|
 The
Trinh Nữ Grotto or Virgin Grotto is situated on
the island range of Bồ Hòn in the system
comprising the Sửng Sôt Grotto, Ðộng Tiên Lake
and Luồn Grotto. It is 15 km south of Bãi Cháy
Beach. For fishermen, the Virgin Grotto is their
house, but for young lovers, it is considered as
the symbol of truly love, and is the romantic
place for taking oath of love.
Entering Trinh Nữ Grotto, one finds in the
middle of the grotto a stone statue of a
lying-girl with her long hair hanging down who
is looking to the sea in a vain hope.
Situated opposite to Trinh Nữ Grotto, Trống (or
Male) Grotto has a stone statue of a boy who
turns his face to Trinh Nữ Grotto. One still
hears his vain scream in tune with the wind
blowing into the cliff somewhere.
Legend has it, there once was a beautiful
fisherman's daughter, whose family was so poor
that it was in the service of the rich
administrator of the fishing zone. He forced the
family to give him the girl as a concubine. She
already had a lover who at that time was on the
high seas catching fish to prepare for their
wedding. The administrator, angered by her
refusal, exiled her to a wild island where she
suffered from hunger and exhaustion. On one
frightening night, amidst terrible rain and
winds, she turned to stone.
It
was also the night that her lover knew of her
danger, and he rowed his boat in search of her.
On the terrible night, the tempest destroyed his
boat and he floated to one of the islands. In a
lighting flash he saw his mate in the distance,
but his calls were driven away by the wind. He
used a stone block to hammer down on the
mountain cliffs to announce to her he was
nearby. He struck until blood flowed from his
hands, and in his final exhaustion, turned to
stone (today’s Trống Grotto).
Tourists also find Trinh Nữ Grotto attractive
partly because of its association with a
fanciful love legend: “Once upon a time, there
lived a boy and a girl who deeply loved each
other. However, they were so poor that they
could not be able to get married. The boy
decided to go offshore fishing with a hope that
he could get enough money for his marriage. And
the girl painfully waited in vain for her
fiancé. She finally took a small boat and rowed
to the sea to look for him. So immense is the
sea, and so many are the islands, the boy,
therefore could not hear her doleful call,
though he was just several canals away.
Exhausted, the girl lied in a grotto, looking to
the sea and got petrified after the last call.
The boy got lost in a grotto nearby, shouting to
call the girl in vain. The echo of their call
through the cliff was so moving. At last, the
boy became exhausted and petrified in the grotto
- present-day Trống Grotto.”
Today, whenever passing this place, tourists can
still hear his faint call. |
