The Eight Ladies Cave Historical Site (also known as Eight Volunteers Cave) has become a "red address" for locals and tourists when coming to Quang Binh. Over the past 50 years, the story of the volunteers who devoted their youth to national independence is still there. But up to now, the Site has not yet met the expectations of locals, tourists and the government.
Lao Dong Newspaper started publishing a series of articles about Hang Tam Co - a "red address", a place to educate patriotism, a tribute from future generations; as well as the work of preserving and promoting the value, worthy of the relic.
Coincidence with number 8
In the heavy October rain, Mr. Nguyen Tu Vy lit incense at the worship area before starting his work day. He has maintained this practice for the past 10 years since taking on the task of Head of the Management Board of the Memorial Temple for the Heroes and Martyrs of Road 20 Quyet Thang (known as Hang Tam Co).
After guiding everyone to burn incense and pay tribute to the heroic martyrs, Mr. Vy led the group to visit the Temple and the historical site of Hang Tam Co next door and introduced historical stories.
He said that in more than 10 years working here, he witnessed some, heard some, and was asked many times by tourists about coincidences related to the number 8.
In the past, the banana tree in front of the cave always bore a bunch of only 8 bunches. This happened more than once, so many people believe that this was not just a coincidence. Then one year, there was a bird’s nest in the cave, and the mother bird laid 8 eggs. At the area of the Memorial Temple on Road 20 Quyet Thang, there was a pair of geckos that also laid 8 eggs… Many people heard the pair of geckos calling out 8 times at night.
“It may be a coincidence, but many people still believe it is a spiritual story, and it is still passed down by word of mouth and exists to this day. Whether it is a coincidence or spirituality, these stories are still preserved in the flow of history when telling about Hang Tam Co” - Mr. Vy confided.
Up to now, Hang Tam Co has been restored, such as the ceiling of the cave has been made of concrete. During the resistance war against the US, the 8 girls hung bomb shells on the rau rang tree in front of the cave to make an alarm bell. To serve tourists when they come to pay their respects and offer incense, the unit has restored the bell right at the rau rang tree location, so that everyone can imagine a fierce time of war, of the history of the resistance war against the US to save the country.
"Recently, the outside area here has also been renovated and repainted, contributing to making the current state of the Memorial Temple and Relics more spacious, worthy of the sacrifice of the heroic martyrs" - Mr. Vy added.
Desire...
Mr. Vy introduced the relics excavated at the Hang Tam Co historical site in 1996, which were water bottles, belts, water mugs, leather wallets, pens, raincoats, aluminum rings, parachute cloth... Since being brought to the Temple for storage and preservation, the Management Board staff regularly cleaned and checked to ensure the relics were well preserved.
After the Road 20 - Quyet Thang relic site belonging to the Ho Chi Minh Road relic system was ranked as a National Historical Relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 1986, Hang Tam Co and the Memorial Temple for the heroic martyrs of Road 20 - Quyet Thang became "red addresses" visited by many tourists and people to offer incense.
Starting from after Lunar New Year until the end of summer every year is the period when the Monument often welcomes a large number of people and tourists to visit and pay their respects.
Currently, this place has 6 staff members to take care of the incense and guide tourists. During peak times, Phong Nha - Ke Bang Tourism Center must increase staff to ensure better service.
Having worked as a manager for many years, Mr. Vy has noticed that during peak season, this area cannot meet the demand of visitors coming to pay their respects and offer incense. Sometimes, visitors have to wait in line because the space is still limited.
Mr. Nguyen Tu Vy himself has visited Hoang Hoa Cemetery (Thanh Hoa) many times to pay his respects to the eight young volunteers who died in Hang Tam Co. Passing by historical sites such as Truong Bon (Nghe An), Dong Loc Intersection (Ha Tinh) - the sites built after Hang Tam Co, he noticed that the work of showing gratitude and repaying the heroic martyrs in these places has received more investment.
“If the Eight Ladies Cave Relic and Memorial Temple are expanded, the locals, tourists, and the Management Board will be able to welcome more visitors. And I hope there will be a high-voltage power system in this area so that the entire area will be lit up at night, making it look more solemn,” Mr. Vy mused.
