After more than an hour of traveling from Hanoi, the whole group was bathed in the cool, misty air on top of Tam Dao mountain. The sweltering sun that heralded summer the past few days had completely disappeared. The whole group cheered when the car stopped and rushed down to take advantage of “hunting clouds”, enjoying the cool taste at an altitude of more than 1,300 meters above sea level. The time budget is not generous, the early morning dew will dissipate quickly when the sun rises, the car continues to carry us with cold thin mists from the top of the mountain slowly to Tay Thien mountain. Belief in worshiping Quoc Mau Tay Thien has been included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. (Photo: Pham Anh Tuan) The sacred place of Ky Son Not to disappoint us, Tay Thien spiritual tourist-scenic area appears to be a mountainous area with beautiful features in the middle of a majestic natural place. This place converges all kinds of waterfalls, streams, along with ancient temples and pagodas, which are adorned with brilliant yellow linden trees. The best thing is that in the middle of the season change, the endemic peony bushes of Tam Dao are still springing with purple myrtle bushes racing to call Summer. In the sound of the wind, is the harmony of the waterfall, creating a charming scene in the midst of the vast mountains and forests. The first impression that came to us was the Thong Temple of Thien An Pagoda with the nine-root banyan tree – an ancient natural structure that has stood between heaven and earth for hundreds of years on this land. The banyan tree is like a conductor of the sacred mountains here. BILLION The sound of leaves whispering tells us about the legend of the origin of Buddhism that appeared here from the 3rd century BC to the belief of Mother Goddess – Tay Thien Lang Thi Tieu – Chinh Vuong consort of Hung. The Seventh Emperor. It can be said that the interference between the beliefs of Mother Goddess worship and Buddhism of this historical and cultural relic complex immediately made us fascinated with the very mysterious features of Tay Thien. But this is just a place to stop before climbing the pass and wading streams up to Thuong Temple – the place to worship Quoc Mau on the top of Tay Thien mountain. In the past, it took half a day to climb the pass, wade through streams, even have to swing the forest rope to reach the Upper Temple with a distance of more than 3km. Today, trams take visitors from Temple Thong to the foot of the mountain, taking only five minutes, and a modern cable car system will take visitors to enjoy Tay Thien from above for another 10 minutes. Only 15 minutes, our group reached Co temple, Cau temple halfway up the mountain. From here, everyone has to try the flexibility of their feet for another 15 minutes of incline, sometimes up to 60-70 degrees to reach the sacred Thuong Temple – located on the top of the cloud-covered Tay Thien mountain. Community place Our group stopped at the Mau temple, respectfully offered incense. The voice of the prose singing chau van swan: “Vietnam has a thousand Dong Lo / The North has Tay Thien mountain. Follow the world’s memories/Three saints and saints of Christmas help life./The people of Son Dinh are home/See a wise man./Mother is in charge of incense smoke/I pray for peace and harmony in the country. “. Oh, it turns out that Kim Oanh’s Congregation for the Holy Mother of bronze bar Kim Oanh from Hanoi is doing community activities here, performing the price of Tay Thien Mother to speak about the merits of helping King Hung expand his territory, teach people to grow wet rice, and military graves, strengthening the reign of Quoc Mau. We were silent when enjoying this special cultural space. Indeed, the heritage of worshiping Quoc Mau Tay Thien is not only a cultural symbol of Vinh Phuc province but also carries many values ​​of history, culture, patriotic tradition, and unity of the peoples. strong against foreign invaders. Now, the worship of the Tay Thien Mother Goddess has been included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage and Tam Dao district is requesting to be established – completing the dossier requesting UNESCO to register social practices and beliefs. worshiping Tay Thien Mother here is the representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. With that awareness, Tay Thien Spiritual Tourist Area is one of the few tourist destinations that no longer have the scene to attract visitors and along with it are hundreds of workers who are preserving and beautifying the landscape here. As one of the places of community activities of Mother Worship, Tay Thien often welcomes many visitors from all over the world to practice Mother Goddess worship. Kim Oanh’s group is one of them. Ms. Le Thi Linh (sanitation worker) said: “Our cleaning team has 17 people, working from 6 am to 5 pm. The annual festival takes place on February 15 to 17 of the lunar calendar every year, with tens of thousands of guests attending. But in the past two years, due to the Covid-19 epidemic situation, only the ceremony part was held, the festival part was not held anymore, so the number of visitors decreased a lot. Sharing with me, Mr. Nguyen Hung Nam (tram team) confided: “I have been working here for five years with 12 other electric car brothers. In previous years, our fleet had 60 vehicles running continuously, but now the number of passengers is decreasing, the staff is also decreasing. Being able to work in a spiritual place like this, we are really comfortable. I took guests to the Mau ceremony, so my mind was also relieved.” He added that every year, the Management Board conducts renovation of the scenic area based on nature, not as an artificial landscape. The service attitude of the staff towards visitors is also always improved. Guests feel comfortable will return and recommend to many others to know. International visitors, especially Japanese and Korean tourists, often come here to visit and enjoy religious activities on the Mau Temple. The trip received the enthusiastic response of the union members of the World & Vietnam Newspaper. (Photo: Pham Anh Tuan) One-way love Too busy playing forgot about time. When the clouds of blue smoke began to fall, the beauty of Tay Thien Temple began to return to its inherent solitude. And perhaps the quiet beauty of the mountains gives people the feeling of being next to the source. Resting in a small roadside shop, reviewing old stories with his brothers, Head of the delegation – Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Van Trung shared memories of the first days of receiving his assignment at the Working Office since the early 1990s. Mr. do not forget to mention the previous generation of Editor-in-Chief who laid the foundation and built the newspaper, … so that today, the younger generations unite to bring the Newspaper to development day by day. After a busy day at work, this is really a precious moment when we quietly enjoy the quiet and clear space together. After a long day, it’s time to sunset, every trip has to come back – back to work, to responsibilities, to the hustle and bustle of life, then there will be a time to return to find some quiet in the West. Sky. It is not a coincidence that every year Tay Thien attracts so many tourists from all over the world. People were delighted to feel the compassion of the Buddha and the generosity of the Mother, which is the tolerance, protection, and universal salvation of the world, seeing that people’s hearts were relaxed when they returned to Tay Thien.

