We came to Tuy Hoa city, the center of Phu Yen province because of the mysterious attraction of Cham culture. Here and there in the city can be seen the slogan “Welcome 400^th year of Phu Yen province”. 400 years of age, yet, Tuy Hoa remains unbelievably peaceful.

Tuy Hoa beach – photo: DTX

Tuy Hoa’s Cham temple, situated on the mountain’s top,  is among the national cultural historic sites, built by Cham people in the 11^th century. The temple honors Podegar Saint, a mother of Cham people. Admiring the temple from the bottom, one can see how great human beings were thousands of years ago. Not a few scientists have come here to study Cham culture but not able to fully interprete the mysteries in the temple construction. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Anh, the temple keeper told, “Podegar Saint is the Heaven’s child - an elegant princess descending to teach Cham people make houses, do farming and save poor people. The Saint also cured the sick, that’s why she also got the name Heavenly Virtuous Doctor”. Vietnam currently has about 146,000 Cham people, some  are residing in Phu Yen.

Viewing Tuy Hoa estuary from Cham temple, one can see how beautiful and vigorous Tuy Hoa city is, with new architecture in an overall European-architecture-style plan. Annually on the 21^st and 23^rd lunar calendar, Cham people from near and far gather at the temple to solemnly hold the death anniversary of Podegar Saint. The event is popular with the city’s people, because everyone coming here wants to be protected by the Saint. Cham people show the great respect towards their Mothers, the value does have much influence on their neighbors. For Cham people, Mothers are all.

Cham temple has another name- Nhan temple, as told by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Anh, long long time ago, many Nhan birds were here, the temple was named after them. Some even named the temple Poem mountain due to the yearly Poetic Festival here.

Near Cham temple is City War Hero Memorial, quite a nicely designed construction, a tourist attraction. The inner is built with square high poles,  the surroundings are carved with names of Tuy Hoa heroes in the two anti-invasion wars. We are so engrossed in learning the heroes’ names, hometowns and sacrifice dates, so many of whom passed away so young, the colossal sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Nation. The poles are orderly arranged, like the soldiers queuing to do their tasks, the name lists are getting long. Youngsters come here to have the strong feeling of the youth, the elderly come to somehow bring back the memories, the veterans come to look for themselves of the past.

The meaningful construction site is erected with the great care from the Party, the government and all Tuy Hoa people. The mobilization of all people to support the families devoting the Revolution is wholeheartedly approved by the majority of the people. Under the campaign commenced by the city National Fatherfront, every unit, every office and residential area has a certain program to socialize the mutual program.

Tuy Hoa city has 100 km of the beach, a great potential in tourism and service business, fish catching and seafood breeding. Tuy Hoa people are hard-working, patient, nonstop striving for a better and stronger city. The campaign calling for the solidarity, building a cultural life is clearly seen everywhere. A content in the campaign is building family economy, the most significant criterion in the partiotic movement. Prosperous families make prosperous society. Any locals with traditional handicraft, people there try to restore, any locals with high unemployment rate, more jobs are created in many ways. Anyone with new or good ideas in doing business is always eager to share, for the whole neighborhood to do together. All of these help make Tuy Hoa increase the number of Cultural Families to 85%, all is to make the city more developed.

Source : Great Solidarity Newspaper

Translated by HAI LOAN