The other side of the Duong River - where alluvium and culture blend

On the other side of the Duong River is the countryside of famous relics such as Dau Pagoda, But Thap Pagoda, Thien Thai Mountain, the temple of the first-ranking scholar Le Van Thinh... Among them, Dau Pagoda (currently in Tri Qua Ward) is the center of Buddhism in the whole country with the architecture of "hundred-room pagoda, nine-storey tower, nine-span bridge". From the center of Dau - Luy Lau, Buddhism has spread throughout the regions of the country. Dau Pagoda is one of the important places of the Dau Festival with the procession of the Four Dharma Buddha. Accordingly, on the main festival day, the villages of Dau commune organize the procession of the Four Dharma Buddha statues from the village pagodas to the "community" at Dau Pagoda. The festival vividly recreates the agricultural religious life, reflecting the aspirations for favorable weather and bountiful crops of the residents of the Northern Delta region.

The vast green fields in the alluvial land along the Duong River.

On the other side of the Duong River, there is also the mausoleum and temple of Kinh Duong Vuong (Thuan Thanh ward) preserving the vestiges of Kinh Duong Vuong - the ancestor of the Vietnamese people, the grandfather of King Hung. Every year, at the beginning of Spring, Vietnamese people from all over the country flock here to commemorate the merits of the ancestor.

On the other side of the Duong River, there are many famous craft villages that truly reflect the industriousness and optimistic spirit of ancient farmers such as: Dong Ho folk paintings, Dai Bai bronze wares, Xuan Lai bamboo... Among them, the craft of making Dong Ho paintings has entered poetry: "Hey girl with a green belt/ If you want to come back to Mai village with me, then come back/ Mai village has its own customs and traditions/ There is a river to bathe in and a craft of making paintings". Although the craft of making Dong Ho paintings is no longer mass-produced like in its heyday a few hundred years ago, it has been and is being cherished and preserved by the people here, and is currently being proposed to UNESCO for recognition as a Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection.

On the other side of the Duong River, jostling shoulder to shoulder to attend the festival in Dau region, immersing ourselves in the bustling atmosphere, we feel more clearly the value of independence and freedom as poet Hoang Cam once wished: "I go to the festival in the mountains and rivers / Laughing happily, the light of spring brings joy to all hearts".

During the years of the fierce resistance war against the French, poet Hoang Cam wrote the poem “On the Other Side of the Duong River” as an epic poem about the beauty of nature, people here and the belief in a day of total victory. The countryside on the other side of the Duong River appeared with a fairy-tale beauty: “Our homeland has fragrant sticky rice/ Dong Ho paintings of chickens and pigs with fresh and clear lines/ The national color shines brightly on the paper”. However, the peaceful and prosperous beauty of that countryside was torn apart by the trampling of the enemy: “The mother and herd of pigs, the yin and yang, are separated in two directions/ The wedding of mice was once bustling and bustling/ Now where have they all gone?”. Before the tragic scene of his homeland, the poet sadly exclaimed: “Standing on this side of the river, why do I feel so regretful/ Why do I feel so heartbroken as if my hand had fallen off”. That is also the voice of the people here. It is painful, but they are not cowardly or miserable. Turning grief into action, the people south of the Duong River bravely rose up to fight off the enemy: “The Duong River rolled on/ Letting it sweep out to sea/ How many enemy forts were destroyed…”.

During the resistance war against the French, the people of the South of the Duong River built many resistance villages, established guerrilla teams with the main force to fight the enemy, defend the village, defend the country, and achieve many feats. In recognition of these feats, many communes were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State, such as: An Thinh, Phu Hoa, Quang Phu, Lam Thao, Nhan Thang, Xuan Lai, Cao Duc, Nguyet Duc, Song Lieu, Tram Lo, Tri Qua...

Having driven out all the enemies, the homeland gained independence and freedom, the people of Nam Duong immediately began to rebuild their homeland. Nam Duong was previously a less developed region than Bac Duong due to trade barriers. However, with the province's effective investment and development policies, this land is flourishing day by day, on the way to take off.

With favorable terrain, near the capital Hanoi , Hai Phong port, Quang Ninh, the area south of Duong river was chosen by the State to build an airport. Most recently, on August 16, 2025, the Government issued a Resolution on special mechanisms and policies for investment in the construction of Gia Binh International Airport with simplified investment and construction procedures. The goal by 2030 is that the airport will have two runways, a capacity of 30 million passengers and 1.6 million tons of cargo per year; by 2050, there will be four runways, a capacity of 50 million passengers and 2.5 million tons of cargo.

Along with economic development, the unique cultural features of this land are also preserved and promoted. Now on the other side of the Duong River, we can easily see unique Dong Ho folk paintings, full of national colors. The Dong Ho Folk Painting Conservation Center (Thuan Thanh Ward) welcomes us with open arms, willing to introduce the unique features of our ancestors' cultural heritage to friends from all over the world.

On the other side of the Duong River today, the sticky rice is still fragrant in the fields. Corn and potatoes are still green on the banks. The only difference is that today’s farmers have invested in large-scale, high-tech agricultural production with many high-value crops such as garlic, cucumber, watermelon, carrots, etc. The Duong River still diligently carries cool water, depositing alluvium for lush banks.

Coming here, jostling shoulder to shoulder at the Dau festival, immersing ourselves in the bustling atmosphere, we feel more clearly the value of independence and freedom as poet Hoang Cam once wished: "I go to the national festival / Laughing happily, the light of spring brings joy to all hearts".

Thanh Huong

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/ben-kia-song-duong-noi-phu-sa-va-van-hoa-giao-hoa-postid425768.bbg