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The Trinh Nữ Grotto
or Virgin Grotto is
situated on the
island range of Bồ
Hòn in the system
comprising the Sửng
Sôt Grotto, Ðộng
Tiên Lake and Luồn
Grotto. It is 15 km
south of Bãi Cháy
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 Nữ
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 Nữ Grotto,
Trống (or Male)
Grotto has a stone
statue of a boy who
turns his face to
Trinh Nữ 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 Trống
Grotto).
Tourists also find
Trinh Nữ 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 fiancé. 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
Trống Grotto.”
Today, whenever
passing this place,
tourists can still
hear his faint call. |