For as long as I can re-member, I’ve been seduced by a sweet song that tells the legend of Nui Coc Lake in the northern province of Thai Nguyen. Many people like me know it by heart and dream of travelling to the lake which, as the legend goes, is made of the tears of a girl who cannot marry the man she loves.
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| Dock of the bay: Nui Coc Lake surprises many visitors with its legendary beauty |
For as long as I can re-member, I’ve been seduced by a sweet song that tells the legend of
I decided to finally make my dream a reality by hopping on my motorbike to visit the lake with some friends.
The dream started on my way to Thai Nguyen, 80km from
As we passed the bright fields, suddenly the blue of the sky was reflected upon the ground in a dream-like vision. The vision was familiar, however, we had learned of it through a song, and the mystical
What brought the 25sq.m lake back into reality was the large tourism area built next to it.
The legend
Generations of Vietnamese can tell you the beautiful but sad love story of a girl named Cong and a man named Coc that relates to the lake.
"One pained person cries and the tears have become a river. One person who spent a life waiting becomes the mountain."
The tragic tale of families tearing a couple apart is like a Vietnamese Romeo and Juliet. Coc’s family is too poor, and the girl’s rich, mandarin family forbids him from marrying her. Their interference only makes the couple more determined to wait for each other. One day, the sound of the flute Coc uses to call for Cong does not reach Cong’s room. Hopeless for his lover, Coc dies of a broken heart.
The fairy in the sky feels pity for him and transforms him into a mountain that stands imposing in the middle of the sky. During all four seasons, the wind blows through the leaves to resound the lover’s flute. The girl, detained in her room, cries for her lover all day and night until one day her body transforms into tears. The tears full of love and loyalty absorb into the soil, and run as currents looking for a way to
The region where this legend was born is also known as the Tan Cuong region, famous for its perfumed tea in Thai Nguyen. It is said that Cong’s tears are absorbed in the tea plant’s roots, creating a lasting sweet flavour that anyone who tastes can remember it forever.
Rich activities
One of our favourite stops upon arrival was the Huyen Thoai Cung (
Not far from the
After our stops at the main tourist destinations, we enjoyed the region’s specialties including bamboo rat meat.
A special highlight that shouldn’t be missed is the amazing water music display built to celebrate Thai Nguyen Tourism Year 2007. We were enchanted to see waters from fountains in the lake dance to melodies of the songs.
Getting on the boat
One of the most relaxing moments for me were on the small boat that bobbed along the river. Together, we sang the song about the lake while enjoying the sparkling waters under the sun.
The boat took us to Dao Cai (
The lake is home to 89 islands, with some covered in forests, storks, monkeys or goats.
Tourists can camp out on one of the islands and wallow in the pure setting, while fishing on the lake.
I would certainly recommend spending as many days as you can out there. Even having come back to
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