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Trinh
Nữ Grotto

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.
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