Ma River - cultural and spiritual river

From geological movements, a unique Ma Giang river was formed, from the skillful arrangement of nature, we have a Ma Giang with the charming scenery as it is today. And on that journey of creation, generations of Thanh people, with their talent and creativity, have together woven cultural and spiritual colors, adding to the attractiveness of the river.

Ma River - cultural and spiritual river A Ham Rong - Song Ma area.

On the journey from Muong Lat land to Thanh Hoa city, Ma river creates a large basin with many main tributaries such as: Luong river, Lo river, Buoi river, Chu river... Coming face to face with Ma river on a sunny afternoon in May, the water is gilded with gold, the heart is moved by the long poem "Singing at the Wave Gate" (2018, People's Army Publishing House) by poet Nguyen Minh Khiem, as if searching for the historical - cultural and spiritual roots. “The Ma River still flows beside our house”, sometimes we see it as “a string stretched from prehistoric times”, sometimes just like “an old towel wiping the sweat from generation to generation/ wiping the tired eyes struggling to make a living/ wiping the chipped hoes and plows, worn out and looking for rice grains/ wiping the faces of the ashes of burning straw and stubble after the harvest/ wiping the dry, dirty smiles”... Then suddenly, we see that familiar river as if it is carrying within itself “the choking sobs of the waterfalls that splash on the skin/ the pains that tear at the fields”... In that place where we were born and raised, “hundreds of waterfalls and rapids swirl into the silk/ the village bends down in the shape of old bamboo before its time/ the late night ferry call washes away both banks/ the mussels and the sons of a lifetime lie crooked/ covered in mud, standing upright also tilts”...

Finding the historical and cultural roots, with the Ma River, is a journey through the ancient cultures of Thanh, as stated by the late researcher Hoang Tuan Pho when writing the book "The Quintessence of Thanh Culture" (2019, Thanh Hoa Publishing House): "The pages of stone history prove that the most ancient primitive people in Thanh land from apes - apes stood upright on two legs and began to make the first stone axe technical tools from basalt pieces for labor production. The tools were gradually improved through the periods and stages according to the historical process of the Stone Age and the Bronze Age with the brilliant Dong Son civilization, all taking place on both banks of the Ma River". Do Mountain is located on the right bank, where the Chu River and Ma River converge. Here, archaeologists have found stone relics such as hand axes, crude chopping tools, stone cores, flakes... bearing the mark of the primitive chiseling techniques of primitive people. For that reason, the Do Mountain site is considered the "Primitive Workshop" - the place that witnessed the "dawn of mankind" on the land of Thanh. Along the Ma River, people also found traces of primitive people in Nuong Mountain, Quan Yen Mountain (Yen Dinh), No Mountain (Vinh An Commune, Vinh Loc District). Bronze drums - the symbol, the brilliant "sun" of Dong Son culture were also found in the ancient village on the banks of the Ma River. The famous Russian scholar R. Yuvipper commented: "From the beginning of the Paleolithic era, ancient Europe had to turn its face to the East". Professor of History Pham Huy Thong wrote: "The ancient Vietnamese people once mastered a glorious life with the Dong Son culture, with the Hung Kings. The Dong Son relic on the banks of the Ma River proves the outstanding talent in inventing and casting bronze drums, which was more civilized than Europe at the same time as the ancient Vietnamese people".

Not only is it a place that preserves traces of the Prehistoric - Early Historical period, the Ma River also marks many important and heroic historical events throughout the two long resistance wars of the nation. Many bombs and bullets have sunk deep into the river, along with many blood stains, many lives sacrificed, many youths lying by the river. Ham Rong - Ma River has become a legend, a place that marks many heroic feats of a time of steadfastness and bravery in fighting for national independence and freedom for the People.

Going up and down the Ma River, on that historical - cultural - spiritual journey, everyone will be delighted and excited when walking to visit, sightsee, and offer incense at sacred temples, pagodas, shrines, and palaces.

Ma River - cultural and spiritual river Chau De Tu Temple (Ha Trung) reflects on the Len River (a tributary of the Ma River).

Coming to Hoang Phuong (Hoang Hoa district), visitors can not only immerse themselves in the peaceful and quiet countryside scenery but also visit and learn about local historical and cultural relics: To Hien Thanh temple, Tran Khat Chan temple, Phuong Mao communal house, Vinh Phuc pagoda (Gia pagoda)... On the windy dike, Gia pagoda is like a highlight in the overall picture of the village and commune. The pagoda faces the Ma River, in the distance looming Long Ham (Ham Rong) range. The formation and development of the pagoda is associated with legends and unofficial histories about the life and career of King Quang Trung. According to the elders in the village: When King Quang Trung led his army from Phu Xuan to the North to defeat the Qing army, during that lightning-fast march, the national hero passed through Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces to recruit more militia and provisions. At the military stations at that time, the army stopped at Vinh Gia village to rest and receive food supplies.

Under the impact of time and historical changes, Gia Pagoda has also undergone restoration and embellishment. Up to now, Gia Pagoda no longer retains its ancient architecture, but the increasingly spacious appearance of the pagoda alone shows the enduring vitality, spirit, awareness, and efforts to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of generations of descendants here. The book "Thanh Pagoda" (volume 1) describes in detail: The pagoda has a Dinh-shaped structure, with a front hall and a main hall, a mother worshiping house, and ancestor worshiping house. The pagoda still preserves many ancient artifacts such as: Buddha statues, Mother statues, palanquins, stone steles, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, and worshiping objects. Every year, at Gia Pagoda, Vinh Gia villagers often organize the Ky Phuc Festival on the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month. The festival has a very large procession, with fluttering flags and umbrellas... The festival starts from To Hien Thanh and Tran Khat Chan temples with respectful ceremonies, then the procession of palanquins, bowls, and hammocks follows the dike on the northern bank of the Ma River down to Gia pagoda to worship, burn incense, pray to Buddha for peace, then continue the procession around the village...

The Ma River - the river of history, culture, beliefs and spirituality has become a source of inspiration for many artists and writers of Thanh Hoa in particular and the whole country in general to create impressive works, touching the emotions and stirring the hearts of readers of many generations: "Ask the thousand-year-old river / who brought the soul of the homeland to the sea / who brought the aspirations of our ancestors to overcome rapids and waterfalls to the source / where are the thirty-six wharves of love, the twelve wharves of memory?"... It is impossible to count all the pagodas, temples, shrines, and palaces along the long journey of the Ma River from the deep mountains to the romantic heart of Thanh Hoa City before flowing into the sea... But perhaps, each land and locality that the Ma River passes through bears the mark of such places of worship, beliefs and spirituality. At each stage of its journey, the Ma River creates green banks and prosperous villages. Then, generations of children and grandchildren of the village and commune joined hands, with their passion, intelligence and creativity, to weave a unique economic, cultural and social picture, blending into the river.

Nguyen Linh

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