On March 31, in an exchange with Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Do Thi Dieu Hanh - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Gia Lai province - said that functional agencies are reviewing, inviting to work and handling social media accounts that spread negative and untrue information, affecting the tourism image of the province, related to the case of singer Juky San wearing a swimsuit soaking in Gieng Tien (Quy Nhon Dong ward).
According to Ms. Hanh, through verification, Gieng Tien is not a relic, nor a place of worship or worship, but only a scenic spot belonging to Eo Gio tourist area - Nhon Ly fishing village.
Previously, a stone stele introducing the origin of the name was placed in the Gieng Tien area to serve tourism development. However, this stele was swept away after storm No. 13.
At the time the female singer soaked herself, this area no longer had a billboard or warning sign to identify it as Gieng Tien. After the image spread and faced mixed reactions on social networks, the female singer apologized and removed all related images on her personal page.
The purpose of the female singer is just to promote the tourist landscape of the province. I hope everyone will share and sympathize with this unwanted incident," Ms. Hanh said.
According to the Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Gia Lai province, in the past, local people used the water source at Gieng Tien to drink. However, later, the water here was mainly used to wash after swimming in the sea, no longer used for drinking.
Previously, on the same morning, the social network Facebook spread images believed to be singer Juky San wearing a swimsuit, soaking in Gieng Tien. This image quickly caused controversy, because for a long time many local people have considered Gieng Tien a place with spiritual elements.
According to local people, Gieng Tien is located in the middle of a barren rocky mountain region. Legend has it that thousands of years ago, a rocky crevice appeared here with fresh water flowing out all year round. People believe that this is a water source bestowed by heaven and earth, so it was named Gieng Tien.
Therefore, the female singer immersing herself directly in the water caused many people to be upset. Many opinions believe that this action affects water hygiene, tourists' experiences, and also affects the landscape and cultural values of the location.
After the wave of criticism, on the afternoon of March 30, Juky San officially apologized. The female singer said that the initial purpose was just to record beautiful moments at Eo Gio, thereby introducing the local natural landscape.
Regarding the incident, the leader of Quy Nhon Dong Ward People's Committee confirmed that Tien Well is not a relic and there is currently no regulation prohibiting bathing in this area. Because the stone stele was no longer there before, the female singer could not identify this as Tien Well, so the unfortunate incident occurred.
This locality said that the Gieng Tien area has continuous water flow. After the incident, the ward sent people to clean up the entire area and water source where the female singer soaked, and at the same time requested the management unit to reinstall the stone stele so that tourists can easily recognize it, avoiding unsuitable behaviors during sightseeing and photography.
