Embark on a journey to Quảng Ngãi and explore the 'homeland river' of Tế Hanh

When you visit Quảng Ngãi, follow the Trà Bồng River towards Bình Dương commune – the cherished homeland of poet Tế Hanh. Here, you will experience more about the peaceful countryside along the river, adorned with the vibrant colors of all four seasons...

Discover the 'homeland river' of Tế Hanh on a Quảng Ngãi adventure

Bình Dương resembles an oasis nestled deep within the mainland, surrounded on three sides by water.

From Châu Ổ town to Bình Dương, take the route at the Lý Bình intersection. Journey through lush green fields, cross the new bridge over the Dâu River – a tributary of the Trà Bồng River – and arrive in Bình Dương.

However, many travelers opt not for this route. Instead, they wait until evening, board a boat downstream from the Châu Ổ market towards Bình Dương, reliving the sensations that poet Tế Hanh, known as Ong Hai Pho, captured in the first half of the last century: “The boat, light and swift like a young steed, glides with powerful strokes across the vast river” (Homeland – Tế Hanh).

A boat drifts on the river, meandering around the Châu Má hills. Further, in the villages of Đông Yên and Mỹ Huệ, the 'bamboo shore echoes with the chirping of birds.' The green bamboo clusters cast shadows on the evening river, where the water still 'ripples with jumping fish' (Recalling the Hometown River – Tế Hanh).

Approaching the head of Đông Yên village, the old bamboo bridge has vanished, replaced by a new iron bridge spanning the river. The once bustling Hôm market, a former docking point where villagers set sail 'welcoming boats back' after a night of fishing, now stands renovated and elegant.

On the riverbank, an extended embankment shields the residential area after each rainy season. A private enterprise has invested in duck-shaped boats for children in the village to swim along the river each evening. After a hard day's work in the fields, villagers can now relax, watching the children cruise on the river, enjoying the cool breeze.

The old country road, once described by Ong Hai Pho as 'a narrow path wandering, dragging sorrows throughout the village' (The Words of the Countryside Road – Tế Hanh), is now paved with concrete. The small, humble houses of the past have been replaced by modern, elegant structures.

In front of the Đông Yên communal house, where fishermen used to hold the Hoàng Nguyên gratitude ceremony at the end of the fishing season, performing a lively 'song of the net haul' mimicking their labor at sea, now stands a considerably large village gate.

The villagers take pride in having Ong Hai Pho, so the village gate bears a quote from his verses: “The sail unfolds like the soul of the village. The vast white body captures the essence of the wind”… (Homeland – Tế Hanh).

Indeed, the coastal village, born from the embrace of the sea, gives birth to talented poets. Who wouldn't feel proud, who wouldn't want to express gratitude?

Wandering through a narrow alley, pausing before the old house of Ong Hai Pho, where the past is imprinted on the bold tiles and the arching trees. This is where Ong Hai Pho cried out into the world, grew up, studied in Huế, joined the resistance, and even in the North, he still reminisced about his homeland.

In the fading afternoon sunlight, the old house, with its closed and latched door, brings forth the verses from the poem 'Ancient Garden,' unexpectedly becoming a profound yearning.

Heading upstream from Đông Yên village, visitors will spot the bamboo bridge connecting Đông Yên and Đồng Min villages. The bridge, constructed with aged bamboo segments, extends deep into the riverbed.

Amidst the rhythm of wheels and footsteps, the bamboo bridge vibrates with the creaking sounds of the bamboo sticks. Many locals refer to it as the 'Bridge of Memories,' as from the era of Ong Hai Pho to today, the bridge is still constructed with the same material. Every summer, villagers cut bamboo to build stakes. Before the impending monsoon arrives, as the Trà Bồng River rises, villagers swiftly disassemble the bridge, forming a makeshift dock to connect the riverbanks.

This land is often called “the bridge of memories” by the locals. From the time when Ong Hai Pho carried books until now, the bridge is still constructed from similar materials. As summer arrives, the villagers cut bamboo to make stakes, and before the rainy season comes, as the water of the Trà Bồng River is about to rise, the villagers quickly dismantle it. A makeshift ferry dock is then formed to link the two riverbanks.

Could it be that in the journey of ascent, the people of Bình Dương hold onto this bamboo bridge as a glimpse of their rural identity, a fragment of the village spirit immortalized in poetry and folklore?

The Trà Bồng River, before flowing into the Sa Cần estuary, gracefully meanders around sandbanks. Along the concrete road from Đông Yên village, one side adorned with the green river, the other with rice fields and fruit blossoms, emerges a line of local stalls.

In this area, known as Bãi Dương, locals indulge in various flavorful seafood dishes. Travelers can savor them from the evening until the moonlit night...

As reported by Tuoitre.vn

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour