Lookatvietnam - The combined beauty of the Lam River and the Hong Mountain Range impresses every visitor to Nghe An province.

The Lam River.

Driving down National Highway 1, one reaches the city of Vinh and can see the Ben Thuy Bridge spanning a large river. That is the Lam River. From one end of this bridge, one can see the Hong Linh Mountain Range that reaches down to the Lam riverbank and looks as grandiose as a city wall.

The Hong Linh Mountain Range, also known as the Hong Mountain Range, is about 30km long and 15km wide. It is adjacent to the Lam River to the north and the Nghen River to the south, while to the east lies the sea.

People say that the Hong Linh Mountain Range consists of 99 mountains, with the highest being 678m. Some got their names because of their shape, for example Thien Tuong, Ngu Ma, Su Tu, Ham Rong and Lap Phong. Some are named according to legends (Ru Com, Ru Ca, Huong Tich), while others were given the names of famous people such as Tran Soa.

There are, around the Hong Mountain Range, many streams, which are not large and not deep, but they are always full of water. The spring water is slow and steady, and murmurs all year round.

Because of the peaceful and romantic beauty of these streams, people have given them beautiful names, such as Khe Hoa, Khe Tuong, Khe Ha Vang and Khe Hoang Nguu.

There are many legends about the Hong Mountain Range. One is that there was a giant named Mr. Dung who gathered all of the single mountains in the delta of the Lam and La rivers to form the Hong Linh Mountain Range. Mr. Dung also dug iron ore in Hong Linh and taught the people of the Van Chang - Minh Luong village how to forge iron.

Another legend is that in the old days, King Duong Vuong came here to admire the scenery. He chose Hong Linh to be the place to build his capital city. There he married Than Long and gave birth to Long Vuong (Lac Long Quan).

Thousands of years have passed and Hong Linh has become a cultural symbol of Nghe An province. Visitors to Hong Linh can find valuable historical and cultural relic sites, including ancient pagodas such as Huong Tich, Thien Tuong, and Chan Tien.

Running by the Hong Mountain Range, the Lam River has become a tourist attraction and has been a source of inspiration to many poets and writers.

This river is also known as the Ca River - the largest river in Nghe An province. The Lam River is 432km long and merges into the La River. This empties into the sea at Cua Hoi.

The Lam River is fed by smaller rivers, such as Ngan Sau, Ngan Pho that run from Huong Khe and Huong Son districts to Tam Soa.

Along the Lam River is the Hoi Thong fishing village. Residents in this village are proud of a communal house that was built in the 17th century and has intricate carvings.

Walking towards Nui Thanh Mountain, one will see a rock field that is above or under water, depending on the tide. That is the Phu Thach rock-field.

South of this rock field used to be a busy commercial port. In the early 15th century, this place was the capital of the Tran dynasty. Residents in the southern delta of the Lam River are very studious.

The Lam River and the Hong Mountain Range will forever be a charming landscape of Nghe An province.

(Source: VEN)