Awakening… Pisces
Ngu Island is considered as a screen protecting the East of Cua Lo and Cua Hoi land, throughout the history of building and defending the country. And then, when Ngu Island was gradually invested to become a key tourist destination of the province, many people believed that it was time for Song Ngu to ... awaken.
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In late June, I took the newly opened cable car across the sea to findNgu Island. Different from the intense heat and the burning Lao wind from the mainland, when I set foot on the island, before my eyes was a cool green space, with endless trees and the bustling sound of birds.
Looking west from Ngu Island, on the left is Cua Hoi, also known as Hoi Thong or Hoi Hai Khau, meaning the place where the water sources of hundreds of rivers and streams flow from Lam River to the sea. On the right side of Ngu Island is Cua Lo, formerly known as Xa Hai Khau, where the water of Cam River (formerly called Xa River) flows into the East Sea.
Historical records say that in the 15th century, King Le Thanh Tong stopped his boat to visit Ngu Island on his tour to the South. In the 18th century, Royal Doctor Bui Duong Lich (1757-1828) also wrote famous poems about Song Ngu Island. The shape of Cua Lo land and Ngu Island was later described by him in “Nghe An Ky”.
In the 19th century, Doctor Duong Thuc Hap (1835-1920), from Quynh Doi commune (Quynh Luu), who passed the Third Class Doctorate exam in the year Giap Than, Kien Phuc 1 (1884), and was also appointed as the Director of Education of Nghe An province, wrote the poem "Hoi Hai" describing the scenery here:“The Lam River flows thousands of miles/ Flowing from the mountains and forests/ The two peaks of Song Ngu and Song Ngu are close together/ High in front of us, the wind lulls us on all sides/ Morning and evening, fishing boats bob up and down/ Merchant ships come and go all year round…”.
Ngu Island is also known as Song Ngu Island because it is formed by two mountains 133m and 88m high above sea level. The island has an area of 2.5 km², located about 4km from the coast. The two rocky mountains of Ngu Island are described by the ancients as two fish jumping in the middle of the blue waves. With a beautiful shape, located close to the mainland, right on the North - South sea route, the place name Hon Ngu has appeared many times in poetry since ancient times:"Pisces is a vast sea/ If the time is bright/ Talents will compete to develop".
Currently, on Ngu Island there is also Song Ngu Pagoda - an ancient pagoda over 800 years old, built in the early 14th century under the Ly - Tran Dynasty. The pagoda was built on a campus of over 11,000m2.2This is the place where fishermen often come to pray for safety when going out to sea.
Meeting Venerable Thich Minh Huong - Abbot of Song Ngu Pagoda, I understood more about the historical and cultural values of this pagoda. This is one of the rare pagodas built on the island and is more than 800 years old. This shows the historical and cultural values of this island throughout the history of the nation.
Venerable Thich Minh Huong said: Like many ancient pagodas in Vietnam, Song Ngu Pagoda worships Buddha, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, other Buddhas and King Hoang Ta Thon, who made many achievements in the fight against the Yuan-Mongol invaders in the 13th century and is also a God of Fortune who always protects coastal residents.
Regarding Song Ngu Pagoda, "Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu" as well as legends still circulate the love story between General Tran Khac Chung and Princess Huyen Tran. The book records that "In the winter, October, the Imperial Official Tran Khac Chung, the Minister of the Left, and the An Phu Ambassador Dang Van were sent to Champa to welcome Princess Huyen Tran and Crown Prince Da Da back. According to Champa custom, when the lord (King Che Man) died, the lord's queen had to enter the pyre to die with him. King Tran knew this and was afraid that Princess Huyen Tran would be harmed, so he sent Khac Chung and his men, under the pretext of visiting the funeral, and told the Champa people:"If the princess is cremated, no one will advocate for the funeral. It is better to go to the sea to summon the soul at the edge of the sky, welcome the soul back, and then enter the funeral pyre. It is not too late."The Champa people listened. Khac Chung used a light boat to capture Princess Huyen Tran... On this return trip by sea, Khac Chung stopped the boat at Ngu island, and went with Princess Huyen Tran to the temple to worship Buddha.
Under the temple yard, there is now an ancient well, also known as the "fairy well" with clear blue water that almost never dries up, along with two ancient Barringtonia trees, hundreds of years old, providing shade covering the entire front yard of the temple. Venerable Thich Minh Huong also said that since 2003, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has invested significant financial resources to restore the temple. Every year, many tourists from near and far coming to Cua Lo, upon hearing information about Song Ngu Pagoda, do not hesitate to cross the sea to visit the temple.
