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Trinh Nu Grotto or Virgin
Grotto is situated on the island range of Bo Hon in the
system comprising the
Sung Sot Grotto, Dong Tien Lake
and
Luon Grotto. It is 15 km south of
Bai Chay 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 Nu 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 Nu Grotto, Trong (or Male)
Grotto has a stone statue of a boy who turns his face to
Trinh Nu 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 Trong
Grotto).
Tourists also find Trinh Nu 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 fianc???. 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
Trong Grotto.???
Today, whenever passing this place, tourists can still
hear his faint call.
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