ID :
131096
Sat, 07/03/2010 - 08:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/131096
The shortlink copeid
Have you ever seen thousands of big fish swimming in a small stream?
Thanh Hoa (VNA) -- Have you ever seen thousands of big fish swimming in a small stream? How would you feel if you knew that these fish were magic? In Thanh Hoa Province 's Cam Luong Commune it is believed that such a school of ‘sacred fish' exists and they can be visited by the public.
It takes about three hours to drive from Hanoi to the famous commune, which
receives thousands of visitors every week who are curious to see these
supernatural species.
There are different ways to get to the stream. From Thanh Hoa city, people can
drive on the National Highway to reach Cam Thuy district and then drive on
Highway 217 for 12km to Ngoc Village , which is home to the fish. For more
adventurous travellers, they can catch a boat at the Ham Rong Bridge and
sail along Ma River to get to the village.
Buses are unable to drop visitors off at the cave because it is on the other side
of the Ma River. All visitors must then load up into small cars and they are then
driven over a wooden suspension bridge to get to the opposite bank near the
entrance of the cave.
The stream that is home to the ‘sacred fish' is about 100m long and up to 4m
wide. The water in the stream is clear, clean and stays cool year-round.
Thousands of fish swam around like it was recess. The smallest fish were probably
2kg and the larger ones were probably closer to 10kg.
"The fish here are very friendly. In the past, when not so many people visited, we
often played with them," said Ha Thi Sau, a local resident.
"The stream is our main source of water. We take water from here for washing,
cooking and bathing. Despite our daily presence, the fish are still not afraid of
us. We often touch and fondle them like our pets, and I think that they also like
us," she said.
The fish are biologically related to minnows and carp. The rare species are found
in Laos , northern Vietnam and southern China . They are also listed in
Vietnam 's Red Book because the species are on the verge of becoming extinct. The
fish have a dark back and red lips and fins. They also have red-spotted tails and
silver scales that glisten in the sunlight.
"They eat almost everything that they find in the stream, including moss, leaves
and vegetables that we give them," said Sau.
"Since the tourists know about the stream, the visitors rush to our village and
bring popcorn, candy and snacks. These items are also feed to the fish, but the
tourists also throw trash into the water, which makes it polluted," the
86-year-old women said.
The stream and ‘sacred fish' have been popular in the area for years, but they
first became popular with the wider public in 1994.
Although many things have changed in the last few years and thousands of tourists
have come to see them, the fish still keep their natural routine intact. The
sacred species swim out of the cave early in the morning to look for food and play
with people before coming back to the cave at 5 or 6pm.
"The fish never swim outside of the stream, which runs into the Ma River.
Sometimes the fish are swept away, but they always try to swim back to the cave."
Because the local people dare not to catch and eat these fish, the population is
now thriving and growing.
"We believe that they bring us luck and happiness so we have never considered
eating them," said Sau.
On the 8th-15th during the first month of the lunar calendar, the village hosts a
gigantic festival. At the event, the local people offer sacrifices to the gods of
the mountains, river and fish.
"A board has been set up to manage the venue and protect the fish, but we do not
have to do much because the local residents are awarded the profits and receive
luck from the fish bring to them," said Vu Duyen Hong, the director of the Cam
Thuy district's Culture and Sport Centre which runs the management board.
"What we have to do is to make sure our guests do not do anything that would harm
the fish and maintain a good environment for the ‘sacred' animals," he
said.-Enditem
It takes about three hours to drive from Hanoi to the famous commune, which
receives thousands of visitors every week who are curious to see these
supernatural species.
There are different ways to get to the stream. From Thanh Hoa city, people can
drive on the National Highway to reach Cam Thuy district and then drive on
Highway 217 for 12km to Ngoc Village , which is home to the fish. For more
adventurous travellers, they can catch a boat at the Ham Rong Bridge and
sail along Ma River to get to the village.
Buses are unable to drop visitors off at the cave because it is on the other side
of the Ma River. All visitors must then load up into small cars and they are then
driven over a wooden suspension bridge to get to the opposite bank near the
entrance of the cave.
The stream that is home to the ‘sacred fish' is about 100m long and up to 4m
wide. The water in the stream is clear, clean and stays cool year-round.
Thousands of fish swam around like it was recess. The smallest fish were probably
2kg and the larger ones were probably closer to 10kg.
"The fish here are very friendly. In the past, when not so many people visited, we
often played with them," said Ha Thi Sau, a local resident.
"The stream is our main source of water. We take water from here for washing,
cooking and bathing. Despite our daily presence, the fish are still not afraid of
us. We often touch and fondle them like our pets, and I think that they also like
us," she said.
The fish are biologically related to minnows and carp. The rare species are found
in Laos , northern Vietnam and southern China . They are also listed in
Vietnam 's Red Book because the species are on the verge of becoming extinct. The
fish have a dark back and red lips and fins. They also have red-spotted tails and
silver scales that glisten in the sunlight.
"They eat almost everything that they find in the stream, including moss, leaves
and vegetables that we give them," said Sau.
"Since the tourists know about the stream, the visitors rush to our village and
bring popcorn, candy and snacks. These items are also feed to the fish, but the
tourists also throw trash into the water, which makes it polluted," the
86-year-old women said.
The stream and ‘sacred fish' have been popular in the area for years, but they
first became popular with the wider public in 1994.
Although many things have changed in the last few years and thousands of tourists
have come to see them, the fish still keep their natural routine intact. The
sacred species swim out of the cave early in the morning to look for food and play
with people before coming back to the cave at 5 or 6pm.
"The fish never swim outside of the stream, which runs into the Ma River.
Sometimes the fish are swept away, but they always try to swim back to the cave."
Because the local people dare not to catch and eat these fish, the population is
now thriving and growing.
"We believe that they bring us luck and happiness so we have never considered
eating them," said Sau.
On the 8th-15th during the first month of the lunar calendar, the village hosts a
gigantic festival. At the event, the local people offer sacrifices to the gods of
the mountains, river and fish.
"A board has been set up to manage the venue and protect the fish, but we do not
have to do much because the local residents are awarded the profits and receive
luck from the fish bring to them," said Vu Duyen Hong, the director of the Cam
Thuy district's Culture and Sport Centre which runs the management board.
"What we have to do is to make sure our guests do not do anything that would harm
the fish and maintain a good environment for the ‘sacred' animals," he
said.-Enditem
