The secret cellar and the ruins of an ancient village temple beneath the forest change color in autumn.

Rú Chá is the only pristine mangrove forest located along the Tam Giang lagoon, covering an area of approximately 5 hectares, now belonging to Thuan Hoa village, Hoa Chau ward, Hue city.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dap (80 years old) is a resident of this forest. According to him, Ru Cha is the name that the people of Thuan Hoa have used since the village was first established.

For the local people, this mangrove forest acts as a natural barrier protecting the community from natural disasters and storms, and has therefore been preserved and protected by the locals for generations.

What's special is that every autumn, the mangrove trees bloom, turning the entire forest into a kaleidoscope of colors, making the natural scenery here even more captivating and attracting many tourists.

Besides its pristine beauty, Ru Cha also attracts tourists with the mysteries hidden beneath the forest canopy, including the foundations of an ancient village communal house, a sacred shrine dedicated to the Holy Mother, and tombs that have existed for hundreds of years, all of which pique people's curiosity and make them want to explore .

According to Mr. Đáp, the old ruins under the tea tree are the foundations of the former Thuận Hòa village communal house, where local people worshipped the village guardian deity according to folk religious customs.

There is also a secret bunker here, used by revolutionary fighters during the resistance against the French and American imperialists. As a child, Mr. Đáp often played in the bunker, so he knows it well; it's quite spacious and reinforced with many bamboo and wooden stakes.

However, during the Ngo Dinh Diem era, the enemy relentlessly sought to destroy the temples, even forcing the villagers to relocate them further into Thuan Hoa village. As a result, both structures gradually deteriorated and eventually collapsed completely.

Located right next to the foundation of the old village communal house is an ancient shrine dedicated to the Holy Mother, shrouded in many mysterious stories. In 2024, the structure was restored and renovated, giving it a rather impressive appearance.

Mr. Đáp said that the people of Thuận Hòa village still pass down the story that the incense burner of the Holy Mother at Hòn Chén temple drifted here during a great flood in the past. Seeing this, the villagers built a shrine to worship her.

Since then, the villagers have continued to hold ceremonies to worship the Holy Mother at the temple on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month every year.

In addition, the forest contains nearly 130 graves, many of which are hundreds of years old. According to Mr. Dap, all of these graves belong to people from Thuan Hoa village and are still regularly cared for and offered incense by their relatives.

According to the Hue City Forest Protection Department, the pristine Ru Cha forest plays a very important role and has significant value for the wetland ecosystem. This forest also acts as a "green wall" to help mitigate damage from natural disasters, protect dikes, and enhance resilience to climate change.

Căn hầm bí mật và tàn tích đình làng cổ dưới khu rừng đến thu là đổi màu - 3 — Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dap has spent more than half his life connected to the primeval forest on Tam Giang lagoon (Photo: Van Nghia).

Over the years, through various programs and projects, more than 20 hectares of mangrove forest in the Ru Cha area have been newly planted, mainly with mangrove trees and nipa palms. Hue City aims to develop the forest area to cover more than 200 hectares, forming the largest concentrated mangrove forest ecosystem in Central Vietnam.

According to Dan Tri newspaper's investigation, in addition to protecting and expanding the Ru Cha mangrove forest, the local government has invested in improving transportation infrastructure, constructing administrative buildings, entrance gates, parking lots, lighting, water supply systems, electricity, etc., to serve the development of ecotourism .

Recently, the People's Committee of Hoa Chau ward worked with a business on the direction of investment cooperation and exploitation of the Ru Cha eco-tourism site, linked to community benefits, creating additional livelihoods for the people and preserving the ecological environment sustainably.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/can-ham-bi-mat-and-tan-tich-dinh-lang-co-duoi-khu-rung-den-thu-la-doi-mau-20250911090820517.htm