Lach Bang Temple (Hai Thanh Ward, Nghi Son Town). If you are a tourist who likes to wander around the caves and alleys of the sea village, to see and feel the rhythm of life or the beauty of daily life, which is somewhat obscured by the economic life. huh; then Nghi Son peninsula, Ba Lang – Hai Thanh (Nghi Son town), or Trieu Duong village (Sam Son city), Diem Pho (Hau Loc) are interesting suggestions. Life on the Nghi Son peninsula is like a black-and-white film opposite, in the midst of busy and noisy factories and seaports; with one side is the time-stained silence of ancient relics such as Tinh Hai fortress, Ong Ninh citadel or Wash Ngoc well associated with the tragic love story of My Chau – Trong Thuy. Economic development reflects the increasing material life, full and well-off; and parallel with it is the culture or spiritual life – beliefs and spirituality expressed through the cultural heritages that are still respected and preserved by the people here. The “fairyland” has both the needle and the deposition of that ancient spirit, truly precious. Because, it is easy to make people want to slow down a few beats, to see the beautiful scenery and also to let the soul be less in turmoil, when life is full of worries. Not far from Nghi Son is Hai Thanh – a cultural space imbued with maritime nuances. When it comes to Hai Thanh, people often mention the profession of going to the sea or the famous fish sauce making profession with the name Ba Lang. But behind the somewhat hustle and bustle of economic life, is an attractive “fairyland”. Because it’s rare in any estuary land where the livelihood and spiritual life have such harmony. The houses are closely packed with narrow aisles; Boat docks, craft villages, and small markets that seem noisy… strangely “fit” with the quiet, quiet appearance of temples and shrines. In Hai Thanh, there still exists a system of very diverse historical and cultural relics running along the slopes of Do Xuyen mountain and Ba Lang Catholic Church, which is famous for its outstanding architecture and art. Along with that, in the cultural space of Hai Thanh, there is also a treasure of unique intangible cultural heritage, the most prominent of which are typical folk festivals, cultural-historical festivals, such as: Quang Trung festival, Do Xuyen village festival and traditional brush swimming festival. Then, once coming to Hai Thanh for a festival, visitors will partially understand the so-called balance and harmony between the material and spiritual life in the traditional sea village. Between the busy streets and the hustle and bustle of the tourist town of Sam Son, the slow and somewhat calm life of Trieu Duong beach village can be likened to an interesting “variation”. Trieu Duong – the name on the face of the word is the morning water, but its deep meaning is a picture of beautiful, beautiful nature. The historical capital formed the land, so the village was as arduous as the daily life of fishermen facing waves and storms; However, the existence of Trieu Duong village is associated with Sam Son strip to this day, which is the pride of every resident here. The village is famous for cattle weaving, even the fishing net of Trieu Duong residents was once considered the most unique in the North. In particular, there is an opinion that Trieu Duong village keeps the cattle weaving technique a secret, with strict conventions and prohibitions from spreading it out. Normally, only boys in the village were taught the craft, and it wasn’t until 1955 that the technique was widely circulated. Also because of the traditional profession, since ancient times, Trieu Duong village has worshiped Ba Trieu – the ancestor of ox weaving and held Ba Trieu ball procession festival on the 10th day of the second lunar month every year. Trieu Duong village festival, along with many traditional festivals preserved and handed down by Sam Son residents to this day, has contributed to creating the appearance of a Sam Son that is both modern and ancient hidden in its beauty. culture – unique spirit. National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Diem Pho Bridge Festival. Talking about the “fairyland” of Thanh Hoa sea but forgetting to mention Diem Pho is really a big omission. But if you only know Diem Pho in the somewhat irritating scene of houses like wedges and the vibrant rhythm of life on the docks under the boat, it is also somewhat one-sided. Because there is a very different, very peaceful and meaningful Diem Pho of a coastal village imbued with the sea nuances of Thanh’s sea. Looking at the map, Yan Pu is like a funnel to absorb and store the wind. Perhaps also because of that special location, the characteristics of the population and culture of this land are also somewhat different. Because, mentioning Diem Pho is referring to a very special spiritual – spiritual – religious life. For centuries, the people here have been diligently clinging to the sea to find a livelihood and also from the sea, they have created an extremely rich and valuable cultural space, reflected in festivals, beliefs, customs, performing arts and the architecture of temples and pagodas. In particular, the Cau Ngu festival in Diem Pho village – one of the biggest, most profound and sacred festivals of the inhabitants of Hau Loc coastal area in particular, and Thanh Hoa in general. With its great and irreplaceable values, the Diem Pho Cau Ngu festival has been honored as a national intangible cultural heritage. And yet, Diem Pho still has a very unique complex of Nghe – pagoda – palace – shrine. Because the harmony of many types of architecture in a common space has reflected honestly and deeply the very open, unsophisticated view of the residents here on beliefs and religions. The tangible cultural heritages are very specific and rich in value; customs, or forms of religious activities, reflecting the history of formation, the process of existence and social characteristics; system of folk knowledge or rich experience treasures of fishermen… All those elements imbued with marine culture are fully reflected, truthfully, vividly, and conspicuously through these “regions”. “fairy” sea, waiting to be discovered by tourists, through tours to experience marine culture – who knows, will be built in the near future.

