(HBO) – Song Da, also called Bo River, or Den River (as known in Europe) has a total length of 910km, of which 543km flows in Vietnam through Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho provinces. It is fortunate for the northwestern city of Hoa Binh to have the Da River winding through the city, witnessing its historical ups and downs.


Photo: The section of the Da River that flows through Hoa Binh city

Each person in Hoa Binh city has his/her own feelings about Da River depending on their memories about the river. To the best of my childhood recollection, Da River was so big, fierce and immense when the dam of the hydropower plant was yet to be built connecting the two river banks. 

Through the flow of history and culture, the river’s stature has grown as has its place in locals’ love. The river was once associated with the Doc Ngu uprising when the insurgent troops used to cross the river in boats to fight against French colonialists in the 19th century. It was also the place where local army and militia forced set on fire the French colonialists’ warships during the nine-year resistance war. The Hoa Binh hydropower plant, the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia at the time it was built, was also located on the Da River.

The Da River in general and its section flowing through Hoa Binh city in particular has become a source of inspiration for many poems, music works, paintings and photos. The "Da River”, a collection of essays by writer Nguyen Tuan, has touched the soul of many people due to the river’s magnificent, fierce and romantic beauty. Late poet Quang Dung composed a poem on Da River in 1952. A friend of mine posted a picture of Da River in the flood season on Facebook, which captured the image of people flocking to the river to collect floating wood. This is an old but familiar image of the locals’ daily life.


Another friend of mine, who was born in Hoa Binh city and now lives in a southern city, uses a photo featuring a floating bridge across the Da river years ago as his avatar on Facebook. He once told me that only when he leaved Hoa Binh city, did he recognise that the city has a "special privilege” which is the Da river. That is the reason why every time he is about to leave the home city for the south, he asks his friends to go to a coffee shop on the river bank to watch the river at night. He said: "I have stood besides Seine river in France, Volga river in Russia, Mekong river in Laos and Cambodia and Zhujiang river in Guangzhou of China. Although I was excited, I did not feel the close bond as with the Da river”. He meant the river section crossing Hoa Binh where there is no development to develop tourism on the two banks.


On the right bank, since the street along the dyke was built, the life of households along the river in Phuong Lam and Dong Tien wards has changed, more bustling and ...more market-oriented. Although the road is yet to have an official name, almost all locals hope that the road is included into management agencies’ planning to develop tourism sustainably. As a result, not only Hoa Binh residents but also visitors to the city want to come to the area and watch the beauty of the river and enjoy the landscape and culture of Hoa Binh and the Da river.


Regardless of whether it will be named as a food street, a walking street, flower street, light street or after a famous person, the road along the Da river still makes its own imprint in the mind of local residents and visitors. Coming to the river at night, visitors can see the sparkling Uncle Ho’s statue on the Tuong mount, the imposing hydropower plant and the peaceful Hoa Binh pagoda.                                         
                                           

                                                                                      Bui Huy


Related Topics


Promoting Hoa Binh cultural heritage values: Part 3 - Reviving traditional values

Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.

Exploring Hoa Binh Culture

The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.

Promoting Hoa Binh cultural heritage values: Part 2 - Rich cultural heritage in Vietnam’s northwest gateway

Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.

Receiving the certificate of the historical and cultural site at the provincial level for Sau Communal House, Thanh Cao Commune

The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.

Motivation for community to enhance cultural heritage preservation

Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.

A journey through time: Exploring rich history, formation of Hoa Binh province: Article 1: Major features of Hoa Binh province formation

Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.