(HBO) – After years of implementation, a project to restore and upgrade the historical and cultural relic site of Thac Bo Temple has been completed, making it an attractive cultural, historical and spiritual tourism destination next to Hoa Binh Lake in the northern province of Hoa Binh.
The project covers about
4,500 square metreson Hang Than hill in Pho Bo hamlet, Vay Nua commune of Da Bac district. The
beautiful natural landscapes are surrounded by forests with diverse biological
systems and spectacular caves and limestone mountains.
Some items that have been accomplished include
the main temple, two houses in the left and the right, the temple’s three-door
gate, and auxiliary works. The site was constructed based on historical
documents and legendary stories about the site, ensuring the religious,
spiritual requirements as well as visitors’ demand for discovering the local
history and culture.
The Stele
of Le Loi in the Thac Bo
Templein Vay Nua commune, Da Bac district, is attractive to visitors who wish to
discover the culture and history.
Thac Bo (Bo Waterfall), which was formerly Van
Bo waterfall, is formed by hundreds of rocks of different sizes, which look
like a giant herd of elephants on the bawling Da River.
Poet, encyclopaedist Le Quy Don wrote in his
book that: "The waterway of Da River, with tough waterfalls and rapids,
comprises 83 renowned waterfalls, of which Van Bo is the most dangerous one”.
The legend has it that the Bo Temple worships
Thac Bo Goddesses Dinh Thi Van, a Muong woman, and another unknown woman from
the Dao ethnic minority group, who supplied Le Loi King with food and boats to
overcome the Bo waterfall to reach Muong Le in Son La to fight Deo Cat Han
rebels.
After they died, their souls often came back to
help people pass the waterfall safely, blessing locals with good weather
conditions. Therefore, local residents honoured them as the Goddesses and built
the temple to worship them. King Le Loi also honoured their efforts and ordered
the construction of the temple.
The building of the temple and the worshipping
of the Thac Bo Goddesses showed the people’s wish for peaceful and happy lives,
which also reflects their respect for the nature and the God, and the spiritual
beauty of local residents.
The Le Loi Stele is also known as the Hao Trang
ancient stele, which is made of a huge rock on the side of Thac Bo mountain in
Hao Trang commune, former Da Bac district. The smoothed limestone rock is over
4m in height, forming a plain surface with a thickness of 1.5m and height of
nearly 1m.
The poem carved in the Le Loi’s stele in Thac Bo
is said to be made with his sword on his way back to the capital after he
successfully fought the Deo Cat Han rebels.The poem’s major meaning is "I pass
this place after fighting Deo Cat Han. I write a poem to show the younger
generations tactics to combat the enemy”.
The poem not only affirmed the sovereignty of
the nation at that time, but also educated those with rebelling plots and highlighted
his military talent and wish for a peaceful nation.
The complex of Thac Bo temple and Le Loi Stele
has beautiful landscapes, making it a peaceful spiritual, cultural, historical
site for visitors both in and outside the province./.
Hoa Binh province’s rich natural and cultural resources position it as a prime location for developing community-based tourism (CBT). In recent years, support from central and provincial policies, as well as assistance from non-governmental organisations, have encouraged local ethnic minority and mountainous communities to actively engage in the sector.
Van Son Commune, Tan Lạc district, Hoa Binh province also known as "Cloud Valley," boasts a cool climate, stunning natural landscapes, and majestic scenery. Visitors who have been to this place should make a stop at Chien Hamlet to experience a lot of fascinating things and feel the friendly, warmth of the Muong ethnic people.
Thanks to the effective exploitation of natural landscape and the cultural diversity of ethnic minorities, Hoa Binh province has become an attractive destination for tourists seeking experiences and exploration.
The Department of Cultural Heritage has just coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hoa Binh province to organize a training on implementing the model of the cultural heritage connected in the cultural tourism journey in Cao Phong and Lac Son districts.
The Sung village in Cao Son commune, Da Bac district, is endowed with pristine natural landscape, and Dao Tien ethnic minority community in the village preserves rich cultural heritage, including traditional housing, clothing, language, scripts, customs, and daily life practices. Since the community-based tourism model was introduced in the locality, these traditional cultural values have been further preserved and promoted.