Love along the Cau River

BAC NINH - Together known as the Kinh Bac region, the two old provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh are geographically connected by the Cau River. Not only sharing Quan Ho songs, residents of the North bank (Bac Giang) are also connected with residents of the South bank (Bac Ninh) by the custom of making friends between villages, close and loving like brothers in one family.

Along the Cau River, both the North and South banks still preserve and maintain the traditional beauty - that is the custom of making friends (twinning) between villages, which can be between two villages or one village making friends with many villages. Van village (also known as Yen Vien hamlet), Van Ha commune, Viet Yen town (old Bac Giang ) is not only a famous wine-making village with the brand name "Van Huong My Tuu" but also possesses many unique heritages and many good customs. Therefore, in 1703, King Tu Duc bestowed on the village the four-word title "My tuc kha phong".

The rowing festival in Tieu Mai village (Hiep Hoa) attracts a large number of people on both banks of Cau river to participate and cheer.

Mr. Do Viet Tien, a resident of Van village, said: To receive this royal decree, the elders in the village had to walk to Thang Long Capital. When they arrived at Truc market, Dong Gao village (also known as Phong Nam village), Nguyen Xa commune, Yen Phong district (old Bac Ninh ), it was pouring rain, thunder and lightning, making it impossible to continue. Seeing that, the people of Dong Gao village brought out a palanquin and a palanquin to welcome the elders of Yen Vien village. The village's royal decree was placed on a palanquin and taken to Dong Gao communal house, and precious areca nuts were picked from the communal house to perform the ceremony. That whole night, the elders of Yen Vien village were warmly welcomed by the people of Dong Gao village, and they only said goodbye the next day.

Moved by that gesture, the following year when Dong Gao village restored the pagoda, Yen Vien villagers donated four main pillars. From then on, the people of the two villages considered each other as brothers. The two sides had an agreement to travel together as brothers, not to collect ferry fares or sales taxes from each other. Today, the two villages still consider each other as brothers.

Mr. Bui Minh Quyet in Dong Gao village said: Every year on the 4th day of the 8th lunar month, Yen Vien people bring gifts to Dong Gao to meet the elder people. On the 16th day of the first lunar month, Dong Gao people return the favor to Yen Vien. When Tet comes, especially on the village festival day, the two sides together organize a ceremony to welcome the elder people to perform a ceremony at their village temple to chat together and review the tradition of friendship between the two villages. The special thing is that although the two villages are "Elder people - Younger people", in communication, there is no distinction between the elder and younger people, only wholeheartedly responding "Anh-Anh" regardless of the age difference.

In Van Ha commune, Tho Ha village has long been friends with 3 villages: Dai Lam, Tam Da commune, Yen Phong district; Dang Xa residential group, Van An ward and Qua Cam residential group, Hoa Long ward, Bac Ninh city (both in the old Bac Ninh province). Mr. Nguyen Duc Thanh, Head of Tho Ha village, said: Both sides consider themselves younger brothers and respect the other as older brothers. Every year, both sides choose a day to go back and forth, the elderly and the incumbent meet once a year, and whenever a village has a big event, they invite each other to attend. The village festival is always the most crowded day because there are also villages from the "British side" coming to join in the fun. The two friendly villages organize groups to welcome each other.

Quan ho brothers and sisters of Yen Vien and Phong Nam villages exchange and become sworn brothers.

At the agreed time, both villages with all their members set out from their own village to the other village. When they met halfway, the older village and the younger village respectfully bowed to each other. Then the older village first and the younger village later, both villages entered the communal house and pagoda to hold a ceremony, wishing each other a year of favorable weather, prosperous business, and a strong brotherly bond. The songs, singing, and fun of the festival were competed by the older village and the younger village until all night. When the festival ended, the younger village always had a group to see the older village off to the previous meeting point, respectfully bowing to each other and promising to meet again next season. The bond of brotherhood was more than enough, not for money, but for deep love.

Nowadays, the villages that marry along the Cau River have gradually abandoned their old, outdated customs and complicated rituals; the elaborate feasts that lasted for many days no longer exist. Instead, with simple gifts, boys and girls from both villages can also exchange vows and get married. In times of hardship and adversity, they stand side by side, "working together", helping each other overcome dangers.

Nowadays, the villages along the Cau River have gradually abandoned their old, backward customs and cumbersome rituals; the lavish feasts that lasted for many days are no longer there. Instead, the gifts are simple, and the boys and girls of the two villages can also exchange vows and get married. In times of hardship and adversity, they stand side by side, "working together", helping each other overcome dangers. Last year, when storm No. 3 (storm Yagi ) occurred, from the other side of the river, hearing the announcement on the loudspeaker that Tho Ha village was submerged in floodwaters, the people of Dai Lam village, without anyone telling them, went to the village cultural house to donate tens of millions of dong, sending people to bring it to Tho Ha to help overcome the damage.

Not only the village of friendship, along the Cau River, many associations, groups, and quan ho singing clubs in communes and wards of Yen Dung district, Viet Yen town, Hiep Hoa district (old Bac Giang) have formed friendship with communes of Que Vo district, Bac Ninh city, Yen Phong district (old Bac Ninh). Typical examples include: Huu Nghi with Tieu village; Tien Lat with Hoai Biu; Quang Bieu with Qua Cam; Nui Hieu with Thi Cau, Dap Cau; Tam Tang with Do Han; Trung Dong with Thuong Dong, Ha Dong; Noi Ninh with Han, Diem...

During holidays, festivals, and celebrations, the brothers and sisters of both sides often row boats across the river to meet, exchange, and sing. When there are happy or important events, they do not forget to invite each other to join in the fun and meet sincerely. Dong Bun ferry is located in Tam Da commune, Yen Phong district, connecting to Tien Son commune, Viet Yen town. People of both sides still go back and forth every day to exchange, trade, visit relatives, and work in the industrial parks of the two provinces.

Today, following the flow of innovation and development of the country, the Cau River no longer separates Bac Giang and Bac Ninh but has joined together, depositing "alluvium" to illuminate the future for the new Bac Ninh province to move quickly and steadily forward.

Text and photos: Thu Phong

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/yeu-thuong-doc-dai-song-cau-postid421164.bbg