Nguyen Van Xuan - Quang Nam researcher said “Dien Ban is the big tourist area in the past”. That “Tourist area” had many connections with rivers especially in the 17th, 18th centuries, when Dien Ban land had been chosen for the located place of Thanh Chiem Town Hall – the metropolis of Dang Trong. Dien Ban has been known as the land in which had produces, charming scenery, homeland rivers – interesting destinations.
At that time, Thu Bon river was being named Song Cai, it flows through Cau Lau – Cau Mong and has great contributed to the prosperity of this land. Ben Van Dong (Van Dong village – Vạn Đông), where had well-known with the industry of building Bầu boats , was contiguous to Thanh Chiem Township. This big boat was the most popular waterway transportation to transport people and goods. When Thanh Chiem Town Hall was considered as “the stepping-stone” for Vietnamese community to move to the South, the wooden barge (Bầu boat) was one of the important transportations. Located beside Cho Cui river, Cho Cui was the big clue of commercial transaction where serving not only for domestic ships and tourists but also international ships when they traded with Thanh Chiem Township. According to the diary of Dac Lo priest, the biggest trade source in Cho Cui was firewood which had been provided for big ships making fuel since 1644. Apart from firewood, they exchanged many kind of goods of the old Dien Ban such as such as silk, sugar, rice... with each other. It appeared that Cho Cui river was the first “border gate” for merchants and tourists coming to Dien Ban land.
Commercial relations was moved to Vinh Dien when the La Qua Citadel was built, hence, Cho Cui river’s role was becoming dim. Bến Điện (near by Vinh Dien river) was becoming the center of region. River wharf "leaves flowers on the afternoon" (lyrics Le Trong Nguyen) used to be interesting destination where many writers, poets were attached to this land. There was a time, coming to Quang Nam, Dao Tan - a composer of traditonal theatre opera held the post of the chief of Quang Nam provine in 1898 - the year with the historical landmark of Quang Nam with the symbol “Ngũ phụng tề phi” (Five phoenixes taking off simultaneously). He established a large theater near Vinh Dien river wharf, where he often drank wine and recited poems in which had sentence: “những ngày nắng như hun đốt, những đêm gió mát trăng thanh, xõa tóc ra để hứng lấy gió nam, khép lòng lại để trông dòng nước chảy” (Sunny days like burning, night with bright moon and cool wind, the Southern wind blew hair flying, closing heart to look at the water flow) (Khan hoa dinh – Tieu Cao Nguyen Van Mai). At that time, the theatre hadn’t named yet. By the way the returning home to pay thanks to ancestors after achieving academic honours of the Quangnam students, the chief of Quang Nam provine Dao Tan organized a party and then named the theatre “Khan hoa đình” . On this occasion, Tieu Cao Nguyen Văn Mai wrote the poetry Khan hoa đình with sentences described Vinh Dien river “...chèo chiếc thuyền con dạo trên sông Điện, gặp nơi cảnh trí xinh đẹp phía bắc, nào cát trắng nước cạn, nào trúc rậm bóng im” (…Sailing on the River Vinh Dien, contemplating the north beautiful scene, white sand, shallow water and the dormant shade of the dense small bamboo grove,…) and this place was called “Thanh Luong Tan” (The cool pure river).
There also is Cổ Cò river (Lộ Cảnh river), where has much nuance of a travel picture, in Dien Ban. Legend has it that Cổ Cò river had welcomed princess Huyền Trân coming back Đại Việt in 1307, when the north land of Thu Bon river merged into Đại Việt. When Nguyen Phuc Chu became a Lord, he invited superior Buddhist monk Thich Đai Sang – a Chinese enlightened monk to the Dang Trong for lecturing Buddhism. He described this river in his diary: “wind is blowing slowly, very limpid water, very far bamboo forest, brilliant sand…”. King Minh Mang under the Nguyễn dynasty had royal travelled many times on the Cổ Cò river and Vinh Diện river. Three times king Minh Mang had been travel on the Cổ cò river was saved in history. This seductive river was also inherent in the legend about the princess of King saved in the Hoa Sơn moutain.
Must have a great shortcoming unless we tell about Thu Bon river and historical destinations. The Thu Bon river with corn fields and mulberry gardens had a romantic love tale between Lord Nguyễn Phúc Lan and a daughter of the Đoàn family – The queen Tam Tang (the queen of growing mulberry and raising silkworm). Ben Đuong, Bao An, Van Ly, Cam Lậu, Ha Mat …and including Go Noi well-off lands are destinations have attracted tourists everywhere for several stages of history. The produces of Go Noi land such as silk, sugarcane, rice and corn … have been provided all over Quang Nam provine by waterway. Some affluents Binh Long, Thanh Quyt … also give Đien Ban the lively vision.
Waterways connect closely with the value of traditional culture of local people who live in riverside. It is one of the sustainable elements in travel development. In recent years, Điện Bàn has concentrated on promoting tourism development. In the priority forms of travel development, eco-tourism is one of the great potentials for Điện Bàn get a position in the travel village of area. Not only local people but also the tour operators expect to restore the flow of Co Co river in the project of dredging this legend river. Although there is much difficult, we hope that the wharfs and the boats in the Cổ Cò river will be the interesting highlights in the travel picture of Đien Ban in the near future.
In 2013, Triem Tay eco-tourism village was opened. That is the travel destination rely on the advantages of Thu Bon river and the character of the Triem Tay land. Water wharf - homeland river is focus of this eco-tourist destination. Architect Bui Kien Quoc, the owner of Triem Tay eco-tourism village said “… Điện Bàn tourism is the tourism of the agriculture, the bamboo bush, the rivers, the water wharf…”
However, a window on the waterway tourism is still left open. Natural disasters, together with human’s ravages, are the reasons why homeland rivers are becoming raising and breaking. “bờ tre xanh thẫm, trúc rậm bóng im” (The dark-green clumps of bamboos, the dormant shade of the dense clumps of small bamboos) are gradually overshadowed,“nước trong leo lẻo” (the pure water) is becoming scarce. Some branches of rivers on the west of Đien Ban such as Binh Phuoc (the affluent of the Yen river – Vu Gia river) have dark red in the summer. Thu Bon river is also changed by flood and salt-marsh. Although some river wharfs are still there, those are not the landing places of boats, those are the places to transport sand and grit.
It is necessary for community to preserve the clumps of bamboos, the water wharfs, the homeland rivers… in the age of urbanization. To awaken the potential of waterway tourism, eco-tourism, we should preserve the true worth of rivers, improve environment, preserve and bring into play the cultural historical value. Therefore, the tourism picture of Điện Bàn district is rich and attracted enough to compete and spread all over …