The currents that flow with the land.
Many tourists visiting Hoi An have had the opportunity to cruise along the Hoai River and admire the ancient town as night falls. A few others have traveled downstream on the Thu Bon River or the final stretch of the Co Co River leading to Cua Dai to experience the river life and the people of the area. However, memories of river tourism in Quang Nam, after many years, remain confined to these specific routes.
During a recent famtrip, representatives from Vietravel were amazed by the beauty of the Thu Bon River Delta. “We were very surprised to find that Quang Nam has many attractive destinations besides Hoi An. Quang Nam has enormous potential for river tourism, but it has yet to build a strong brand. Even though we only conducted a preliminary survey, we already envisioned that the tourism resources along the Thu Bon River are sufficient to design a tour encompassing the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth), creating a unique experience for tourists.”
The perspective of someone working in tourism who hasn't had many opportunities to experience Quang Nam once again raises a thought-provoking issue.
Tracing back through time, the formation of the two heritage sites of Hoi An and My Son is primarily linked by the Thu Bon River. Over millennia, the Thu Bon River has silently distilled the essence of land and water, enriching these two world heritage sites along with a thriving network of communities and traditional craft villages that continue to evolve to this day.
The riverine memories of Quang Nam are not limited to the Thu Bon River. Following the eastern sand dunes, countless merchant boats laden with local produce bustled back and forth on the Truong Giang and Co Co rivers, helping the port city of Hoi An stand firm in the global maritime trade network for centuries. And there, the Vinh Dien canal, depicted on the nine bronze cauldrons of the Hue citadel, bears witness to a time of territorial expansion and economic development under the Nguyen dynasty…
What's unique is that this river system is interconnected and blends together, rather than flowing in isolation. The story of the rivers of Quang Nam reflects the spirit of the Quang Nam region, an open land…
Still waiting to be awakened
For a long time, most discussions on developing new tourism products in Quang Nam have mentioned river tourism. Many opinions suggest that connecting tourism between Tam Ky - Phu Ninh - Nui Thanh should focus on river tourism.
The key to promoting the Hoi An - Dien Ban - Duy Xuyen connection is undoubtedly the Thu Bon River. A crucial part of Da Nang's strategy to promote river tourism in the coming period also addresses linking with Quang Nam's river network. However, to date, everything remains largely in the planning stage.
Mr. Van Ba Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “Many localities nationwide, such as the Mekong Delta provinces, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, and Da Nang, organize river tourism quite well. The potential for river tourism in Quang Nam is enormous, especially on the Thu Bon River, but for several reasons, this activity remains sluggish and undeveloped, mainly due to legal obstacles related to planning wharves and docks, and regulations on transportation vehicles.”
While some river routes still have waterway issues, the Thu Bon River only needs to have its wharves and docks planned, connecting tourist destinations and traditional craft villages to create a continuous tourist route – connecting Hoi An ancient town, Kim Bong carpentry village, Thanh Ha pottery village, Ban Thach mat weaving village, and traditional craft villages in Dien Ban…
Even further upstream, several enchanting cultural and ecological areas await boats traveling upstream on the mother river, such as the My Son Sanctuary, Dai Binh eco-village, and Hon Kem Da Dung…
Currently, the Quang Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed that the three localities of Hoi An, Dien Ban, and Duy Xuyen meet to discuss the plan, and in 2025 will invite Que Son district to participate, promoting the development of Thu Bon river tourism in a systematic way with businesses that genuinely want to develop it.
Mr. Ho Quang Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Transport, said that it would be a great pity if the unique river system were not utilized to connect tourism within the region.
From a provincial perspective, the Department of Transport has advised the provincial leadership and collaborated with Da Nang to plan several common connections related to river tourism. Localities within the province need to actively cooperate to define and establish inland waterway tourism routes with specific docking points for each destination, in accordance with higher-level planning, in order to have a basis for promoting this type of tourism soon.
River tourism in Quang Nam possesses all the elements to captivate visitors. Travelers who have set foot in Quang Nam leave with a sense of vast emptiness, feeling as if something is missing from this land. Perhaps it's because they haven't yet experienced the beauty of the river's waters?
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/tieng-tho-khe-cua-nhung-dong-song-3148253.html
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