Bai Dong (Nghi Son town). The journey along the 102km coastline, from Nga Son to Nghi Son, will bring you countless surprises. Because surely, when it comes to the sea of ​​Thanh, many people only automatically have the shadow of Sam Son with a history of tourism exploitation more than 100 years; or Hai Tien, Hai Hoa has only been known for about 1.2 decades, but has also found a place on the map of marine tourism. However, the sea of ​​Thanh is an extremely diverse and rich population of mountain ranges crashing into the sea, forming coves interspersed with creeks with more majestic natural landscapes. In particular, the process of creation over thousands of years has endowed this land with pristine, peaceful and beautiful beaches. Nestled in the narrow, quiet and isolated sea, Bai Dong (Nghi Son) will be the perfect choice for “believers” who love the deserted seas. The beauty of this beach is the wonderful blend of “one-color heaven” and “thousand-year love relationship” of mountains – waves. The first point is the unruly mountain range that plunges straight into the sea, looking like the tip of a bow embracing East Beach in its lap and creating an impressive highlight for this beach. At the other end is a long streak of rough, smooth, different sizes of rocky snouts, crammed in the middle of a long beach with no end in sight. If viewed from above, Bai Dong is like a painting of nature, with pen strokes that seem to be indifferent and absent-minded, but if you look closely, you will see the meticulous and feats of the “worker” of the painting. . Dawn on the East Beach is a great time for visitors to experience the moment when the sun rises from the seabed and the first rays of sunlight clear away the clouds, wash away the “dust” of the dark night, awaken the green sprouts, call to life for the new day. The slow movement of time is like a natural hourglass, which can only be felt transparently and fully by all the senses, not influenced by any external circumstances and by the whole soul. all worries. However, the beauty of Bai Dong is not only in the moment when “the sun rises in the sea with a new color”; but have to wait when the sun has bestowed abundant energy on all things, then the brilliance of this beach will be full. The sun poured over the golden brown sand and sparkled with crystal as if it wanted to dazzle the eyes. The sun spreads a yellow color full of life on the landscape as if it were a source of inspiration and a desire to blend in with nature. Faced with the endless beauty of the water in the sky, reflecting the boundless blue of the sea, how can people not be moved? In particular, the green color of the unspoiled East Beach is somewhat illusory, making it easy for people to exclaim, as if we have strayed into another space, or are living in a parallel space. real and virtual, where we give ourselves the right to put aside all worries to indulge this living being called “me”. If Bai Dong is the perfect choice for a short vacation, with the desire to recharge for a new working week; then, Tien Trang beach (Quang Xuong) is satisfied for a walk at the end of the day, to drop into the cool water or breathe in the fresh air that belongs only to nature. Tien Trang is an example of the concept of the word “wild”. Here, each gentle wave flows over the long sandy shore. The harmony of the immense water waves mixed with the sound of the casuarinas reverberated in people’s hearts. The feeling of relaxation that cannot be described by words is natural when you pick it up, gently and gently seep into people’s hearts. In particular, the painting of the sea in the evening is like a painting, seemingly evoking dreamlike and magical myths about the human struggle for survival. Watch the sunset on Tien Trang beach to experience the chase, struggle between darkness and light, when the sun is pushed to the west and the waves also run out of enthusiasm to play with the sun and the wind to sink into your heart. deep ocean. And no matter what time of day you come to Tien Trang, as long as you are willing to put aside the hustle and bustle and open your heart to nature, in return, your soul will be like being washed by nature to become relaxed and peaceful. course. And yet, if you want to explore more deserted seas with pristine and majestic scenery, fresh climate, and clear blue sea, then besides Bai Dong, Tien Trang, Thanh land also gives you more choices. choose no less interesting. For example, in Nghi Son town, in addition to Bai Dong, you can explore more beautiful Nghi Son peninsula; Or go to Hai Thanh to soak up the taste of the sea and the taste of the famous Ba Lang fish sauce from far and near. Or if you have discovered all the beauty of the beaches, the unique cultural and natural heritages of Sam Son sea; Visitors can “over-foot” down to Nam Sam Son beach, to feel a different space, different scenery and atmosphere different from the busy, bustling tourist city… Not only beautiful beaches, Thanh sea also has a “warehouse” of precious tourism resources waiting to be discovered: the system of islands. If standing at a high point at the “gateway” of Bai Dong, the naked eye can also see the Me island cluster looming on the sea surface. This cluster of islands is also known by its rather evocative and evocative name, “Tha Bat Ma Son”, with 18 large and small islands, covering an area of ​​​​10km2. Me island cluster is likened to a “marine nature reserve”, with over 400 species of plants, many precious animals residing and more than 100 species of medicinal plants with high medicinal and economic value. In particular, the