Peaceful beauty of Cam Dong bamboo bridge at noon. That is probably the only special and unique bamboo bridge left in the plains of Quang. Day by day, people in Cam Dong village (Dien Phong commune, Dien Ban town, Quang Nam) call each other across the bridge, cross the Vinh Dien river to the Go Dinh alluvial flat on the edge of the river to plant and collect crops. harvest crops. Go Dinh alluvial ground with an area of ​​​​nearly 90 hectares is a key agricultural cultivation area of ​​Dien Phong commune. That bamboo bridge, over the years, the water washed up, broke it in half and engulfed the whole bridge, I don’t know how many times it was built. Just know that in the childhood memories of every child born and raised in Cam Dong are associated with many memories by this bamboo bridge. For now, the children who used to follow their mother across the bridge and bathe in river water at the foot of that bridge are now grown up, wandering around in all directions, but in their hearts, the image of that bamboo bridge always remains. forever in your heart. This bamboo bridge is where Cam Dong people cross the alluvial ground across the river to cultivate. Every year, every wave of water is broken, people spend a lot of money and bamboo to build a new bamboo bridge. The bamboo bridge across Cam Dong banks was built again. The bridge is tens of meters long, less than 1m wide, quite high above the water surface, with a handrail on one side, looks very precarious when passing. Each bridge is assembled from more than 100 old bamboo trees with a width of 1m and a length of about 120m. This bamboo bridge is assembled from hundreds of bamboo trees available in the village. Although the bamboo bridge is not strong, it is more convenient and faster than taking a ferry, so people here contribute money and contribute to building a bridge to travel and earn a living for decades. When having difficulty while carrying heavy loads across the bridge they often help each other. Ms. Phan Thi Le, a Cam Dong resident shared, since she was young, she had a bamboo bridge across the river. For decades, the bridge has remained a unique way to bring people in Cam Dong village through farming. at the beaches. There are many memories attached to this bamboo bridge until now when I am old, but those memories are still clearly remembered, many great countries have witnessed the growth and aging of the people here. For decades, the bridge is still the only way to bring the people of Cam Dong village through farming in the coastal areas. With this small bamboo bridge, everyday life in every moment appears so beautiful. Many people can’t help but be moved by the picturesque riverside village scene. In the mornings or evenings, the scene of mothers and grandmothers throwing their burdens on the bridge evokes memories of each person following their mother to the fields when they were children. On sunny afternoons, the bridge becomes magically beautiful in front of the red sky. On this bamboo bridge, village love and neighborliness, mutual concessions or mutual assistance always take place. A woman with the first load of vegetables walks on the bridge, another will give way to make it easier to carry a full load of vegetables across the bridge. Sometimes, an old woman with a heavy load of vegetables has someone to help carry a part. Just like that, the early morning on the bridge are sincere and sincere Quang farmers. Beside that river, the feet are still dangling over the river day by day. Mr. Duong Huan – Head of Cam Dong village said: “For decades, local people have spent hundreds of millions of dong just to build a few bamboo bridges each year. However, its lifespan is unpredictable and completely at the mercy of heaven and earth. Whenever there is a big flood, the bridge will drift. Then do it again. Just let it go. If we don’t have a bridge, we can go by boat, but the boat is too cold, so we fully understand that we are going to take the tin boat. There are years due to continuous natural disasters that cause local people to build temporary bamboo bridges several times!”. In the past, Cam Dong village was very poor, the whole village had no roads, electricity, stations, and schools. Because it is located close to the river, the houses have to be built very high. The traces of each flood are still imprinted on every house. Mr. Duong Huan has been the village chief for decades, so this place is very clear. Over the past ten years, this poor village has changed skin and flesh, the ODA grid pulls electricity to households, there is one pole in every 10 houses. With electricity, everything changes. Sugar, water for domestic use, production output keeps increasing year by year. Rural concrete roads have been around since 2001. With this small bamboo bridge, everyday life in every moment appears so beautiful. And for some people, with the rustic, unspoiled beauty with the scenery of Vietnam’s peaceful countryside, Cam Dong bamboo bridge has long become an interesting destination for tourists when coming to Quang Nam. In the early dawn or dusk, the bamboo bridge printed on the rolling water surface, the simple beauty is like a silk screen crossing the Vinh Dien river, creating a beautiful picture of the countryside. Cam Dong Bamboo Bridge has long become an interesting destination for tourists coming to Quang Nam. When the sunset fades, it is time for the farmers to return home to rest after a hard day. And just like that, Cam Dong bamboo bridge gradually became a famous address for country photography enthusiasts to capture the picturesque moment. Life goes on in peace with the rustic beauty of Quang’s countryside. Beside that river, the feet are still dangling over the river day by day. Alluvium is still deposited along the beach, the land that has been attached for generations is still in the middle of that river. And the bamboo bridge for many generations is still day by day swaying with each step of the farmers back and forth, as a witness of life and of people in this Cam Dong country.

