Tien Stream or Fairy Stream is a romantic tourist destination located in Suoi Tien Commune, Dien Khanh District, Khanh Hoa, about 17km south west of Nha Trang City. Its name Suoi Tien is connected with Dr. Alexandre Yersin’s activities. Fairy stream used to belong to Suoi Cat Commune where there is a high school named after Dr. Yersin and a small pagoda dedicated to the gifted doctor.
Originating from Hon Ba Mount, Cam Ranh Town, its current winds with many turns and twists around the valley, overflows the rock and then runs down into the delta. One branch runs northward into the field and the other flows eastward into Dau River and then merging themselves into the Cai River. There are two ways to get there. From Nha Trang City, you can take the national road 1A and go straight until you can see a direction sign of the stream and then follow the direction. You can also pass Dien Khanh Citadel and take the provincial road 2 to Dien Hoa Commune where you can ask any people here to show you the way.
Fairly Stream is attractive with a beautiful scenery related to many myths and legends. Here we can see some tracks believed to be left by fairies such as fairy chessboards, a fairy lake and a fairy cave. The first sight that travelers have is a fairy lake swirling into a deep and wide basin located beneath a natural stone dam. A legend goes that once upon a time, fairies used to come here to enjoy exhilarating baths. The rocks accidentally form a natural damp blocking the stream. In front of the damp, the water whirling in the form of a basin by the time makes up Fairy Lake. According to a legend, fairies occasionally got down here to relax themselves and have a bath. The water is so limpid that the stream bed can be seen. Skirting the stream bed up to the source, tourists can have a feeling of getting deep into a paradise with the murmurs of the water glistening in the sunlight. Along the two banks of the stream are layers of colorful stones of various shapes laying about in disorder.
Chessboards can be seen in many places with full chess pieces. These chessboards are believed to have been used by fairies. Especially, you can see the neat imprints of a giant’s five-fingered hand engraved on the stone side. According to a legend, once upon the time, when a giant man was relaxing enjoying the scenery, suddenly, he stepped on a mossy stone and slipped. Trying to pull himself back, he pressed his hand against the massive rock leaving the easily-seen imprints. The legend is quite similar to that about Chong Rocks, Nha Trang City.This is just local residents’ narrative which includes miracles and certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude.
The romantic scenery together with mysterious myths and legends has made Suoi Tien a great vacation destination in summer.