Nowadays, when traveling between the island and the mainland is more convenient, we hope that more and more tourists will know about this sacred ancient temple."
Most Venerable Thich Minh Huong
To develop Ngu Island into a tourist destination, since 2019, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a Decision approving the detailed construction planning at a scale of 1/500.Cua Hoi entertainment area, Cua Lo town. According to this plan, in addition to the amusement parks on the mainland, in the Ngu island area, an area of more than 12 hectares, including many functional areas and a cable car station has been implemented.
Currently, the cable car station area and some functional areas such as restaurants and check-in points along the western foot of Ngu Island have been built and welcomed guests since June 1, 2024. This has contributed to creating a new look for Song Ngu. It is a combination of modernity and the ancient features of the ancient temple, contributing to the harmony and balance of the green island.
Mr. Hoang Thanh Son - Head of the Department of Culture - Information, People's Committee of Cua Lo town excitedly shared with us a piece of information. That is, on December 29, 2021, the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision approving the investment policy of the Project to restore and embellish the historical relic of Song Ngu Pagoda. The restoration and embellishment of Song Ngu Pagoda contributes to meeting the spiritual needs of local people and serving the needs of Buddhist worship of tourists when visiting and relaxing in Cua Lo. At the same time, it contributes to creating a harmonious connection in the landscape system of Ngu Island tourist area, as a premise for developing local culture, economy and tourism. The good news is that this Project is implemented entirely from socialized sources, with a total cost of more than 31 billion VND, sponsored by Thien Tam Fund - Vingroup Corporation.
On April 8, 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 861/QD-UBND approving the detailed construction planning at a scale of 1/500 for the Project to restore and embellish the historical relic of Song Ngu Pagoda. "These are important steps in promoting the development of Cua Lo tourism. Because together with the completion of the expressway, shortening the travel time from Hanoi to Vinh has contributed to attracting a large number of tourists to Cua Lo in general and Ngu Island in particular" - Mr. Son shared.
Once the construction of tourist attractions on the island is completed and the restoration and embellishment of Song Ngu Pagoda is completed, more and more tourists from near and far will know about Ngu Island.
Mr. Hoang Thanh Son - Head of Culture and Information Department, People's Committee of Cua Lo town
In fact, when we were present at Ngu Island, when we met many tourists from some northern provinces, we also received many surprising answers. Many people who first set foot on Ngu Island were quite surprised that this island was only less than 4km from the shore but was still quite wild and little known to tourists. They believe that if developed in the right direction, Ngu Island will not be inferior to famous tourist islands such as Phu Quy or Ly Son.
Mr. Phan The Doan - a tourist from Hanoi said: Although I have been to Cua Lo many times, this is the first time I have set foot on Ngu Island. The most surprising thing is that there is an ancient pagoda here but it is little known. This is not to be blamed when in the past, traveling between the mainland and the island was quite inconvenient.
Once travel becomes more convenient, Ngu Island will have to transform itself dramatically so that tourists have more experiences and it is worth the effort they have made to come here.
Mr. Phan The Doan - Tourist from Hanoi
It can be seen that, for Song Ngu to change, it will certainly take more time, especially the construction of infrastructure systems serving tourism, as well as accommodation facilities, restaurant services, cuisine and new entertainment venues. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to keep tourists staying on Ngu Island. In particular, although the distance is not too far, and the Northern Power Corporation has approved the plan to build a national grid power supply system for Ngu Island for many years, it has not been implemented yet. Ngu Island still has to use electricity from low-capacity solar energy and from generators. The lack of grid power will also hinder the island's transformation. This is something that the authorities need to consider and implement soon.
Only then can we realize the policies and resolutions in developing Cua Lo tourism in general and Ngu island tourism complex in particular, contributing to sustainable tourism development and further expansion.
On June 14, 2021, the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 01-NQ/TU on the construction and development of Cua Lo town until 2025 and the following years. The goal of this Resolution is to concentrate all resources to build Cua Lo tourist urban area to develop rapidly and sustainably, together with Vinh city to become the growth locomotive, the innovation center of Nghe An and the North Central region; culture - society increasingly progress, people's material and spiritual life is improved; national defense and security are solid; the political system is strong and comprehensive.
The issuance of Resolution 01 shows the determination of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee with the goal of turning Cua Lo tourism into an important economic sector with synchronous infrastructure, technical facilities for tourism, rich, diverse, quality tourism products, environmentally friendly, imbued with national cultural identity, with a brand with high competitiveness. Maximize all potentials and strengths to develop tourism into a key economic sector, build Cua Lo into an attractive destination with typical tourism products, and become a major tourism center of the North Central region.