There has not been a study stating the time period when Quang products began to be exported to other countries, only that, as early as 1925, in the study on Quang Ngai, French Ambassador Laboord wrote that day: ” The wealth and abundance of this province also lies in the cultivation of sugarcane… The harvesting of sugarcane has found a regular exit from the Chinese in Thu Xa. They will export molasses to Hong Kong… They already export up to 12,000 tons of sugar a year.” The busy Phu Tho wharf is now just a peaceful and quiet residential area. Photo: Y THUY In the editorial Quang Ngai province, advocated by Nguyen Ba Trac, printed in Nam Phong magazine in 1933, it also helps us visualize the export of goods of the Quang Ngai people in the past as follows: “Quang Ngai has 3 gates. Big sea: Son Tra estuary in Binh Son, Co Luy estuary in Tu Nghia and Sa Huynh estuary in Duc Pho. Each gate has a Department of Commerce to tax export and import goods. Regarding goods exported through seaports, Quang Ngai province also stated that: “The most important export item of Quang Ngai province is sugar. The place to export the most is Co Luy estuary carried out by Thu Xa city. Ginseng and cinnamon are sold at Son Tra gate, salt is sold at Sa Huynh gate. Particularly for Quang Ngai sugar specialties exported through 3 seaports of Co Luy, Son Tra, Sa Huynh; Quang Ngai province also detailed that, in 3 years 1929 – 1931, Quang Ngai exported 24.1 tons of sugar. In addition to the above products, in the Quang Ngai Geography also mentioned more about the export of rice: “The number of rice exported through the seaports of Co Luy, Son Tra and Sa Huynh in 1931 was still over 80 tons. This is the amount of rice sold by landowners to private traders for export. From the above documents, it can be affirmed that the ownership of large seaports has helped trade and export goods from Quang Ngai to developed countries very early. The reason why Son Tra estuary (Sa Can) is the main export place of cinnamon products is because the source of cinnamon from Tra Bong is quite conveniently transported by traders along the Tra Bong river down to the sea estuary. In Sa Huynh (Duc Pho), because salt is produced by people right next to the sea mouth, salt becomes the main export product through this estuary. As for the Co Luy gate, according to cultural researcher Cao Van Chu, this is the gateway for sugar products from the Quang Ngai plain to other parts of the country and the world, not only through China, but also through China. and through Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore… There are no boats now At Co Luy, from ancient times, Chinese merchant ships, after entering this seaport, often anchored at Phu Tho wharf (in the territory of Nghia Phu commune, Quang Ngai city today). Here, goods transported from China such as silk, pottery, traditional medicine… will be unloaded on small boats and transported back to Vuc Hong wharf in Thu Xa (in Nghia Hoa commune, district). Tu Nghia today) delivered to the merchants there. After that, traders in Thu Xa again unloaded Quang Ngai products such as sugar, honey, and agarwood… and then transported them down to Phu Tho wharf and loaded them on Chinese merchant ships to take them back to China. Salt is the main export product through Sa Huynh gate, but for many years, the price has always dropped, making salt farmers less interested in keeping the job. Photo: Y THUY According to the documents in the book Co Luy in the stream of Vietnamese marine culture by author Cao Chu, in the documents of Quang Ngai Province recorded in 1906 by the French colonial government, maritime transportation in Co Luy was It is clearly shown as follows: “In: 330 merchant ships in Central Vietnam entered, 8 sailing ships from Cochinchina arrived, forming a total of 3,000 tons. Ra: 430 sailing ships of China, 27 sailing ships of Cochinchina, 20 sailing ships of Tonkin, combined to a tonnage of 13,000 tons. According to Nguyen Thi Mot, 88 years old, living in Nghia Phu, in the past, Phu Tho wharf was always crowded with boats. Seeing that merchant ships bought sugar in large quantities for export, many people in Nghia Phu also went to trade in sugar in the past. After finding sugar-making villages in Nghia Dung, Nghia Dung to buy spoon sugar, people went back to work to cut the sugar into small lumps, then use a mallet