Ba Ria – Vung Tau is located in the Southeast region, bordering Dong Nai province to the North, Ho Chi Minh City to the West, Binh Thuan province to the East, and the South bordering the East Sea. The name Ba Ria – Vung Tau was formed a long time ago, but few people know that the name of this locality was named after a woman. Woman That is Nguyen Thi Ria. She is not a king, nor a founding father. She is just an ordinary woman, but has a strong and determined spirit.
According to history books, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ria She had great contributions in the development of Long Dien – Xuyen Moc land, now in Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, during the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan. In the book Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi by Trinh Hoai Duc, it is recorded that Ba Ria was from Phu Yen, born in 1665 and died in 1759. When she was 15 years old, she and a group of migrants from Dinh Tran Bien (Phu Yen) migrated to the South to settle down under the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan (1648-1687).
The land she set foot on was a desolate place with complex terrain, famous for its poisonous water, miasma, and full of wild animals. Undaunted, Ba Ria Together with the people, she enthusiastically reclaimed land and established villages in Dong Xoai area, now Hoa Long commune, Ba Ria city. From there, she continued to expand land reclamation to neighboring areas such as Go Xoai – Phuoc Lieu (now Tam An commune, Long Dien district), then moved to Lang Dai (now Dat Do district) and Xuyen Moc coastal area.
Not only did she stop at reclaiming land, she also mobilized people to repair bridges and roads destroyed by storms and floods. It was her contributions that helped Nguyen Huu Canh’s army complete the task of expanding the territory to the South.
Until now, it is still unclear what Ba Ria’s family name was. However, thanks to her great contributions in reclaiming land and establishing villages, along with her reputation for virtue and prestige in the region, she was granted the title of Ham Nghe and the Lord’s family name by Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu (1691-1752). Therefore, she was called Nguyen Thi Ria.
Ba Ria lived through five Nguyen lords and passed away in 1759, under the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat, at Hac Lang, Phuoc Lieu (now Tam Phuoc commune, Long Dien district), at the age of 94.
Because she had no husband or children, the 300 acres of land she reclaimed were confiscated and distributed to the poor. To commemorate her contributions, the local people built a tomb and worshiped her with the parallel sentence: “Ba Ria is an eternal spirit/ The Queen is a glorious person who will last for thousands of years”. On her tombstone is engraved the words “Nguyen Thi Ria fairy”.
The tomb and shrine of Ba Ria are located in Tam Phuoc commune, Long Dien district. In 1902, the French School of the Far East restored her tomb. The tomb was then restored twice more in 1936 and 1972. Currently, this is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ba Ria – Vung Tau.
In 1991, the name Ba Ria was added to the name of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province when the province was established. In 2012, her name continued to be given to the administrative and political center of the province, which is Ba Ria city.
The death anniversary of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ria is held annually on the 16th day of the 6th lunar month, at 12 noon. This is an opportunity for local people to remember the merits of the woman who reclaimed the land and founded the village in the early days.