Bich Dao Grotto is a famous tourist attraction in Nga Thien Commune, Nga Son District, Thanh Hoa Province. Also known as Tu Thuc Grotto, it gained popularity because of its origin which is an extra ordinary love between a human and a fairy.

According to local legend, a scholar named Mr. Tu Thuc met and fell in love with an enchanting fairy named Giang Huong. He followed her to fairy land to be with her, but secretly missed his home. When he couldn't take the loneliness anymore, he finally decided to go back and visit his village, but was so surprised when no one knew who he was. What he didn't know was that time runs slower in fairy land than on earth, and all his family and friends had long since passed away. Thuc was so heartbroken that he left his home land and hasn't been seen again since.

While the grotto is already a tourist destination, going there is an adventure in itself. The way to Tu Thuc Grotto is filled with natural beauty like rice fields, shady trees and stone path. At the entrance of the grotto are two Chinese poems inscribed on a rock written by a well-known Vietnamese scholar in the 18^th century. The outer section of the grotto looks like a giant bowl turned upside down and filled with colorful stalactites and stalagmites that have gotten popular with visitors, too that they have been given different names like Silver Store, Rice Store, Salt Store and Coin Store. There is even a dragon-shaped stalagmite on the ground with egg-shaped pebbles in the middle which people call “The dragon brooding golden eggs.”

The upper section of the grotto is nicknamed “The Orchestra” because of the stalactites which look like fallen leaves and each producing a unique traditional musical instrument sound like that of a gong, drum and bell. The middle portion looks like a chessboard, while another area looks like shoes. The path upwards is called “The Way to Heaven” while the path downwards is called “The Way to Hell.” Other images like flowery carpets, seals, caps and gowns can be seen inside. A pool of clear and cool water can also be found there, with the stalactites hanging “like a loose curtain.” The inner section is dedicated to Tu Thuc with an altar-shaped rock and stalagmites that look like candles and ancestral tablets.

All in all, the sight is amazingly breathtaking, a tribute to a bittersweet love story.