The fish population in the Bay River needs protection.

Mr. Tran Van Thu feeds fish

People living on both sides of the Vinh River - a tributary of the Vam Co Dong River upstream, often visit the Temple of "Quan Lon Tra Vong" Huynh Cong Nghe, both to commemorate their ancestors who reclaimed this land and to enjoy the thousands of natural fish, mainly he fish, at the river wharf behind the temple. The temple manager and the surrounding people wholeheartedly protect the fish, but there are also some people who, for petty interests, threaten the existence of the fish.

Mr. Tran Van Thu - Head of the Management Board of the Temple of "Quan Lon Tra Vong" Huynh Cong Nghe (Binh Loi Hamlet, Hao Duoc Commune, Tay Ninh Province), said that around 2019, by chance, while washing dishes on the bank of the Vinh River, he discovered a school of fish swimming to eat leftover food. Since then, people in the temple often took cold rice and leftover food and sprinkled it to feed the fish, at first only a few dozen, later, more and more fish came, multiplying and developing.

Every time there are footsteps coming down to the river, especially when there is a knock on the iron gate on the shore, fish from all directions gather, the number up to thousands, mainly he fish, almost as big as a hand. The school of fish attracts the attention of the people in the area. Every day, people bring leftover food or buy pellets to feed the fish. Some people also buy large quantities of food to ask the members of the Palace Management Board to feed the fish. Visitors to the palace, after burning incense, go to the river to feed the fish, watching the fish frolic in the river. Many people even sit down on the steps, putting their bare feet in the water for the fish to nibble on in an interesting way...

To protect the fish, the Palace Management Board asked the local government to hang two strings of flags at both ends of the river and drop buoys around the river wharf to signal the "fish farming" area, people are not allowed to fish. Since then, the local people have been very conscious, no one comes here to fish, cast nets,... but recently, many "fishermen" from other places have come to sit and cast their lines 30-40m from the river wharf. The Palace Management Board only knows how to persuade and "beg" them not to fish to protect the fish, but when one person leaves, another comes to fish.

The Management Board of the Temple of "Tra Vong General" Huynh Cong Nghe has asked the local government to hang two strings of flags at both ends of the river and release buoys around the river wharf to signal the "fish farming" area.

According to historical sources, in the mid-18th century, the three brothers Huynh Cong Gian, Huynh Cong Thang and Huynh Cong Nghe were three generals sent by the Hue court to the South to guard the newly reclaimed land. All three came to the land of today's Tay Ninh province to suppress internal and external enemies, help people do business, and build villages. After achieving many feats, they sacrificed their lives one after another in Tay Ninh.

Over the past few hundred years, people have built temples to worship the three Huynh brothers who contributed to protecting the border and forming and developing the Tay Ninh region. The temple to worship “Quan Lon Tra Vong” Huynh Cong Nghe was built on the bank of the Vinh River - a tributary of the Vam Co Dong River, a few kilometers from the Vam Co Dong River.

Every year, on March 15-16 (Lunar calendar), a very large death anniversary of Ong is held here, with hundreds of people from near and far attending. Every month, on the 16th (Lunar calendar), there is a customary worship day, attracting about 50-60 people to pray for peace. Every day, tourists or local people come to visit, burn incense, especially to feed the fish in the Bay River and "interact" with the fish.

Mr. Tran Van Thu added that members of the Palace Management Board must take turns staying on duty day and night at the palace because they are afraid that people lacking awareness will not only come to fish but also cast nets, even catch fish with electric shocks, at which point the precious fish at the Vinh River wharf will no longer exist./.

Nguyen Phan Dau

Source: https://baolongan.vn/dan-ca-he-tren-song-vinh-can-duoc-bao-ve-a199666.html