What do
you think of when you read the fol-lowing lines about Viet Nam by the famous
Vietnamese poet To Huu:

How amazing my country is!

Lean against Truong Son Mountain
Range

Reach to Truong Sa (Spratly)
Islands

From north-eastern most Tra Co with
populous forest

To southernmost Ca Mau with
mangroves

If you are a traveller cherishing
your exploration of the country, you will most likely share the same impressions
with your family and friends when you talk about your experience enjoying the
beauty of Viet Nam.

Pristine sands: An aerial view of Tra Co Beach. (Photos: VNS)

Let’s start the journey from Tra
Co, a beautiful beach in the country’s northeastern most province, Quang Ninh.

The winding road to Tra Co doesn’t
dissuade visitors from continuing the journey thanks to sweeping views of the
beautiful landscape. Travellers can also go to Tra Co by boat from Hai Phong or
from Bai Chay, another coastal city in Quang Ninh Province.

The locality is endowed with a
17km-long coast line and beautiful beaches from Sa Vy to Mui Ngoc. The full
length is one of the most attractive beaches in Viet Nam.

While Nha Trang Beach attracts
visitors with its beauty reminiscent of a chic modern girl, Tra Co beach looks
like a country girl because its beauty has not been altered from its natural
state by development.

The wild beauty of Tra Co allows
people to enjoy the peaceful and slow flow of life in the province. Taking a
stroll along the white-sand beach, listening to the sound of waves crashing, and
freeing your mind as you look up at the immense blue sky and the never-ending
sea is a simple and enjoyable way to pass the day.

There are four seasons in Tra Co
with comfortable temperatures throughout, neither too hot in the summer nor too
cold in the winter. The average temperature is about 220C, going up to about
26-280C in summer. In the moderate heat of summer, the cool and clean sea water
beckons to would-be swimmers and waters sports enthusiasts.

Visitors are recommended to wake
early one morning to travel the 6km to Con Mang to watch the immense red flame
of the sun slowly rising to welcome the day. Likewise, as the day wanes they can
find a place to relax along the beach to enjoy the sunset. Lovers and groups of
friends alike will find enjoyment as they share in the quiet beauty of the
pristine sands and feel their souls mesh in harmony with nature and escape from
the troubles and sounds of daily life.

Not far from Con Mang is Sa Vy, the
country’s northeastern most point, where people can look out across neighbouring
China. At Sa Vy point, visitors can pose for a photo next to three popular
tree-shaped sculptures. Lines from the poem by To Huu are posted on it.

Another worthy stopping point is
Tra Co Church, an old piece of architecture built in 1880. It is a massive
structure decorated with beautiful reliefs and an 80-year-old bell. In 1995, the
damaged reliefs were restored, returning the structure to its original glory.

The nearby Tra Co Temple is another
popular destination which is the pride of the local people. It was built in the
15th century but has gone through some changes over time. However, its typical
architectural and decorative features have been maintained.

Villagers worship their ancestors
at the temple. According to legend, the ancestors were originally from the
northern coastal town of Do Son (Hai Phong City now) and migrated to Tra Co more
than 600 years ago.

Six ancestors in particular are
still worshipped here for their great contributions to the establishment of the
village.

Vietnamese style

Test of time: Tra Co Church was built in 1880. It is a massive structure decorated with beautiful reliefs. It houses an 80-year-old bell.

Tra Co Temple features typical
Vietnamese artchitectural style. Although it was built in a border area with
China and could easily have included features from the country’s northern
neighbour, the style is distinctly Vietnamese, confirming that the Vietnamese
people have long respected their national cultural identity.

After nearly 600 years, the temple
still sits as the witness to the country’s ups and downs and acts as a vivid
story teller who helps generations of Vietnamese learn more about their
traditions.

Tra Co Temple is similar in style
to many others in the Hong (Red) River Delta. Decorations include various
patterns of four supernatural creatures including dragons, unicorns, tortoises
and phoenixes, along with God and humans.

The temple inspired Vietnamese
composer Nguyen Cuong to write the song Mai Dinh Lang Bien (Temple Roof in
Coastal Village) that has left a deep impression in the souls of many Vietnamese
people.

Historian Do Van Ninh said that Tra
Co Temple proves the territorial expansion process of the Vietnamese and the
connection between the border coastal area with other areas of the country.

Annual festival

People visiting Tra Co during late
lunar May and early June can take the opportunity to join in the village’s
annual festival. From May 30 to June 6 a variety of activities are held to
celebrate the village.

Prior to the festival, on May 25, a
festive procession from Tra Co begins a return journey to the original hometown
of Do Son to honour the ancestors there. It takes them about three days by boat
to make the trip to the hometown but only two days to return. They belive that
the festive procession can travel faster thanks to support from the ancestors.

On the night of May 30, the temple
is bright with candles, lights and smells of burning incense. Locals come to
pray for health, wealth and a properous year.

The following morning, a ceremony
to escort the King to sea takes place. Dozens of people donned in traditional
attire join the procession, some playing musical instruments and others holding
colourful flags or weapons. A crowd of people follow creating an exciting
atmosphere.

During the festival, the village
also hosts activities such as a cooking competition where people can enjoy local
specialities, and dancing competitions.

The ritual has been preserved for
hundreds of years, consistently enriching the spiritual life of the coastal
village residents.

One tourist from Ha Noi, who
enjoyed the festival during a holiday to Tra Co, said that she was very
impressed by the way the locals preserved their traditions.

“Their performance at the festival
helped me learn more about Vietnamese culture, especially the culture in a
coastal areas,” she said.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News