Mr. Linh shared about Do Bau tree. Mr. Ho Tan Linh (resident in Bac 2 village, Tra Son commune, Tra Bong district) is known as a “veteran” in growing do Bau. Mr. Linh’s garden currently has about a hundred trees that are over 20 years old. Mr. Linh said: 20 years ago, he went all over the mountains and forests of Tra Bong to look for gourds. At that time, all had to walk, climb passes and wade streams, sacred forests and poisonous water could not stop his footsteps in order to earn money in the hope of changing his life. Then Mr. Linh also planted a few hundred trees. Care, medicine, how much effort he put into the trees. As the years went by, the hope kept dwindling when there was no tree that gave off the desired fragrance. Many trees planted in Tra Son commune have their roots cut down. “Three years ago, a trader asked to buy a tree for 1 million to pump chemicals to create oil, but I shook my head and refused. The money has already been spent, so keep it. I hired a mechanic to drill holes in the body of the gourd. If this hole is ant it gets in, it will create oil. However, up to now, these trees have not been able to produce agarwood, “Mr. Linh said. While many people still dream of changing their lives from agarwood, Mr. Ho Van Chan (residing in Bac 2 village, Tra Son commune) has lost all hope. Pointing to the planting ground that has been razed and leveled, there are only a few roots left, Mr. Chan said that he only sells trees here, but has never seen agarwood. “I can’t see the bass until the wind blows, so the tree falls down. So I cut it down, and the garden that I planted has just rented a flatbed car,” he shared. Mr. Linh shared some cores of Do Bau tree. According to Mr. Dinh Van Phong, Chairman of Tra Son Commune People’s Committee, the Do Bau tree whose special products are agarwood and sage has a very long history. Many people think that when they grow up to 7-8 years old, they can drill and then give acid or biological products and wait a few years to create agarwood, they will become a billionaire. A few decades ago, the movement of growing dó bau strongly developed and spread throughout the mountainous communes. The tree grows well but does not produce bass. Many Do Bau orchards were toppled by storms at the end of 2020. “In Tra Son, all hamlets grow do bau, but so far no one has made agarwood from do bau, people cut it down to switch to growing acacia. A few are sold cheaply to businesses,” said Mr. Phong.

