The book Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi records:

- "The great gate of Cu Huan: 19 miles east of Vinh Xuong district; the mouth of the creek is 1,009 truong wide, the tide is 8 feet 5 inches deep, the tide is 7 inches deep, to the north of the creek there is a rocky mountain, to the south there is Truong Sa beach, to the east there are islands, called Hon Do and Hon O, with one defender and one defender".

Photo: Vuong Manh Cuong

- "Cu Huan small gate: located 29 miles northeast of Vinh Xuong district, the estuary is 190 truong wide, 6 feet deep at high tide, 4 inches deep at low tide, outside the estuary are Lam Nguyen island, Tam island, Ba La island, Lon island, Mon island, the surrounding islands are crowded with boats, when the north wind blows, the boats land on the south side of the mountain, when the south wind blows, the boats land on the north side of the mountain, facing the sea, in autumn and winter, the strong wind throws up sand, making it impossible to stay, having to move to Lam Nguyen island, returning in spring and summer" ( Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi , Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 2006, volume 3, page 127).

The presentation of Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi shows that there are two seaports named Cu Huan, namely Cua Lon and Cua Be, from two branches of a river named Cu Huan flowing into the sea. Researcher Ngo Van Ban specifically describes the two river branches as follows:

Cai Cu Huan River flows from Dien Khanh district to Xuan Lac village, Vinh Ngoc commune and divides into 2 branches:

- The first branch flows to the southeast, around the foot of Dong Bo mountain, then follows Quan Truong river to Truong Tay, Truong Dong and then flows into the sea through Tieu Cu Huan estuary, also known as Cua Be.

Photo: Document

- The second branch flows northeast, reaching Ngoc Hiep ward and dividing into two branches: One branch flows into Củi ward, passes Truong Ca wharf in Phuong Sai ward, called Ngu Truong river, then flows down to Ha Ra. Here, the water swirls to form Xuong Huan lagoon (the Chinese name is Cu Dam), which was later filled up to build Dam market. Half of the river water flows into the lagoon, the other half flows down to Xom Con to reach the sea through Dai Cu Huan estuary, also known as the Big gate, or Nha Trang estuary. The second branch is wider and deeper, flows down to Bong hamlet in Vinh Tho ward and then out to the sea, also through Dai Cu Huan estuary. The two branches of the river are like two outstretched arms, embracing an alluvial sandbank, commonly called Con De.

Xom Con is a cultural place associated with the land of Khanh Hoa - Nha Trang. Here, people mainly live by fishing. To the east is the ocean, to the west is the Cu Huan River. The process of establishing Xom Con at Dai Cu Huan estuary began with the formation of a small hamlet called Xom Bong on the island. The reason it is called Xom Bong is because the young girls here were assigned by the elders to perform the ball dance ritual and offer sacrifices on the festival of Lady Thien YA Na at Thap Ba. In the past, merchant ships from the outer provinces carried goods to Nha Trang to trade. Some went upstream on the Cai River to Dien Khanh district, some turned to Xuong Huan lagoon to trade. Realizing that the lagoon was a convenient place for communication and living, people from all over the place came to settle. Over time, many small hamlets were formed such as Xom Con, Xom Lach, Xom Ha Ra, Xom Gia, Xom Cui...

Photo: Document

A coastal village that also bears many cultural imprints of the Cu Huan estuary is Chut hamlet (Truong Tay village). The book Dai Nam Quoc Am Tu Vi by Huynh Tinh Paulus Cua, published in Saigon in 1895, explains: Chut is a small cove leaning against a cliff that can shelter boats from the wind. This same book also clearly records the place name "Chut Nha Trang" as "A place to shelter from the wind in Nha Trang".

Chut Hamlet - Truong Tay village, appeared in the boatmen's folk song: "How far is Nha Trang to Chut? / Some come in to buy mattresses, some come out to buy rafters / Brothers happily bustle around / Some ask in, some ask out / Brothers happily drink and drink / When we are bustling around Mieu beach, we rush in".

The above verse shows that boat people from the South to the North or from the North to the South all stop by Chut hamlet to drink and chat, exchange information, buy palm leaves to tie sail cushions and rattan to tie masts.

The Cu Huan Gate is now the area of ​​Thap Ba and Xom Bong Bridge. During the Nguyen Dynasty, Cu Huan Gate was located on the waterway from the capital Hue to Gia Dinh and was also a boat stop. Phan Thanh Gian (1796 - 1867), the first person in the South to pass the doctoral exam, once stopped his boat at Cu Huan Wharf and wrote a memoir about the story of Lady Thien YA Na. The Chief Envoy of Khanh Hoa Province, Nguyen Quynh, carved a stele and erected it behind the tower, which still exists today. In 1836, Truong Dang Que (1793 - 1865) was sent by King Minh Mang to inspect the 6 provinces of the South. Stopping at Cu Huan on his way to the South, he composed the poem Cu Huan Van Bac , depicting the afternoon scene at Cu Huan Wharf, both bustling and poetic, a place where the sky and sea captivate people's hearts.

In August 1885, when the French army landed on Cai River, patriot Trinh Phong directly commanded the insurgents to intercept the enemy right at the river mouth. Trinh Phong cleverly lured the enemy deep into the river and then carried out guerrilla warfare, causing them heavy losses.

The people of Cu Huan estuary live a gentle, honest, and affectionate life. This is also a land imbued with the cultural heritage passed down through many generations. The old folk song expresses both the love for the homeland and the country and the deep and loyal feelings of the people of the coastal village:

"When will Hon Chu break into four?

Nha Trang beach is dry, I just gave up on you". (to be continued)