In Cua Lo sea area, there are 3 islands, of which Lan Chau island is close to the shore; far from the shore are Mat island and Ngu island (Song Ngu).
Lan Chau Island has the shape of a giant toad leaning out to the sea, so the locals call it Ru Coc. When the tide rises, the island's foot is submerged under the sea, when the tide falls, the island becomes a peninsula because the western foot of the island is exposed, connecting to the mainland. The eastern side of the island is a series of protruding rocks stretching out to the sea, creating an interesting shape due to the erosion of wind and waves. On Lan Chau Island there is a lighthouse, especially Nghinh Phong tower, built by King Bao Dai in 1936. From Nghinh Phong tower, you can observe the whole city and Cua Lo port, and look out to the vast ocean.
Cua Lo area in the early 20th century
Photo: Document
Song Ngu (Nguyen Island, Hon Ngu) is an island located more than 4 km from the mainland, including a large and small island. The large island is 133 m high, the small island is 88 m high above sea level. On the island there is a temple named Song Ngu built in the 13th century. Since ancient times, merchants on their trading routes often came here to burn incense and pray for good luck. Over time, the temple only has a few ancient vestiges such as two hundred-year-old Barringtonia trees, the temple well, and the temple foundation. In 2005, Song Ngu Pagoda was restored and renovated on the old foundation, with a temple garden area of more than 11,000 m2 . In the temple yard there is a well, which locals call "God's well", this is the only place on the island with fresh water. The well is not deep but the water is very clear, sweet and never dries up. In 2011, Song Ngu Pagoda was recognized by the People's Committee of Nghe An province as a provincial historical and cultural relic.
Pisces Island
Photo: Le Thanh Tu
Mat Island (Nhan Son, Hon Mat Island) is located about 19 km west - southwest of Lam River mouth, with an area of 80 hectares. The surrounding coastline is 5 km long. The island has a steep slope, the highest point is 218 m above sea level. Legend of Lady To Nuong tells: Once upon a time, there was a girl from An Lac (Son Tay) named To Nuong and her husband from Ham Hoan (now Nghe An) who was a general of the Trung Sisters. When the uprising was suppressed by Ma Vien, the couple were scattered to different places. To Nuong decided to sail to Ham Hoan to find her husband. Almost there, unfortunately, the boat was blown by a storm to a deserted island. No longer having the strength and means to go to the mainland to find her husband, To Nuong had to stay on the island, day and night looking longingly at her husband's homeland. That is where the name of Mat Island - Nhan Son comes from.
Cua Lo landscape
Photo: Le Thanh Tu
According to local people, the name "Cua Lo" is a mispronunciation of the name "Cua Lua". The section of Cam River (Lach Lo River) flowing into the sea falls between two mountain ranges: the north is the mountain range located in Nghi Thiet commune; the south is Lo Mountain (Lo Son) belonging to Nghi Tan and Nghi Thuy wards. The wind blowing in from the sea as well as the wind blowing from the mainland to the sea makes this place like a wind door in two directions, so it is called "Cua Gio Lua", or simply "Cua Lua", and then becomes the name "Cua Lo" as it is today.
Writer - researcher Binh Nguyen Loc (1914 - 1987), in his book The Malay Origin of the Vietnamese People (Xuan Thu Publishing House, 1971), stated that "Cua Lo" is a place name of Malayo - Polynedieng origin. In the language of this group of residents, there is the word "kuala" which has a similar concept to "river mouth" to indicate the place where a river flows into the sea or where a small river flows into a large river. The word kuala/kualo meaning river mouth (common noun) was converted into a proper noun, and then the place name became Cua Lo.
Cua Lo Beach
Photo: Le Thanh Tu
Many geological and archaeological research documents show that the Cua Lo sea area used to be deep inland. In some exploratory excavations, archaeologists found peat mines and an anchor from a very old seafaring boat deep underground. This shows that a fairly large sandy area, stretching from north to south, belonging to present-day Nghi Loc district, was a sea area since ancient times.
Cua Lo is a unique cultural sub-region located in the common cultural region of "Nghe An" - one of the cultural cradles of the Vietnamese ethnic community. In the south and west of Cua Lo, from very early on, it was an open land, so not only did cultural festivals develop locally but they also exchanged and received the cultural quintessence of neighboring regions.
Currently, Cua Lo has about 40 tangible cultural heritages that have been included in the inventory, of which 13 have been ranked, including 4 national relics (Van Loc Temple; Hoang Van Family Temple; Mai Bang Temple; Nguyen Trong Dat Church and Tomb) and 9 provincial relics. The fishing festival (also known as Nghinh Ong festival) in Nghi Hai ward is held every two years, in late March and early April, on a large scale, imbued with the culture of coastal fishermen with unique folk cultural activities such as singing and dancing, hat boi, and tuong performances. In 2024, the Yen Luong Temple festival (Nghi Thuy ward) was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Nature has blessed Cua Lo with amazing landscapes, charming mountains and rivers, and gentle, friendly people. These are the basic factors that have made Cua Lo - one of the most beautiful seaports in the North Central region - an ideal destination for domestic and foreign tourists.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-cua-bien-mien-trung-huyen-thoai-cua-lo-mot-tieu-vung-van-hoa-cua-xu-nghe-185250316213329983.htm
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