majestic and unspoiled beauty of Me Island is enough to attract tourists who like to experience the feeling of adventure on steep cliffs, or explore the richness and abundance of the primeval forest. wide. Along with Me island is Ne island located about 6km from Hau Loc coast. Ne Island is a hilly island nearly 900m long, about 400m wide at the widest place. Although it cannot be compared with Me Island in terms of area or grandeur; But the island of Ne possesses the lyrical beauty of nature and long-standing traditional cultural activities, associated with whale worshiping customs of fishermen… It can be said, a storehouse of natural and human resources. rich in value that islands and island clusters possess, which is the basis for the exploitation and development of typical sea-island tourism products such as resort tourism, eco-tourism associated with the discovery of infinite nature. same ideal. The sea – island is beautiful and abundant in tourism resources, which is the basis for Thanh Hoa province to identify that sea – island resort tourism is a key product of the spearhead economic sector. In the future, the deserted seas may be exploited and formed eco-tourism resorts, associated with many types of high-class services such as medical resorts, casinos, boating, fishing, etc. Squid fishing, scuba diving to see corals, water sports… Since then, “upgrade” the tourist market segment and bring visitors more choices, interesting, attractive and worthwhile experiences. remember more.

Many fish sauce production establishments in Ba Lang (Nghi Son town) already have booths to display their products. Facing new development needs, about 4-5 recent years, the fish sauce-making households here have all invested in expanding production scale, looking for ways to improve product quality and design. In that hundreds of years old traditional craft village, the fish sauce production establishment of Mrs. Dong Thi Huy’s family had 4 generations of succession to his father’s profession. The owner of the establishment has “belt” a lot of valuable experience to produce the famous fish sauce, shrimp paste, sour sauce and shrimp paste, which are widely used by many people. With nearly 50 salt tanks and hundreds of large jars located in 3 different production zones, each year this facility produces about 3,000 liters of fish sauce, nearly 100 tons of shrimp paste and shrimp paste. Ms. Dong Thi Huy, owner of the production facility, shared: Fish sauce and other types of fish sauce used to be mainly sold in the region, a little bit wide in Thanh Hoa city and some localities in the province. But now, we have to aim to develop the national market, even to export, so we have to change the way of doing. The product is no longer put in large plastic cans, but is converted to bottles with many different large and small capacities to meet the tastes of many customers. Trademarked products contain barcodes, addresses, and date of manufacture and expiry date. With many efforts, in 2020, the family has 2 products, which are fish sauce and sour sauce, which will be recognized as OCOP products in Thanh Hoa province. By the beginning of this year 2021, the family shrimp fish sauce products continued to be considered and recognized for OCOP products. We consider this as a turning point, as a condition to promote and develop the market for Ba Lang fish sauce products in general, for families in particular. Synthesized from the Do Xuyen Fish Sauce Association – Ba Lang, in Hai Thanh ward, there are more than 120 establishments specializing in producing fish sauce and salt of all kinds. Only 23 large enterprises and households are members of the Do Xuyen Fish Sauce Association – Ba Lang, each establishment brings to the market thousands of liters of fish sauce per month, the most being Processing Company Limited. Tuyen Hoa seafood sells about 6,000 liters of fish sauce / month. Mr. Duong Xuan Tac, Chairman of the Do Xuyen Fish Sauce Association – Ba Lang, shared: In the past, the fish sauce job was mainly spontaneous, and the family did it strongly. Accordingly, the quality of fish sauce from many families is not high, affecting the “brand” of the craft village. Now we are constantly training as well as sharing our experiences to make the quality more uniform. For example, in the past, the raw materials for making fish sauce are mixed with small fish, shrimp, etc., making fish sauce and shrimp sauce in many households flattering and not smooth. Now we agree to carefully select raw materials, remove all new salt impurities. The finished fish sauce, before being bottled, is also puree, sifted to make the sauce really smooth, no new shells … Recently, products of Ba Lang fish sauce and fish sauce are always present in product exhibitions and exhibitions at fairs inside and outside the province. That is an effective way of advertising to bring the name of the product to a large number of customers from afar. Many production establishments now have contracts to supply fish sauce products for military units, many collective kitchens of state agencies at the central and local levels. Plastic and cement tanks are gradually replaced by ceramic jars and ceramic tiles to ensure food hygiene. Surveying around this traditional craft village, we found that most of the owners of production facilities built booths to display and introduce their products. This is a new “move” that in previous years almost no family implemented. When quality, design and food safety are concerned, the fish sauce industry in Ba Lang will surely have a step of sustainable development and grow stronger.