Thung Ui is a newly emerging tourist destination in Ninh Binh, located in the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex - a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. This place is attracting a large number of tourists thanks to its ancient and poetic valley scenery.
Located about 2km from Bai Dinh Pagoda, Thung Ui is a valley that has existed for a long time and is familiar to local people. However, this destination is completely new and unfamiliar to visitors from all over.
The origin of the strange name "Thung Ui" has been questioned by many people when coming here. Explaining this, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Linh - a tour guide of this tourist area - said that when there was no investment in building massive structures, Thung Ui was just a pristine, deserted valley, surrounded by tall limestone mountain ranges.
Since ancient times, local people have entered this valley to hunt and gather because there are lush green forests, clear blue lakes with many animals, birds, fish as well as plants that make abundant food.
To enter the valley, local people have to cross high mountain ranges. Anyone who climbs the surrounding mountain must exclaim "so tired" or "Oh my god", from then on the name Thung Ui or Oh my god was born" - Ms. Linh shared.
Not only has a strange name, Thung Ui also has immense historical significance for the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. More than 1,000 years ago, Dinh Bo Linh chose this place as the place to establish the Kinh Thien Temple.
Sharing with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Truong Dinh Tuong - Chairman of the Ninh Binh Provincial Historical Science Association - said that Kinh Thien Temple in the ancient capital of Hoa Lu (now Thung Ui) was where Dinh Bo Linh performed a ceremony to worship heaven, then deployed troops to suppress the rebellion of 12 envoys, and reunited the country.
Also here, in 968, after pacifying the world, ascending the throne as emperor, the King offered sacrifices to heaven and earth, announced to the world, proclaimed himself Emperor Dinh Tien, named the country Dai Co Viet, took the year name Thai Binh and became the first emperor of the central feudal state concentrating power in Vietnam" - Mr. Tuong shared.
The Chairman of the Ninh Binh Provincial Historical Science Association added that Dan Kinh Thien Trang An is a "open door" to the vast Moc Hoan valley, surrounded by mountains, green forests year-round with multi-layered vegetation, fragrant forest flowers, singing birds and gibbons, in the middle there is a clear blue lake called Muc Long Lake (Dragon Eye), connecting the source with streams in Trang An cave area, considered to be a gathering of water, gathering qi, and full of water all year round.
A special discovery of scientific value and profound spiritual significance recorded during the research and restoration of Kinh Thien Altar is the discovery of prehistoric human traces right in the altar area.
Mr. Bui Van Manh - Director of Ninh Binh Provincial Department of Tourism - said that in the process of research cooperation and archaeological excavation over more than 2 decades, scientists have discovered prehistoric human remains dating back from 13,000 to 50,000 years, proving the very early presence of humans in this land.
This discovery not only contributes to clarifying the long-standing residence history of ancient Vietnamese people in Trang An - Hoa Lu, but also opens up a new perspective on Kinh Thien Temple as a gathering point of the spiritual energy of Heaven - Earth - People, where the prehistoric source harmonizes with the flow of national construction history" - Mr. Manh shared.
