Referring to the Southern Don ca tai tu, the song “Da co hoai lang” by the late musician Cao Van Lau is probably the most famous song. Overcoming many ups and downs of life, many historical events still live in the heart of life. During your trip to the Mekong Delta, if you have the opportunity to stop on the land of Bac Lieu, do not forget to take time to visit the memorial area of musician Cao Van Lau to hear stories about the birth of the song.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Bac Lieu Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket:
Spend-time: One and a half hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – dusk
Food:
Shop:
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/cao-van-lau-musician-memorial-site-bac-lieu/
Address: Located in Ward 2, Bac Lieu city
Added values: The memorial area for musician Cao Van Lau is always a destination that many tourists choose whenever they have the opportunity to visit Bac Lieu. Not only to express love to the talented musician, but also a way for lovers of the Southern Don ca tai tu art to learn more deeply the values of the art that are recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. With this memorial area, Bac Lieu is proud to be the land of “talented people” who have given birth and raised talented artisans and artists.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site? Ghositaram pagoda (12 km), Xiem Can Pagoda (10 km), Cong Tu Bac Lieu House (8 km), Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary (4 km), Vinh Hung Ancient Temple (58 km), Bac Lieu market (5 km)…
2. Travel Guide to Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site
In particular, the memorial area was formerly the grave of the musician’s family, then it was renovated and built more works for the purpose of organizing important events, and at the same time as a place to receive tourists from far away.
With a total area of more than 12,000 m2, the memorial area for musician Cao Van Lau is considered an interesting tourist destination in Bac Lieu, which affirms the position of Hoai Lang ancient village and honors the talent of musician Cao Van Lau. The memorial area for musician Cao Van Lau was decided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to be included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012.
Musician Cao Van Lau (or Sau Lau), was born on December 22, 1892 in Cai Cui hamlet, Chi My village, Vam Co district, Long An province. Due to difficult circumstances, his family drifted to many places before stopping in Bac Lieu. With the guidance of the first steps of classical musician Le Tai Khi, the talent of a great musician in him was developed.
The memorial area for musician Cao Van Lau includes many works such as the grave of musician Cao Van Lau and his relatives, the bust of musician Cao Van Lau, the display area of images…
As soon as you pass through the main gate, visitors will see a bamboo tube monument appearing in the middle of the memorial area, behind the fountain. This monument is the pliers – the symbol of the Southern Don Ca Tai Tu – associated with the image of musician Cao Van Lau – the son of Bac Lieu province. The pliers are stylized from burning bamboo, the part of the pliers is chiseled to create a mysterious and sacred feeling, evoking nostalgia and remembrance of the deceased. This is also the place where visitors burn incense to commemorate.
The highlight here to create more sacredness and mystery is that the steps to the bamboo tube station are arranged with the number of steps: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 symbolizing the level and rhythm of the ancient cai luong corresponding to each artist’s composition. These are: beat 2 of Cao Van Lau, beat 4 of Trinh Thien Tu, beat 8 of Lu Hoa Nghia, beat 16 of Mong Van, beat 32 of Tran Tan Hung and beat 64 of Ly Khi.
Leading up to the bamboo platform is the stair railing made of Thanh Hoa green stone, which is depicted with the shape of a dragon going up the stairs combined with a cloud vein to create a harmonious vibrancy because Bac Lieu is likened to the cradle of Don Ca Tai Tu.
3. What to Do –See – Eat at Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site
If you want to admire precious documents on the art of Don Ca Tai Tu or see pictures of typical Cai Luong artists and artisans of Bac Lieu, the exhibition area is a must-visit place for tourists. Here, theatrical costumes of many famous Cai Luong artists, scenes of restoration of Dan Ca Tai Tu with wax or ancient musical instruments of artisans are present.
Visitors will learn about a flourishing period of Vietnamese folk music and cai luong art, as well as learn a bit about the historical context of the song “Da Co Hoai Lang”. Da Co Hoai Lang (Listen to the drums at night, miss your husband). The song was written by him when he and his wife were forced to separate after 3 years of living without children. During this time, out of love for his wife, at night he hugged the lute to play, the melodies and lyrics all spoke of his heart for his wife. And he believes that as a woman, his wife still misses him more, so he named this heart song Hoai Lang. After more than 100 years since its birth, the immortal love song “Da Co Hoai Lang” by musician Cao Van Lau has still touched millions of Vietnamese hearts because of its deep affection and filial piety.
But along with many of the above items, one of the places in the memorial area for the late musician cannot fail to mention, which is the grave of the late musician’s family. The grave area is the place next to each other of the late musician’s father, mother and dignified wife.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Bac Lieu city center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in Bac Lieu. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package Bac Lieu daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. These days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from Google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in Bac Lieu village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in Bac Lieu.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. The Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
You can stay in a homestay which is near the riverside, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself and I hope you have an amazing Mekong Delta river sunrise.
If you plan to extend your travel to Bac Lieu homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Bac Lieu or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Bac Lieu responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Bac Lieu food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Bac Lieu cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Bun bo cay (Spicy beef noodle soup), Three-striped crab (Freshwater crab in Bac Lieu), Banh cu cai (White radish pies), Banh tam bi Bac Lieu (Bac Lieu thick noodles & creamy coconut milk), Pho Ngheu, Bon Bon Pickles
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Bac Lieu in the rainy season, as Bac Lieu always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Bac Lieu tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary, Bac Lieu Salt Farm, Buddha Temple Ba Nam Hai, Cong Tu Bac Lieu House, Ghositaram Pagoda in Bac Lieu, Bac Lieu Wind Farm, Ancient Longan Orchards, Vinh Hung Ancient Temple, Xiem Can Pagoda Bac Lieu, Cao Van Lau Theater (Conical Hat Non La Theater), Tac Say Church, Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site, Nha Mat amusement park, Bac Lieu Beach and mangrove forests, Phuoc Duc Ancient Temple and Dia Mau Cung (Ba Pagoda), Bac Lieu Market, Hung Vuong Square in Bac Lieu…
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Bac Lieu province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
