Buzz
'Ngang Pass bears the weight of two provinces / Ha Tinh on one shoulder, Quang Binh on the other' – The origins of this hexameter verse are unclear, but as I grew up, I heard many locals around Ngang Pass recite it and pass it on to each other.
Stepping onto Ngang Pass, twilight shadows, where grass and trees intermingle with leaves, and rocks are adorned with flowers
My seaside village lies on the southern bank of the Ron River, over 10 kilometers from Ngang Pass. Thus, since childhood, my friends and I have trodden this pass, sometimes to gather firewood, others to venture to Vinh Son Beach (now part of Quang Dong commune, Quang Binh province) beneath its foothills, hunting crabs, collecting snails, or picking wild vegetables.
Reaching adulthood and migrating from North to South in search of livelihoods, we had more opportunities to traverse National Highway 1A through the Hoanh Son mountain range – another name for Ngang Pass – a mountain range steeped in national history.
National Highway 1A winds from this mountain range to another hill. Along the roadside, on Ngang Pass’s slopes, “grass and trees mingle with rocks, leaves mingling with flowers,” with various types of trees, large and small, adorning the landscape…
In ancient times, the entire Hoanh Son range was a lush forest, a verdant carpet throughout all four seasons. It was also the habitat, the sanctuary of many wild animals such as elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses, deer, deer, pheasants, peacocks, quails...
Having the opportunity to stop at the peak of Ngang Pass and cast our gaze far, we will see the blue expanse of the East Sea in front of us. Dragon Nose, Vung Chua, Hon En, Hon La, and many large rocks, underwater coral reefs... undulate with each wave hitting the shore day and night.
Fishing boats, tranquil nets, release their anchors to fish and shrimp. At the foot of the pass, several streams, winding small rivers meander around rice fields, potato fields. Faintly behind the coconut groves, clumps of bamboo are the bright red tile roofs, the dark-colored thatched roofs of the fishing villages, mountain hamlets.
Ngang Pass was once considered a vulnerable land by the ancients and was once dubbed the “phenominal pass,” the “southern fortress” of Dai Viet. This mountainous region was once chosen by the Vietnamese and Cham people as a natural border between the two countries.
Therefore, the Hoan Vuong rampart in the northernmost region of Chiem Thanh was erected. This place was also once the site of rampart garrisons of the Trinh lord during the Trinh – Nguyen period of conflict in the 17th century.
Today, when we have the opportunity to visit the scenery of Ngang Pass, we will see that this pass still retains many historical imprints and cultural relics of a bygone era.
At the summit of the pass, the large intact gate named “Hoanh Son Gate” still remains, a very beautiful gate built under the reign of King Minh Mang (1820-1840) along with the remaining parts of the two high walls running in two directions: towards the Truong Son Range and towards the East Sea.
Additionally, there are some sections of stone walls and square earth tunnels, flatly called by the people of Quang Binh as “Ong Ninh Wall” and “Ong Ninh Tunnel” according to the title of Ninh Quan Cong Trinh Toan - the general of Lord Trinh.
Both northern and southern sides of the pass have temples dedicated to Lady Lieu Hanh, one of the “Four Immortals” of Vietnamese folk beliefs. Every year, on festival occasions, thousands of people in the region gather here to worship and pray for blessings for their descendants.
The tomb of General Vo Nguyen Giap at the foot of Ngang Pass has become a place of great attraction for tens of thousands of people from all three regions of our country in recent years.
People come here to pay homage to the tomb of the General and have the opportunity to admire the beautiful scenery of Vung Chua – Hon En, a little further away is the port of Hon La, a large, deep, and very windy seaport in the northern central coastal area.
Ngang Pass is a scenic spot, a historical and cultural relic rich in significance not only for a region but also for our entire country. This pass and this land were once evaluated by Trang Trinh Nguyen Binh Khiem in the 16th century as a place of “myriad virtues”.
The stone-paved path crossing the Hoanh Son Gate since ancient times and later Highway 1A have borne witness to the footprints of numerous luminaries, from Ly Thuong Kiet, Le Thanh Tong, Ngo Thi Nham, Le Quy Don… to Nguyen Du, Cao Ba Quat, Ho Chi Minh…
Many beautiful poems and descriptions of mountain pass landscapes by poets throughout history surely drew inspiration from the natural beauty of rivers, mountains, and seas in this area. However, perhaps the most famous and widely recited is the poem “Crossing Ngang Pass” by Lady Huyen Thanh Quan.
As per Tran Hoang/Tuoi Tre
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
Source: MytourMay 28th, 2018
