Story at the source of Cu De

*The river flows out to Cu De estuary. Photo: Huynh Van Truyen*

Not only is this river a witness to many changes in the times, it also holds great potential for developing unique ecological and cultural tourism in the north of Da Nang city.

Cultural and historical imprints

Originating from the North River and the South River in the Truong Son range, the Cu De River flows through Hoa Vang commune, Hai Van ward and then flows into the East Sea right at the ancient village of Nam O.

The book “Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi” once recorded: “Eight miles north of Hoa Vang district, there are two sources: one from Dai Giao Lao mountain in Thua Thien prefecture, flowing into the fork valley, that is the water route northwest of Cu De source, one from Tra Ngan mountain in Man flows to, also pouring into the fork valley, that is the water source southwest of Cu De source; the two sources converge at the fork valley, flowing through Cu De commune, here the Hoa O river flows into to form Cu De river, pouring into Cu De estuary”. This is considered one of the important waterways connecting the two upstream and downstream regions of ancient Quang region.

More than a thousand years ago, the Champa people, with their sea view, soon chose the Cu De estuary as a place to live, cultivate and worship. Today, in Nam O village, there are still the ruins of Xuan Duong Cham tower and centuries-old Cham wells. Archaeologists believe that Xuan Duong tower was built in the 11th century, and was both a religious center and a "lighthouse" guiding Cham boats out to sea.

*Cu De River flows through Hoa Bac. Photo by Huynh Van Truyen*

The people of Nam O village still pass down the story of Princess Huyen Tran (Dai Viet), wife of King Che Man (Champa), who stopped here on her way back to her "homeland". In the 14th century, the Vietnamese people of Thanh - Nghe region followed the footsteps of the South to settle down along the Cu De River. According to the genealogy of the Phan clan in Da Son village, Mr. Phan Cong Thien and the Phan, Kieu, Do, and Nguyen clans were sent by King Tran Du Tong to Hoa Chau to reclaim land and build Tra Na village, opening the journey to explore the land of Quang.

Along with that, the Cu De upstream area in Hoa Bac is home to the Co Tu community, mainly migrating from Tay Giang and Nam Giang. The culture of gongs, gongs, sculptures, weaving, brocade weaving, traditional cuisine and festivals, along with the tang tung da da dance, ly singing... have created a colorful cultural picture, embellishing the wild and majestic natural beauty.

In the course of history, the Cu De River has also marked many important events. In 1635, this place was an important military base when Lord Nguyen Phuc Lan suppressed the Nguyen Phuc Anh rebellion. During the Tay Son period, the Truong Dinh palace on the banks of the Cu De River was once the place where Lord Nguyen Due Ton and his grandson Nguyen Phuc Anh (later King Gia Long) stopped before heading south. These vestiges have made Cu De not only a river of nature, but also a river of national history.

Along both banks of the river, there are still a series of ancient architectural relics such as Nam O communal house, Da Son pagoda, Ba Ham Trung temple, Xuan Duong Cham tower, Nam O square well, ancestral tombs, clan houses, moss-covered ancient houses, etc. Each relic is a unique piece of heritage in the cultural space of the river in Quang Nam.

Ink painting

Besides its historical value, Cu De River also possesses a unique natural landscape, a rare “watercolor painting” in Da Nang. From the upstream of Ta Lang and Gian Bi, the river meanders through the rolling mountains, reflecting the forest trees on the clear water surface.

*A farm stay area at the headwaters of Cu De. Photo: Huynh Van Truyen*

Downstream, the river opens up a peaceful yet majestic landscape with hamlets, rice fields, sugarcane fields interspersed with hills, small boats resting on the banks, fishing nets on the river... That beauty makes the Cu De River an ideal place to develop eco-tourism, community tourism and countryside experience tourism.

Every year, the people of Hoa Bac and Lien Chieu often organize boat racing festivals on the Cu De River. This is not only an exciting sporting activity, but also a spiritual ritual to pray for favorable weather and bountiful crops. From the upstream to the downstream of Nam O, the culinary resources bearing the identity of the Cu De River contribute to shaping a unique culinary brand for tourism in this region.

Ecotourism and riverside community tourism are developing quite rapidly with the appearance of ecotourism areas such as Cu De Camping, Yen Retreat, Hoa Bac Ecologde - Camping Space Art, Lang Me Campsite...

However, for many reasons, ecotourism here has only stopped at exploiting the natural landscape along the river, making farms with minimal facilities, so the economic efficiency is not high. Although investors have financial resources, they cannot invest on a large scale.

To effectively exploit the tourism potential of Cu De River, connecting the lowlands with the highlands, Da Nang needs to invest in diversifying and completing wharves and destinations along Cu De River associated with tourism products; regularly organize cultural, sports and tourism events associated with Cu De River; support businesses to invest in effectively exploiting eco-tourism and rural agricultural destinations on both sides of the river...

When history and the present are connected, Cu De will have the opportunity to "wake up" - becoming an attractive cultural and ecological tourism destination in the Central region.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/chuyen-o-dau-nguon-cu-de-3313908.html