The river flows with the history of the country

Flower release dock on the North bank of Thach Han River - Photo: LE TRUONG

Flowing into the love story of Princess Huyen Tran

Going back in history, the Thach Han River today is the southern border between Dai Viet and the ancient Champa kingdom (1). During the Tran Dynasty (1225 - 1400), the northern and southern borders of Dai Viet were often harassed by foreign powers. At that time, the Tran Dynasty built a very powerful army, and in the 30 years from 1258 - 1287, it defeated the invading Mongol - Yuan army three times. That invincible spirit made the Champa kingdom uneasy day and night, fearing that Dai Viet would annex it or Dai Viet would lend the Yuan dynasty a path to attack. Champa sent envoys to negotiate, expressing its desire for a peaceful relationship between the two nations. In response, the Tran Dynasty maintained a flexible diplomatic attitude, together with Champa, building two peaceful and prosperous countries, developing trade, protecting the borders, and fighting side by side against the threat of the Mongol - Yuan army in the North.

In 1301, Retired Emperor Tran Nhan Tong left Yen Tu to visit the Champa kingdom at the invitation of the Champa king Che Man (Jaya Sinhavarman III). Being a passionate king, knowing that the Tran dynasty had a young and talented princess Huyen Tran, King Che Man proposed marriage, asking to be the "son-in-law" of Dai Viet. He offered many gifts, including the land of the two Chau O and Ly (from the south of Thach Han River to the north of Quang Nam today) of more than a thousand square miles as a dowry. Retired Emperor Tran Nhan Tong agreed, promising to marry the princess, because a successful marriage would benefit the country and create a good relationship between the two peoples.

However, it was not until 1306, after many difficulties, that the love affair between Huyen Tran and Che Man was finally agreed upon by the two courts. The brave and brave King Che Man personally rode his horse to the border to pick up Princess Huyen Tran, held a grand wedding ceremony and crowned her Queen Paramecvari.

The Dai Viet court's army sent off the princess, crossed the Thach Han River, took over the two Chau O and Ly, and established the sovereignty of Dai Viet. In 1307, the Tran Dynasty changed the names to Chau Thuan and Chau Hoa. From then on, the Thach Han River flowed into the history of the nation's expansion, a land expansion that did not involve war but was filled with the tears of Princess Huyen Tran when she returned to Che Man.

The people of Thuan and Hoa districts, in recognition of Princess Huyen Tran's merits, built a temple to worship her in Kim Dau village, Cam An commune, Cam Lo district, on the bank of Hieu river - a branch of Thach Han river. In Hue, her temple is in An Tay ward - also known as Huyen Tran Cultural Center.

The two banks "Linking arms" (2)

History is unfair when it assigns a painful mission to rivers that lie between the heavy burden of love between the two ends of the country.

After 9 years of resistance against France, the Geneva Agreement (July 21, 1954) on ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina was signed, taking the Ben Hai River (Quang Tri) as a temporary border, waiting for the day of national reunification. But the US broke its promise and invaded the South with its new colonial policy. The Ben Hai River became the place that divided the North and South for more than 20 years. The entire Vietnamese people had to rise up and wage the longest, most arduous and fiercest resistance war in the history of the nation against foreign invaders with the burning desire "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom".

And that day has come. After the Spring-Summer Campaign in 1972, 85% of Quang Tri province and a large area of ​​the Southeast region were liberated, forcing all parties to sign the Paris Agreement (January 27, 1973) to end the war, restore peace in Vietnam, and recognize Vietnam's independence, unity, and territorial integrity. But the Thach Han River was writhing in pain as it was divided into a temporary military demarcation line - which was also the place chosen to exchange prisoners of war according to a provision of the Paris Agreement.

History records the two banks of the Thach Han River connecting when the last land of Quang Tri province was liberated on March 19, 1975. Then, the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising won victory, completely liberating the South, unifying the country, the whole nation "Joining hands in a big circle", the country and rivers were united.

Currently, on the North bank of the Thach Han River (between Ga Bridge and Thanh Co Bridge, in Nhan Bieu village), there is a symbol and stele marking the historical event 52 years ago, in March 1973, thousands of revolutionary soldiers were imprisoned by the enemy, including Mr. Truong Tan Sang, former President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam - and were returned according to the Paris Agreement. They returned in victory.

Cool off in the golden fields

Overcoming many difficulties to heal the wounds of war, the children of Thuan and Hoa districts in the past could not stand by and watch the green river flow carefree through the poverty of the land of hot winds and white sand. The idea of ​​“making rain for the sky”, bringing the cool, fresh water of Thach Han to quench the thirst of the arid fields, which could only grow one crop a year, began to take shape.

Turning the dream into reality, the great project called Tram Dam to block the Thach Han River was decided to start construction by Binh - Tri - Thien province at that time (now the 3 provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Hue) in early 1978. At that time, after the war, there were very few mechanical construction vehicles, mainly manual labor. More than 23,000 workers were mobilized to do the project. Some young men went to the army to protect the Fatherland, the rest joined the youth volunteer force to work on irrigation with the spirit of youth boiling with revolutionary enthusiasm.

In 1981, the project was completed, bringing water to irrigate the vast countryside in the South of Quang Tri province, transforming tens of thousands of hectares of barren, drought-stricken rice fields into fertile, rich fields with high productivity, cultivating many crops a year. Wherever Thach Han water flows, it brings new life, new happiness and warm, prosperous golden rice seasons.

One early spring day, I went upstream to the ferry in my hometown of Như Lệ. This was the old ferry, the old river that witnessed the moment of separation of girls seeing off village boys to battle, to the battlefields of the Southwest border or to the Northern border to fight against invaders. And then one day, also at this river wharf, there was only the silhouette of a village girl sitting watching the flowing water, sobbing and tearing up because the person she loved had not returned! Ngo Hao, Phan Giap (3) ... and many young men who had fallen on the battlefield for the country's peace today.

Looking at the two banks of the river glowing with new life, my heart is filled with old memories, silently grateful that in my veins there is the motherland river that nurtured me into a human being. The river has flowed into the history of opening up the land, flowing forever with the triumphant song of national harmony, for the mountains and rivers to be united and green.

Nguyen Van Hau

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/dong-song-chay-cung-lich-su-non-song-193548.htm