Unique Ancient Village of Ha Lien

Recently, the ancient village of Ha Lien (Ninh Ha ward, Ninh Hoa town) has become famous on social media, praised by the community for its unique and poetic beauty as an island near Nha Phu lagoon. The beauty of the more than 370-year-old village is not only marked by its geographical location and unique cultural features, but it also has many potentials for community tourism development.

A small loyal village

Ha Lien's administrative name is Ha Lien Residential Area, but we still prefer to call it Ha Lien village because of its familiarity and closeness. In 1653, following the footsteps of the frontier expansion by Cai Co Hung Loc Hau under Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan, the first residents came to establish Ha Lien village along with six other villages of Ich Ha canton, Tan Dinh district (later Ninh Hoa prefecture, now Ninh Hoa town). Ha Lien village is located at the mouth of Dinh River, adjacent to Nha Phu lagoon and near Hon Heo mountain. In a conversation with musician Hinh Phuoc Lien - a son of Ha Lien village, we learned that due to its position "near the river, adjacent to the sea, and close to the mountain", since the French colonial period, the colonial government built solid fortifications to resist the Viet Minh forces from Hon Heo base attacking the center of Ninh Hoa prefecture. During the American - puppet regime, the enemy also tried to fence strategic hamlets, terrorize, and suppress to prevent the infiltration of liberation forces from outside into Ha Lien village.

Coming to Ha Lien village today, we heard again the story of the local people during the uprising to seize power. That was the event at dawn on August 16, 1945, when the insurgent forces came to arrest the Deputy Chief of Ich Ha and led him to Ha Lien communal house. The enemy's flag was lowered, and the red flag with yellow star was hoisted, fluttering proudly on the communal house. On August 17, 1945, the people of Ha Lien village joined the revolutionary crowd advancing to Ninh Hoa prefecture, contributing to overthrowing the colonial and feudal government and establishing the revolutionary government in Ninh Hoa prefecture. After National Day on September 2, the people of Ha Lien again joined other villages in the resistance war against the French colonialists.

After the Geneva Accords, the people of Ha Lien village, like many other places, suffered pain caused by the American - Diem government, but the people here still remained loyal to the revolution. In 1962, Ha Lien village was a revolutionary base. On November 15, 1964, after the general uprising in the plains of Khanh Hoa, a part of Battalion 30 and the local platoon infiltrated and liberated Ha Lien village - this was the first village of Ninh Ha to be liberated. The people of Ha Lien stood up to take control of their hamlet, participated in the resistance, and many young people went to revolutionary activities. In April 1965, the enemy forced all villagers of Ha Lien to move to the "strategic hamlet" in Tan Te hamlet (Ninh Ha commune). However, the villagers of Ha Lien still found ways to contact the revolutionary forces outside to contribute to the development of the revolutionary movement of Ninh Ha commune. In the history of the Party Committee of Ninh Ha ward, it is recorded: "... Ha Lien was a revolutionary base in the enemy-controlled area. The people of Ha Lien were the core and pillar of the revolutionary movement of Ninh Ha commune. During the war years, wherever the people of Ha Lien came to reside and work, there would be a revolutionary base."

An attractive community tourism destination

We arrived at Ha Lien village exactly when the locals were organizing the communal house worship ceremony to commemorate the ancestors who founded the village. Mr. Ha Van Sy - Secretary of the Party Cell, Head of Ha Lien Residential Area, said: "The Ha Lien communal house worship ceremony takes place in the middle of the second lunar month every year. After the ritual, there are often festivities with folk games, volleyball, cultural exchanges... very lively. Currently, Ha Lien Residential Area has 333 households with 1,128 people, mainly living by fishing and aquaculture. Annual output of fishing and aquaculture reaches 400-500 tons. The number of well-off households accounts for more than 30%; 100% of school-age children go to school, and each year about 10 students pass university and college entrance exams. Especially, the people here live very harmoniously, united, and affectionate."

Seen from above, Ha Lien looks like a kite flying in the middle of the vast Nha Phu lagoon. On the only road into the village, both sides are aquaculture ponds; the village is sheltered by the green of mangrove forests... In the village, there is the Whale Tomb, the communal house, the Temple of Lady Thien Y A Na, the Temple of Lady Hau Tho, Hue Lien Pagoda, and especially the houses closely adjacent to each other. Through many generations, the people of Ha Lien have always been hardworking and diligent, clinging to the sea day and night to exploit aquatic resources. "Since childhood, I have been used to rowing boats, casting nets, and aquaculture. The mangrove forests not only provide shrimp, crabs, and fish but also shelter people during storms. Therefore, everyone is aware of protecting them," confided Mr. Chu Minh Hoang (a resident of Ha Lien).

With the beauty and uniqueness of a village isolated from other residential areas, Ha Lien village has the potential to become an attractive community tourism destination. Recently, many groups of domestic and foreign tourists have come to Ha Lien to visit and learn. Mr. Le Van Tham (a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City) shared: "This is a peaceful, friendly countryside with many unique cultural features. Following the locals to catch aquatic products, watching the mangrove forests, and pulling nets to catch fish by yourself... is an unforgettable experience." Mr. Pham Minh Dinh (a resident of Ha Lien) said: "For more than a year, tourists from many places have come here to visit, so I have used my family's boat to serve passengers. Everyone is delighted and praises the scenery and distinctive culture of the village. I hope that in the near future, this place will be invested in sustainable tourism development, so that more people know about Ha Lien and contribute to improving the income of the locals."

Discussing the direction of tourism development in Ha Lien village, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung - Head of the Culture, Science and Information Department of Ninh Hoa town, said that recently, Ha Lien has emerged on social media with the unique beauty of a peaceful countryside. This can be considered a starting point for investment to turn Ha Lien village into a community tourism destination. In the tourism development plan of Ninh Hoa town for 2025, the locality has selected Ha Lien to set up a survey team to learn about the conditions to build a community tourism model. If Ha Lien becomes a community tourism destination, it will contribute to increasing livelihoods for the people, while preserving and promoting the unique cultural and historical values in a sustainable direction.

VAN GIANG - NHAN TAM