Linh Son: An attractive experiential tourism destination.

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Majestic and picturesque natural landscapes; ethnic minorities preserving and promoting many traditional cultural values; friendly and hospitable people... are important conditions for Linh Son commune to attract tourists to visit and experience.

Tourists offer incense at Meo Pagoda.

When visiting Linh Son, tourists should not miss the Meo Pagoda, which is associated with the Lam Son Uprising led by Hero Le Loi against the Ming Dynasty's rule. The Meo Pagoda, also known as Dinh Mieu Thien Tu, is situated on a hill, with the Pu Bang mountain range to the left, the Pu Rinh mountain range to the right, and the Am River in front.

According to Venerable Thich Nguyen Hai, the abbot of the temple, Meo Temple dates back to the 13th century, built by Princess Chu Huyen of the Tran Dynasty together with the Lang Muong Chenh family (at that time, the temple was called Chu Temple). Legend says that in the spring of 1418, Le Loi raised the banner of rebellion against the invading Ming army. Upon hearing the news, the Ming army concentrated all their forces to suppress the rebels, hoping to annihilate them. Despite their limited numbers, the Lam Son rebels fought valiantly, but due to the overwhelming odds, Le Loi proactively retreated to the deep forests of Muong Mot (now Bat Mot commune) to preserve his forces for a long-term battle. During this period, facing relentless pursuit by the enemy, Le Loi repeatedly led his troops to the mountainous Lang Chanh area (the place name before July 1, 2025). Once, while the Lam Son rebels were taking refuge in Chu Temple from the Ming pursuit, he found only a cat left in the temple and ordered his troops to take it with them. After driving the Ming army out of the country, Le Loi ascended the throne and then ordered the renovation of Chu Pagoda, renaming it Meo Pagoda.

With its unique cultural and historical values, in 2005, Meo Pagoda was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic. Every year, on the 6th and 7th of January, Linh Son commune organizes the traditional Meo Pagoda festival. Local people often come here to pray for peace and blessings; monks and Buddhists join hands to restore and renovate the religious structures, making it a spiritual center for people of various ethnic groups in and outside Linh Son commune.

On their journey to explore the Linh Son region, visitors travel from Meo Pagoda to Nang Cat village. Here, they can discover Ma Hao Waterfall, originating from the over 1,000m high Pu Rinh peak, associated with the Lam Son Uprising. They can also stay in traditional stilt houses and enjoy unique folk songs and dances of the Thai ethnic people. Visiting Nang Cat village in the third lunar month, visitors can immerse themselves in the Chi Linh Son Festival. This festival commemorates the contributions of national hero Le Loi; honors the cultural and historical values ​​of the locality; and educates about the traditions of unity and patriotism.

According to Lo Van Duan, head of Nang Cat village: "To maximize potential and advantages, Nang Cat village has actively promoted and encouraged households with the means to invest in building and renovating traditional stilt houses, creating a green, clean, and beautiful natural landscape... to develop community tourism . From the beginning of 2025 to the present, Linh Son commune has attracted nearly 30,000 visitors to explore and experience the area. Tourism development has created jobs for dozens of local workers with an income of 4 to 5 million VND per person per month."

Visiting Linh Son, tourists can not only explore the beauty of Meo Pagoda, Nang Cat village, Le Loi Temple, May Waterfall, and majestic natural landscapes, but also immerse themselves in the cultural space of the Thai and Muong ethnic groups, and enjoy dishes with the distinctive culinary culture of the local people... However, despite its many potentials and advantages, the development of tourism in Linh Son commune still faces many limitations such as: the number of visitors is increasing but the number of overnight stays is low; transportation routes to tourist destinations have not been invested in comprehensively; and it has not attracted many investors to provide entertainment, recreation, and food services...

Currently, along with investing in the construction of transportation infrastructure and basic cultural institutions, Linh Son commune is encouraging households with the means to renovate their homes, creating a green, clean, and beautiful landscape to develop community tourism; calling on potential businesses to explore opportunities and cooperate in tourism development; and coordinating with relevant agencies to open training courses to improve knowledge of tourism skills and food safety and hygiene for households participating in community tourism.

Text and photos: Manh Hai

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/linh-son-diem-du-lich-trai-nghiem-hap-dan-254106.htm