Nghi Xuan - the homeland of Nguyen Du
Ladies and gentlemen!
Nghi Xuan is a district in the North of Ha Tinh province, a tri-junctional land surrounded by rivers, mountains, and seas. To the Northwest is the Lam River flowing through, to the Southwest is the Hong Linh mountain range, and to the East is the South China Sea.
Located in such a terrain, Nghi Xuan has a rich history, one that developed in parallel with the history of Vietnam. Through excavations by archaeologists, evidence has been found proving that ancient Vietnamese people once lived in this land.
For generations, through their creative labor, the people here have built many renowned communal houses, temples and pagodas such as Hoi Thong communal house, Hoa Van Hai communal house, and Cho Cui temple.
The intersection between Hong Mountain and Lam River has gifted this land many famous beautiful landscapes. According to the book “The Geography of Nghi Xuan” by Dong Ho Le Van Dien, out of the renowned “8 beautiful landscapes of Nghi Xuan”, the land of Tien Dien - the homeland of the great poet Nguyen Du - already has 2 of them: Giang Dinh wharf and Con Moc river island.
Of the two, Giang Dinh Wharf left Nguyen Du with the most profound memories. This place witnessed many events associated with the ups and downs of Nguyen Du and the Nguyen clan of Tien Dien. Doctoral graduates of the Nguyen clan, when granted robes, flags, and permission to return home to honor their ancestors by the king, were often solemnly welcomed by the people of Tien Dien at this river wharf. After many years of being a high-ranking mandarin in the Le - Trinh court, Nguyen Du's father, when he retired, was given three sea dragon boats by the Le Emperor and the Trinh Lord to take him to this wharf before returning to his residence. Nguyen Du also witnessed this event. After many years of wandering in the northern citadel, Nguyen Du returned to his hometown. Standing in front of Giang Dinh Wharf, he expressed his feelings through a poem named "Giang Dinh Huu Cam" (Impressions at Giang Dinh).
With a location that converges the sacred energy of mountains and oceans, Tien Dien was home to many distinguished families, such as the Le clan in Tien Bao, the Nguy clan in Xuan Vien, the Dang and Nguyen Cong clan in Uy Vien. But the most notable of all is still the Nguyen clan of Tien Dien.
We invite you to contemplate the Nghi Xuan landscape and learn more about the artifacts excavated at the Bai Coi relic site.