to rub the sugar into powder. Finished sugar is packed into bags to sell to Chinese merchant ships, or to boats going south and north. It used to be one of the busiest trading ports in the province. However, now, Co Luy estuary is just an alluvial estuary, with few ships and boats absent. Once the most important export of Quang Ngai, but now the sugar processing factory in Quang Ngai has also ceased operations. One commodity that used to be the main export product through Sa Huynh gate is salt, which has fallen into a state of “falling in price” for many years, making salt farmers no longer interested in keeping the job… I don’t know when. , those products have regained their “position” as before?

The village road, the entrance to the house are all made of stone. Those are the most typical features in Loc Yen (in Tien Canh commune, Tien Phuoc district, Quang Nam province). There, hundreds of years old old houses, mossy stone alleys hidden under straight, green areca trees are likened to a fairy scene in Quang. The ancient well in Loc Yen village was built of stone nearly 200 years old. Throughout this ancient village, many people will be surprised by the ancient, peaceful and healthy beauty of the gates, alleys and even the “woven” stone fence walls. The stone walls are straight, as high as people, many sections are many years old, covered with moss color. The stone wall here not only acts as a shield but also has the task of preventing sudden earth blocks from falling from the hills above, helping to protect the village and the fields that are located close to the mountain. The people here know how to make use of the stones, sometimes flat and square stones to create very special stone walls, stone gates, stone alleys without any mortar. sticky. Over time, those stone walls, those stone gates still stand firmly, unmoving. Many old houses more than 150 years old are still preserved. These stone gates, stone alleys and even the village roads paved with stone have been around for more than a hundred years, at least since he was born, whenever there is damage, people will find and arrange stones themselves. short now. Thanks to that sense of preservation, this rustic “property” has continued to be preserved until now, bringing a unique and characteristic beauty to this countryside. “The stone gates, stone alleys or village roads are paved with stone, easy to have for more than a hundred years, but not less. Since I was born, there have been, where damaged, people automatically pick up stones and reassemble. That’s why the stone fences are still almost intact to this day,” said Mr. Nguyen Nhu Hien (70 years old) excitedly showing off the village’s property, as if it were his own. People in the ancient village are always conscious of preserving the beauty of the village. Mr. Ho Duc Tinh – Head of Loc Yen village said that Loc Yen ancient village still has more than ten ancient houses over 200 years old, bearing bold traditional house architecture of the ancient Quang Nam people. The back of the house leans against the solid mountain. The front of the house overlooks a deep stone alley leading to a green field. Not fussy but natural, each house is like a villa. The houses with wooden columns, stone walls with three compartments and two wings with yin and yang tile roofs are hidden in lush green gardens… like keeping the pure Vietnamese architecture, bold regional identity of the ancient Quang people. The spacious and airy brick yard, the soaring rows of areca trees embracing the beautiful deep stone walkways are the noticeable features of the old houses here. Rows of tea with the height of a person’s head are typical of the ancient village. The mossy fences, the grass growing green eyes. In the middle of the early summer afternoon, walking under the stone fences, above are the cedar trees, shady trees, people’s hearts are softened. Not only making fences, the stone walls are also responsible for preventing sudden landslides, protecting houses located on the mountainside, or small fields, vegetable gardens of all kinds located at the foot of the mountain. The wells are always clear and surrounded by stone walls, creating extremely poetic grounds. The village road winding along the fields, following the foot of the mountain is also paved with smooth stone slabs following the footsteps of people. On both sides of the