(VOVworld) Ly Son island district in the central province of Quang Ngai looks like a giant turtle wandering around the sea. The beauty of the island inspires travel lovers from far and near.
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| Hang Pagoda |
It takes nearly one hour by speedboat from Sa Ky port in Quang Ngai city to get to Ly Son district island, where the first Sa Huynh residents lived nearly 3,000 years ago and left behind mysterious stories about Sa Huynh culture. That explains why the small island which covers only 10 square kilometers and has 20,000 people, accommodates 100 relics of temples, pagodas and graves of soldiers who long ago went offshore to defend national sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago. "Ly Son island district has great tourism potential thanks to its beautiful landscape, historical and cultural relics such as Hang Pagoda, the An Hai communal house and many temples and cultural complexes featuring Cham, Viet and Sa Huynh cultures", said Mr. Pham Hong Linh, Vice Chairman of Ly Son island district.
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| An Hai communal house |
"In addition to national and provincial level relics, Ly Son also has several other cultural and historic relics. The island is the venue of intangible cultural values boasting a lot of advantages for tourism development. I’m very interested in pure local cultural values. Over many centuries, local people have maintained their typical lifestyle", said Nguyen Hoai Thuong, a tourist from Quang Ngai province.
Ly Son island is known as Re island because, according to local elders, the island has a lot of Ré, a type of wood. The bark of the tree is used as strings. Ly Son has three communes - An Hai, An Vinh and An Binh. Though it is a small island, it takes three to four days to explore. "In recent years, Ly Son has become better known for its historical and cultural significance. The island has been recorded in history as the homeland of heroic Hoang Sa soldiers. The number of tourists to the island has increased thanks to its beautiful landscapes. Ly Son is also famous for its Thoi Loi volcano, from which visitors can see a panorama of the island", said Mr. Linh.
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| Garlic fields in Ly Son |
Ly Son is also known as the kingdom of garlic. Garlic fields on the island are like a green carpet. Ly Son garlic is a local specialty, preferable to other varieties. It’s medium-sized, white, tasty, and often used as a remedy. The local garlic has become an indispensable gift for any tourist. "We are proud of the quality of our garlic. We set up this shop to sell garlic to tourists", said Tran Thinh, Vice President of Ly Son Garlic and Onion Trading and Producing Association.
Tourists to Ly Son are also captivated by the local special seafood, especially the wide variety of snails. Souvenirs made of snail shells are often included in gift packages of tourists. "Ly Son has offered tours since 2008, yet the number of tourists to the island remains modest because tourist services have not developed strongly. We only have a few guesthouses on the island and the power is not on 24 hours a day", said Mr. Linh..