Mr. Ho Van Don (Bac 2 village, Tra Son commune, Tra Bong district, Quang Ngai province) has more than 20 years “dreaming” of a billionaire agarwood. When he was not in his 40s, Mr. Don roamed all over the mountains and forests of Tra Bong, climbed to the top of Ca Dam to “hunt” for gourds. “At that time, we all walked, but still climbed the pass, waded the stream, and searched the forest and high mountains at night to find gourds. Each ride takes about 3.4 days. The sacred forest, poisonous water or the serpent do not count, as long as the natural gourd can be planted. If this plant produces bass, it will become a billionaire ”, he recalls. Then Mr. Don also planted about a hundred gourd trees. Careful, medicinal, so much effort he focused on those trees with the wish to change his life soon. As the years passed, hope gradually faded when there was no tree radiating the desired scent. Mr. Don walked out into the front garden, fiddled with the roots that emerged on the ground of a big tree, thoughtfully: “Last year, people came to buy 42 trees for 42 million VND but did not sell. These trees are over 20 years old. They buy it to pump medicine into the oil plants, from which the oil becomes frankincense. They buy at low prices, successfully pump oil, and sell at a hundred times higher price. I think it doesn’t make much money to sell the tree, and then we spend it all so we just leave it behind, who knows? Then last year’s big storm, most of the trees fell, now only a few left “. When the movement of planting gourd trees emerged, Mr. Don thought it would be harvested only a decade or so. Now over the age of 60, he is disappointed because he has not seen the depression yet, but selling well-grown trees to traders is regretful. “Out of these trees, only one tree can create oil, and we will have a big profit, at least a few hundred million, many billions. Now that he is old and weak, his life will not be enjoyed, so leave it there, and his children and grandchildren will enjoy it later, ”said Don. Poke holes, pour honey Mr. Ho Van Linh (Bac 2 hamlet, Tra Son commune, Tra Bong district) is known as a “veteran” in gourd plantations. Mr. Linh brought out a large plastic wrap, in which there were pieces of wood chips of many sizes. Choosing a small piece, he lit a fire and said: “This is the stem of the gourd tree that has just produced oil from the drilling of the hole, it is young so it is soft and easy to rot, the aroma is also mild. But nonetheless there is hope… ”. Mr. Linh’s garden now has about hundred gourd trees over 20 years old. In 1999, he also planted this many trees, but most of them were hit by storms, and had to lose weight. “Planting this seed is planting the hope of a life-changing. Back then, the towel went to another province to work as a hired laborer in the place where the plant is growing, and the son got sick so he had to go home … If we worked for a long time, maybe we would know more good tips “, Mr. Linh said. Three years ago, the trader came to ask to buy plants to pump chemicals to create oil, but he shook his head to refuse. Not willing to sell much effort, hoping for decades with a cheap price of 1 million VND per tree, Mr. Linh hired a worker to drill holes in the body of the gourd. “This hole, when it comes in, will create oil. Ordinary honey does not dare to drink because of regret of money, but bought it and poured it in these holes to lure, but did not see it, ”he smiled sadly. After saying that, Mr. Linh stumbled towards the end of the garden, pointed at the tree which was quite large, about one person hugged and said: “See these holes, it is natural, not drilling. It is the most hopeful tree in this garden. Mr. Ho Tan Linh put a lot of hope in the gourd tree with holes formed naturally on the body Unfinished dream More than 20 years ago, the story of the woodworkers suddenly became billionaires because they found the bass that spread everywhere, fascinated many men in the forest looking for bass in the hope of changing their lives. When the source of frankincense, the male period … naturally in the forest has been exhausted, many people find ways to create it by injecting acids, probiotics into self-grown gourd trees. Seed companies that saw the opportunities in people’s dreams of life changing also burst into action. The movement to grow gourd just spread further. More than 2 decades have passed, the dream is still unfinished. People who still have hope, who was depressed and surrendered. 15 years ago, Mr. Ho Thanh On (Dong hamlet, Tra Son commune, Tra Bong district) just over the age of 30 determined to change his life and bet on a big “gamble”. A relative who worked as a worker at the gourd hatchery in Binh Phuoc told him about the “secret” to become a billionaire. So he bought the seedlings of 5,000 gourd plants, sold them to his neighbors 4,000 trees, and kept 1,000 trees in his own garden and field. “With that many trees, 10 years after selling each tree 10 million, it will get 10 billion”, this man calculated. However, after planting a few years, the trees will die massively, and the trees live languishly waiting for buyers. Three years ago, he sold 116 trees for 55 million VND to traders in Da Nang. They drilled holes for the drug to be transplanted, but now it is not able to create incense. The billionaire’s dream fades over the years, Mr. On still lives in the old house in the middle of the garden. Storm No. 9 last year caused many trees to fall onto the roof, causing damage, but he has not bothered to fix it for the past four months. And Mr. Ho Van Chan (Bac 2 village, Tra Son commune) has also dissipated hope of changing his life thanks to incense. “There are only trees selling here, but never creating agarwood. I do not see the depression forever, the wind storm added, so the trees fell down. So I cut it off, the garden planted there, just rented a flat car ”, he shared. Many gourd trees fell down and were damaged by heavy storms Meanwhile, his hope has not yet been relieved, Mr. Ho Tan Linh (village Bac 2, commune Tra Son) firmly: “In this land, people always say: first ivory, second incense. There is still hope there, I have waited for more than half of my life, then there is nothing more … “. When the dream has not come true, every day Mr. Linh and his wife still have the burden of living. In addition to the shifting fields, he dug a pond to raise fish and planted many other plants in his garden. Life is miserable, but he never intended to “sell young rice” his hope. According to Mr. Dinh Van Phong – Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tra Son commune, a few decades ago, the movement of growing gourd was strongly developed and spread throughout the mountainous communes. “In Tra Son, all the villages are growing gourd plants, but after a while seeing ineffectiveness, many people cut them down to switch to acacia plantations. A few sell cheaply to businesses ”, Mr. Phong said. Decades have passed, unintentionally cruel time. The handsome brother is now handcuffed with silver hair, his dream has not yet come true. Some people are still chasing, someone got bored? But the story of frankincense in the highlands of Quang Ngai is not over yet.