Revisit Lang Linh

In the past, Lang Linh was the land associated with the Bay Thua uprising against the French by Quan Co Tran Van Thanh and the Gia Nghi militia, with great spirit. Today, Lang Linh has changed a lot but still retains a bit of the image of the time when our ancestors opened the land.

Temple of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh in the grounds of Son Trung Palace. Photo: THANH TIEN

A Bit of Old Spirit

Having the opportunity to return to Lang Linh, I stopped by to chat with Mr. Tran Minh Hien - Deputy Manager of the Temple Relic Site of Quan Co Tran Van Thanh, Thanh My Tay Commune. Pouring a cup of hot tea, Mr. Hien slowly talked about the land of Lang Linh in the past: “Lang Linh is the name of the ancients, people nowadays rarely use it. “Lang” means a low-lying, wild land, when the flood comes, it overflows. And “Linh” - emphasizes that this is a sacred land. As far as I know, the Lang Linh area in the past was very large, above bordering My Duc commune, Vinh Te ward, below bordering Vinh An commune now, inside bordering Bay Nui area. In the past, Mr. Co (Quan Co Tran Van Thanh) started an army to fight the French here, so people still remember his gratitude to this day”.

Because I wanted to know more about Lang Linh land, I went to the historical - cultural relic site of Dinh Son Trung, located in Vinh An commune, where there are still relics of the Gia Nghi militia's forge used to make weapons to serve the Lang Linh - Bay Thua uprising (1867 - 1873), led by Quan Co Tran Van Thanh against the French colonialists.

Even though it was noon, there were still quite a lot of people and tourists coming to Son Trung Palace to worship and burn incense to commemorate the merits of their ancestors. According to local people, Son Trung Palace still preserves some relics related to Quan Co Tran Van Thanh, especially 2 swords weighing 5.5kg - 5.8kg, 1.6m long. To be able to use these 2 huge swords, Quan Co Tran Van Thanh was a tall, very strong man with excellent martial arts skills.

At the relic site of the Bay Thua forge in the palace grounds, people still preserve the rusty iron of the forge as evidence of the time when this place was filled with hatred, creating sharp weapons against the French colonialists. Coming here, the younger generation like me can still feel the heroic spirit of Bay Thua years ago, through the statues recreating the image of Gia Nghi soldiers forging weapons.

Coming to historical sites, people are more grateful to their ancestors who shed blood and sweat so that their descendants could enjoy a prosperous life. For me, every time I return to Lang Linh, I am more deeply imbued with the two verses of Quan Co Tran Van Thanh, when the French lured him with titles, silver and gold: "I would rather lose and go down to the village, down to the jungle/To lead the enemy to the front, I would be a disgrace to the king and his subjects".

Lang Linh today

Associated with the heroic Lang Linh - Bay Thua uprising, Son Trung Palace today wears a new, spacious coat, worthy of being a famous place for people and tourists to admire. Inside the palace, the details are solemnly decorated, painted with bright gold. Outside, many miniature landscapes and lotus ponds are beautifully built, stylized in the shape of dragons, phoenixes and other sacred animals.

Coming to Son Trung Palace during the flood season, you can feel the unique beauty of this place. Surrounded by water, the building stands out with its rich and beautiful colors. In particular, the temple of Mrs. Co Quan Nguyen Thi Thanh with its beautiful architecture is a highlight that cannot be missed. There is a 7-storey tower, stylized in the image of a giant lotus rising above the ancient land of Bay Thua.

“I never expected that Son Trung Palace would be so beautiful! Coming here, I both burned incense to commemorate the merits of my ancestors and the soldiers, and visited the beautiful scenery of this area. What I like most is the 7-storey tower, each floor has an altar and the history of the Hung Kings, Saint Tran Hung Dao, King Quang Trung, etc. Coming here, I not only go on a pilgrimage, but also visit the beautiful scenery and learn more about the merits of our ancestors and national heroes,” said Mr. Tran Thanh Duoc, a resident of Chau Doc ward.

Not only spiritual works, Lang Linh land today has really changed its appearance with straight asphalt roads, electricity everywhere, spacious schools welcoming many children to school. Thanh My Tay commune today, which used to be the center of Lang Linh in the past, has also entered a new stage of development. According to the People's Committee of Thanh My Tay commune, in the 2020 - 2025 term, the locality will build 58 new bridges and rural roads, with a total cost of more than 222.8 billion VND. The locality also develops a smooth traffic network to develop trade and services associated with the Tran Van Thanh Temple Relic Site.

Chairman of Thanh My Tay Commune People's Committee Nguyen Ngoc Day informed: "We have identified the breakthroughs of the new term as prioritizing the development of high-quality human resources, enhancing the application of information technology, and developing technological infrastructure to meet the digital transformation requirements of the locality. At the same time, calling for investment in infrastructure development in adjacent areas, connecting the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway to develop trade and services. On that basis, strive to build Thanh My Tay commune to develop more and more, worthy of the heroic tradition of Quan Co Tran Van Thanh and the Gia Nghi militia team in the past".

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/tham-lai-lang-linh-a464209.html