The legend of Bau Sung

(Baonghean) - Bau Sung stream (Lang Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) meanders, full of clear blue water all year round, creating a picturesque landscape painting for this peaceful countryside.

Bau Sung - poetic image of Lang Thanh commune.

Following Mr. Hoang Danh Tho - Chairman of Lang Thanh Commune People's Committee, we followed the dirt road running along both sides of Bau Sung, immersing ourselves in the quiet, peaceful scenery of the rice fields... Bau Sung this season, the water surface is calm, clear, reflecting the rows of trees along the road. On both sides of Bau Sung, upstream, there are vast green lim forests, below is a crowded residential area, a martyrs' cemetery, a school, a village well, and a water wharf.

Mr. Tho said, it is not by chance that Lang Thanh has this precious lake, this is the great contribution of a woman in the commune. Hundreds of years ago, Mrs. Thai Thi Liet was a daughter of Lang Thanh, married to a district governor in Phuc Thanh commune. After many years of living with her husband, because she had no children, Mrs. Liet returned to her mother's hometown. Back home, she opened a water shop in the Su (deep) stream area on the Sen - So route. Right at the water shop, there is a small stream, divided into 2 branches: the branch flowing to Giai village, Hung Thanh commune and the branch flowing to Lo stream, Lang Thanh commune. At that time, farmers in Lang Thanh commune often lacked rice to eat, due to crop failures, because the land was dry, and there was no irrigation water.

Sympathizing with the farmers, Mrs. Liet found a way to stop the water branch flowing to Giai village, concentrating all the water from Su stream to flow to Lo stream. Every day, she spent a little money, mobilized the children who were herding cows to chop firewood to sell to her to throw into the stream to stop the water flow. Since then, all the water from Su stream has flowed to Lo stream, down to Bau Sung. Bau Sung at that time was just a small stream, people took water up to irrigate the fields. Over time, due to the impact of weather and environment, that stream eroded into Bau Sung today. Grateful to Mrs. Thai Thi Liet, nearly a hundred years ago, the people of Lang Thanh commune built a temple on the bank of Bau Sung, close to Lang Giua field to worship her. Despite the vicissitudes of time, until now, the local people still worship her on the ground of the old temple.

Why is it called Bau Sung? Lang Thanh people explain: Sung means Ke Sung, Ke Sot. The Ke Sung, Ke Sot areas previously belonged to the communes: Lang Thanh, Hong Thanh, Phu Thanh and part of Tho Thanh commune. Bau Sung previously originated from Khe Lo, at the foot of Mong Ga cave, cut across Lang Thanh commune, down to Hong Thanh, Phu Thanh communes and then poured into Bung river through Ba bridge in Dien Thai commune (Dien Chau), about 15 km long. Later, Lang Thanh commune built a dam across the lake, behind Sung communal house, called the Dang bank to keep water for production.

From upstream to downstream, Bau Sung is now only over 7 km long, the widest point is up to 100 m, the deepest point of water requires connecting 3 poles to reach the bottom. The deepest point is called Roc Bung, on both sides of the bank there are many caves, for a long time people have said that there is an old turtle, the shell is as big as a tray, the head is like a dog's head, many people working in the fields passing by saw the turtle floating, but could not catch it, because the water is deep, no one dares to go down. Currently, the locality creates conditions for some people to raise fish on Bau Sung, in order to manage the ecological resources well and develop the economy. With irrigation water from Bau Sung, farmers in Lang Thanh commune work all year round with bumper crops, people's lives are increasingly improved, the appearance of the village is more and more prosperous. Now, on both sides of Bau Sung are 106 hectares of lim trees over a hundred years old. Lang Thanh lim forest is currently being managed by all levels, sectors and localities as a special-use forest. Thus, Bau Sung is associated with the ironwood forest, creating one of the attractive tourist destinations of Yen Thanh in the future.

Bau Sung not only provides irrigation water for hundreds of hectares of productive land, but also previously provided water for the community life of hundreds of households in hamlets 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of Lang Thanh commune, but is also a "water bag" whenever floods occur in the upstream area. Bau Sung is associated with many generations of people here, a poetic, close, familiar image for Lang Thanh children whenever they are away from home or returning.

Xuan Hoang