When saying about Orchid Stream, we often refer to Hon Heo Base- a revolutionary base in the Central Southern Battlefield in the two war resistances against...
;) |
When saying about Orchid Stream, we often refer to Hon Heo Base- a revolutionary base in the Central Southern Battlefield in the two war resistances against the French and the American and the date of July 16, 1930 has entered the history of struggle for the national independence of the Khanh Hoa people and Khanh Hoa Party Committee.
ORCHID STREAM LEGEND
A legend goes that a very long time ago, a couple in Nha Phu Swamp loved each other very much but couldn’t get married just because the boy was too poor. The girl’s parents asked for the wedding presents of 50kgs of salangane’s nest and 100kgs of aquilaria (tram huong wood). The couple had no choice but determined to go up to the Hon Heo Mountain to seek for aquilaria and then go down to the sea to pick salangane’s nests. Lost in an oasis without any footprints, they kept going but couldn’t find any aquilaria. They didn’t even take notice of the falling night. Tired and hungry, they both fell asleep. When awake, not finding her sweetheart, the girl followed the bloody stain but her lover was still out of sight. Her cry gradually faded in vain. Only her tears as clear cool water continued flowing along stone chinks. At the bloody stain appeared bunches of colorful orchids swinging in the wind.
It is still questionable if the name Hoa Lan came from such a tearful love story. Anyway, those who gave the mysterious and impressive name, deserves a good praise. It adds to the collection of streams in Khanh Hoa Province including Do, Ngo, Ba Ho, Da Xe, Cat and Hoa Lan Stream. We can say that in the Central Coastal area, no island and peninsular owns a more magnificently fresh water flow than Hoa Lan Stream. Hon Heo Peninsular (Hoa Lan Stream) looks like a dinosaur putting its head into the mountain and stretching its tail out to the sea. Therefore, the system of underground water springs from the Truong Son Range gather and sprinkle water here all year round, creating humidity for plants of all kinds to develop. This is a world of wild orchids, a rendez–vous of various kinds of orchids namely dancer, phoenix, buffalo’s ear, chicken’s tail, fairy, squirrel’s tail, cinnamon…They grow from old big tree trunks and cling to cliffs. Whenever coming here, we can see blooming orchids together with wild birds’ twittering. This fresh water offered by nature is also taken good advantage of to build a lake where thousands of crocodiles are raised. Little elephants brought from Don Hamlet are very naughty putting their tiny chunks backward and forward to lure crocodiles to amuse tourists.
COMING BACK TO THE ORIGIN
Hoa Lan Stream is about 30km northeast of the Nha Trang Center. In order to reach the stream, you have no choice but to take the only sea path. Thanks to this unique path, Hoa Lan Stream Area is a peaceful place of meditation for veterans of high virtues. On the northern mountain side stand Lo Ngo and Suoi Re Pagodas. To the south is Hang Pagoda. While alive, Vietnamese Bonze Superior Thich Quang Duc used to come to these places to practise religion. The challenging terrain has been taken good advantage of to turn Hoa Lan Stream (also called Vung Dinh Zone or Hon Heo) into a revolutionary base in the two war resistances against the American and French. This was also the place where the meeting of the representatives of the Khanh Hoa Party Committee took place. On December 9, 2004, more than 300 youths in the district of Ninh Hoa held a meeting in Vung Dinh to discuss launching the national defense resistance campaign. Only one day after, the French Colonists gathered 4000 of all arms (navy, ground, and air forces) led by Colonel Nicolas opening a march called Storm to land troops directly on this region. After 21 continuous days and nights fiercely bombing, the enemy still couldn’t touch this holy land because of the people and army’s drastic opposition.
Hoang Gia Tourist Company (presently named Long Phu Tourist Company, belonging to Khanh Viet Corporation) invested and turned Hoa Lan Stream into a tourist spot that has received thousands of domestic and international visitors. Here we can have a chance to test their strength by conquering the nearly 700m-high Hon Heo Peak, overcoming barriers, climbing up 452 stone steps to go sightseeing in the Phong Lan Cave, sail a boat along Nghinh Xuan Lake or soaking themselves at ease in Thuy Tien Lake… Besides, tourists can also have a sea–bath right at the foot of the Hon Heo Mountain and join in such joyous sports as knights, tug-of–war, sailing on sand, destroying the aim, playing love football, volleyball on the sea… After the eco - tourism route Hon Lao – Hon Thi – Hoa Lan Stream was cleared of obstruction, several old and experienced revolutionaries have come up to Hon Heo so that the young generations have chances to see with their eyes their ancestors’ old base, listen with their ears to witnesses telling about the magnificent historic tradition of the provincial people and army (Among them is Luu Van Trong, originally Ninh Hoa District cadre during the struggle against the French, Khanh Hoa provincial committee vice–secretary during the struggle against the American). Many very old people still go together to the place where they used to be together in the fight and got married in Hoa Lan Stream to regain the pleasant feelings of their green years as in the song “By the Orchid Stream” written by Van Ky: “I hold you hand in hand and the first sweet kiss…”
As a cultural tradition, camp festivals back to the origin take place annually on July 16 in the Orchid Stream helping the young generations to review the tradition of revolutionary struggle.
N.T
