of which is the construction of a cable car connecting Ngư Island to the mainland. Once completed, this will be a major attraction for domestic tourists, especially European tourists, during the cold season.”

To boost tourism promotion and investment attraction, the leaders of Cua Lo Town have recently focused on directing administrative reforms and instructing departments to create the most favorable and efficient conditions for investors to carry out their activities. The Town Party Committee and People's Committee regularly monitor and understand the difficulties faced by businesses. This has contributed to resolving obstacles and promoting investment in tourism services.

Returning to our speedboat journey from Lan Chau Island to Ngu Island, the sea stretched like a giant, emerald-green carpet, occasionally dotted with tiny, shimmering fish. We felt like we were gliding over the waves, experiencing a unique and exhilarating feeling. Historically, Hon Ngu Island has also been known as Song Ngu (Twin Fish) because it resembles a pair of fish rising from the sea. The charm of this journey also comes from the scenic spots and landmarks on the small island, such as the Jade Well, the Song Ngu Pagoda, and the two 700-year-old Barringtonia trees. Furthermore, the island boasts a system of pristine and fascinating caves. All of this creates an unparalleled destination within the Cua Lo tourist area. Before parting ways, Mr. Tran Quoc Lam revealed: "It's not by chance that my wife and I returned from Russia to invest in Cua Lo. We will have to invest nearly 2,000 billion VND in this project. There have been opinions that people from Nghe An are not proactive enough in tourism investment. I will prove them wrong. I am from Nghe An."

Dao Tuan - Duc Anh