Thanh Chuong District: Home to Eco-tourism and Historical Relics

3:26:19 PM | 7/8/2005

Thanh Chuong is a mountainous district located along National Highway 46 in the southeast of Nghe An Province, 46 kilometres away from Vinh city. The Lam River divides the district into two parts. The district has many high mountains, including Cao Veu (1,202 metres), Vu Tru (987 metres), Tooc Hao (975 metres), Dai Can (528 metres) and Thap But (397 metres), and river deltas.

Thanh Chuong is also known as the land of literature. Descendants of the So Vi culture in Rang and Dung have gained great achievements in the field of study. With the new Ho Chi Minh Highway running along the Truong Son range in the west of the district via 11 communes and National highway 46 linking the Cua Lo-Nam Dan tourist site with Laos and other Southeast Asian countries via the Thanh Thuy national border gate, Thanh Chuong is considered to have great potential for tourism development.

The district has many reservoirs which supply water to the paddy fields and create an excellent ecological environment. The Coi Gorge in Thanh Ha, Bay Mau Waterfall in Thanh Thuy, Lua Waterfall in Thanh Huong, Doi Cave and the virgin forest in Thanh Thuy are great natural advantages of the district, which need to be tapped to develop eco-tourism. One of teh most notable beauty spots is the Coi Gorge (15 and 16 metres deep). From the Ho Chi Minh trail, visitors can see the Coi Gorge with its white, beautiful waterfall. Next to the waterfall are large and flat stones, similar to giant tables.

In addition to eco-tourist sites, Thanh Chuong District has many national cultural and historical relic sites, including the Le Kim memorial house in Nguyen Bong village, Ngoc Son Commune, where President Ho Chi Minh lived with his father when he was a child; the church of the Dang family and the memorial house of Dang Thai Mai in Thanh Xuan commune; and the Vo Liet communal house and Bac Ma temple. Vo Liet was the largest communal house in Vo Liet district under the Ly dynasty. At the entrance to the seven-metre building, there are two rows of houses, in which there are six stone steles engraved with the names of 445 people who gained great achievements in study in Vo Liet district, including 337 high school graduates, 63 bachelors, three junior doctors and two doctors. The communal house was also a place where patriotic scholars, namely Phan Da and Tran Tan, Phan Boi Chau and Dang Thai Than later, discussed ways to liberate the country from its aggressors.

The Bach Ma Temple was built under the Le dynasty to worship the Bach Ma God. This is one of four temples (Con, Qua, Bach Ma and Chieu Trung) with the most supernatural powers in Nghe An. The district has many other historical and cultural relic sites, which help visitors learn more about the area and its people and provide a relaxing environment.

In preparation for the Nghe An Tourism Year 2005, Thanh Chuong District is striving to welcome visitors. The district wishes to cooperate with investors to upgrade some of its relic sites, especially those located along National Highway 46.