path, rows of green areca trees stretch their leaves, blossoming with white dotted flower buds, falling gently on the village road, the scene is really peaceful. The path in the village is paved with stone, the fence is made of stone. Only a few hundred meters from the provincial road, outside is the hustle and bustle, but here the scenery is quiet, strangely peaceful. Stone alleys, fences or stone gates also have very simple, close and intimate images that are very typical of Quang’s countryside, which are ancient houses in the middle of the green space of gardens. gardens are tiered with straight rock banks; long alleys lined with stone. Huynh Thuc Khang Memorial House, an address that is often visited by many people in this ancient village. Loc Yen ancient village is over 200 years old. The newest ruong houses here are also 150 years old. Many houses have become famous for their sophisticated architecture and carvings with the typical style of ancient artisans, such as the house of Nguyen Huynh Anh, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Man, and Mr. Le Dinh. Sum or Mr. Pham Thoai’s house, Ho Duc Nam… In each house, although the age is different, there is elegance and sophistication in each carving as well as the decoration and arrangement inside. Inside the memorial house of Mr. Huynh Thuc Khang The paved roads lead up to the picturesque old tree-lined houses and there are also the pure, simple, simple, honest and extremely hospitable country people. The ancient village also has the customs, practices, pure Vietnamese lifestyle, and the warm, aromatic, and hospitable behavior of the people of Quang has created a unique and interesting village cultural space. Loc Yen ancient village is one of four ancient villages of the country ranked as a national relic. With the ancient village of Loc Yen, preserving the ancient village and developing it will not only explore the potential of local tourism, but will also contribute to improving the lives of the people here, especially the owners of the old houses. make tourism a driving force for the development of this land.

The Sunday market is bustling with people, the alleys are bustling with people buying and selling; After the epidemics, both sellers and buyers had protective masks, but trading was still busy. The market is bustling with all kinds of nuances, all kinds of dishes, vegetables and melons rolling around suddenly remember the dish of pickles, a dish to change meals for a hot day with too much meat and fish. Pickled melon is a type of melon from any countryside market; poor house food. Indeed, pickles can be mixed with many dishes, tired of fish meat or want to change the taste every day. Roasted peanut pickle is the best dish, I bet with you in the tray of rice to treat the Quang people, having a plate of melon mixed with peanuts is considered the staple of the meal, like the sour chayote in the Northern rice tray. so. Pickled melon choose medium, firm fruit, washed, split in half, peeled off the soft seeds; Thinly slice, squeeze out all the water. To squeeze out the water thoroughly, take a towel and put the melon in to squeeze, the melon will be very dry and delicious. Roasted and pounded crispy beans until fragrant; pound chili fish sauce, garlic, mix with a little bit of flexible sugar; Fry peanut oil with garlic and mix everything into the melon. That ginger-colored yellow melon plate will be very eye-catching in the tray of rice, and then the sour, crunchy taste when chewing vegetables will be the most attractive, so it is not exaggerated for me to say the dish of the meal. Then the same melon cut in half and drained the intestines, thickly sliced ​​and braised with copper fish, it’s delicious, people will enjoy the soft, fragrant and fatty pieces of melon in the mouth; Braised fish with melon, the melon dish will be eaten first, so it can also be called braised fish melon. The land of Quang has many shops that make the restaurant’s name only because it has fish braised with melon. The pickle dish is simple, easy to make, easy to prepare, but the taste is unforgettable, sour, and crunchy. People from faraway Quang countries remember pickles like Koreans remember kimchi. That pickle dish I’ve treated you many times has been praised every time; Not only do you know that the plate of melon always runs out before other dishes on the table.