The third King Hung Vuong had a beautiful daughter named
Tien-Dung ("Tiên Dung" - Divine Beauty), who, although of fairy-like loveliness, was endowed
with a whimsical nature. Despite her father's entreaties, she rejected every
offer of marriage, preferring, as she said, to remain single in order to
satisfy her passion for visiting the many beautiful sites of her father's
kingdom, known as Van Lang. As the king loved his daughter tenderly, he tried
to please her in every way possible, even placing at her disposal a number of
vessels including the royal barge, so that she could navigate the rivers of the
realm.
At that time, in the village of Chu Xa (Hung Yen
province), lived Chu Cu-Van and his son Chu Dong-Tu (Marsh Boy). They were poor
fishermen whose home had been ruined by fire. They had lost all their clothing
except a single loincloth, which they took turns wearing. When Chu Cu-Van fell
seriously ill and felt death approaching, he called his son to the side of his
mat.
"After my death," he said, "keep this
loincloth for thyself."
But Chu Dong-Tu was a pious son and could not let his old
father be buried without shroud. He attended the funeral in borrowed clothes
and then found himself without a garment of any kind. The poor young fisherman
was obliged to do his fishing at night. During the day he would attempt to sell
his catch to the people in the boats passing along the river, remaining
immersed in the water up to his waist. One day, Princess Tien Dung, then in her
twentieth year, accompanied by a brilliant suite, happened to approach the very
place where Chu Dong-Tu was standing in the water. When the young fisherman
heard the sound of gongs and bells and perceived the wonderful array of
parasols and banners, he became frightened and took cover behind some
bulrushes. Then he quickly dug a hole in the sand and covered himself so
completely that only his nose was exposed.
Taking a liking to the picturesque surroundings, the
princess expressed a desire to bathe there. A tent was set up on the shore. The
princess entered, disrobed, and began to pour water over her head and
shoulders. As the water trickled to the ground, it washed away some of the
sand, exposing Chu Dong-Tu in all his nakedness.
"Who are you?" asked the princess. "What
are you doing here?"
"Your Royal Highness," replied the frightened
youth, not daring to raise his eyes, "I am only a poor fisherman. Having
no garment with which to clothe myself, I was forced to hide in the sand at the
approach of the royal barge. Will you not pardon my error?"
Princess Tien Dung dressed in haste and threw a remnant
of cloth to the young man so that he could cover himself. Then she questioned
him in great detail about his past life. Hardship had not marred Chu Dong-Tu's
handsome features, and the princess was not displeased with his demeanor. After
some deliberation, she reached a decision.
"I had not expected to marry," she said with a
sigh, "but Heaven has ordained this meeting. I cannot oppose Heaven's
Will." She immediately ordered all her officers and ladies to come
forward. When they had assembled, she told them of the extraordinary adventure
that had just befallen her. Then she announced that it was her intention to
marry the young man.
"But Your Royal Highness," cried Chu Dong-Tu on
hearing these words, "how can I, a penniless fisherman, be the husband of
a royal princess?"
"It has been predestined," replied the young woman;
"therefore, there can be no reservations about the matter."
"Long live Their Royal Highnesses." cried the
officers and ladies in chorus.
Chu Dong-Tu was properly clothed and groomed and the
royal wedding took place that same evening with great pomp. But when King
Hung-Vuong learned of it, he became furious and shouted angrily at his
courtiers.
"In marrying a vagabond," he said, "Tien
Dung has dishonored her rank of royal princess. She is to be disinherited and
forever banned from my court." The princess had no desire to face her
father's wrath. In order to provide for her husband and herself, she decided to
go into business. She sold her junks and her jewels, bought some land at a
crossroads near the village of Chu Xa, and established a trading post. Visited
by merchant vessels from the entire kingdom of Van Lang and from countries
overseas as well, the village prospered and in time became a great emporium.
One day, a foreign merchant advised the princess to send
an agent across the sea to purchase some rare merchandise that could then be
sold at a tenfold profit. Chu Dong-Tu was charged with this mission and
together with the foreign merchant left by sea. On reaching the island of Quynh
Vien, they met a Taoist priest who immediately recognized the sign of
immortality on Chu Dong-Tu's forehead. The former fisherman then entrusted his
gold to the foreign merchant and remained on the island for one year in order
to be initiated into the secrets of the Way (Dao).
On the day of Chu Dong-Tu's departure, the priest gave
his disciple a pilgrim's staff and a conical hat made of palm leaves. He
advised him never to be without them.
"This staff will give you support," he said,
"but it is worth much more. The hat will protect you from the rain and
also from harm. Both have supernatural power."
On returning to Chu Xa, Chu Dong-Tu converted his wife to
Taoism. They repented their earthly sins, abandoned their possessions, and left
in search of a deserted place, where they would be able to devote themselves
entirely to a study of the True Doctrine.
All day they stumbled on through the wilds and at last
fell to the earth exhausted. But before lying down to sleep, Chu Dong-Tu
planted his staff in the ground and on it hung the conical hat.
The couple had been asleep only a few moments before
being awakened by a crash of thunder. They sat up between flashes of lightning
and saw a magic citadel suddenly rise from the earth. It was complete with
jade-and-emerald palaces, public buildings, and houses for the inhabitants. Mandarins,
both civil and military, courtiers, soldiers, and servants came forward to
welcome them to the city, begging them to rule over the new kingdom. Chu
Dong-Tu and his wife entered their palace and began a reign of peace and
prosperity.
When King Hung-Vuong learned of the existence of the
magic citadel, he thought that his daughter had rebelled against his authority
and was desirous of founding a new dynasty. He assembled an army and ordered
his generals to destroy the rival kingdom. The people of the citadel urged the
princess to give them weapons so that they might defend her territory.
"No," she said, "I do not intend to defend
this citadel by force of arms. Heaven created it and Heaven has sent my
father's army against it. In any case, how can a daughter oppose her father's
will? I must submit to the inevitable."
That evening King Hung-Vuong's army camped on the bank of
the river opposite the magic citadel. His generals planned to attack the
following morning. But at midnight a terrible storm arose and the entire
citadel with all its inhabitants was seen to rise into the air and disappear.
The next morning the royal army found only a marshy pond and a sandy beach at
its former sight. The pond received the name of Dam Nhat Da, which means
"Pond Formed in One Night", the beach was called "Spontaneous
Beach", or Bai Tu-Nhien
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