There are many places in the world that are extremely famous in fictional works and novels, but actually originate from real places. Sharing – la of Tibet, Mount Olympus of Greece, or Trojan city… all are real places.
This time, we will continue to go to similar places. They are considered as intersections between myth and reality , majestic and beautiful landscapes that seem to have come out of legend.
Compared to ancient mythical places, Hobbiton has only appeared recently, about 20 years. In fact, before becoming “legendary “, it was no different from an ordinary lawn.
Located in Matamata, North Island, New Zealand, the forerunner of the famous Hobbiton is a 500-hectare lawn, used to graze 13,000 sheep and 300 cows. In 1998, while looking for a location to film the series Lord of the Rings (Lord of the Rings) , director Peter Jackson accidentally discovered and immediately “dot” it.
Through Jackson’s direction, 500 hectares of monotonous grassland suddenly became full of life. Tiny houses are submerged in the ground, beautiful stone steps and colorful fresh flowers emerge, adorning the space. On the footage of The Hobbit, they radiate absolute fascination, making Tolkien’s “fans” fall in love.
At the end of The Hobbit, it is also time for fans to go to Matamata to visit the land of the Hobbit. Of course, Matamata could not ignore this potential for money. They invested their money, built other tiny fairy-like buildings, really turning Hobbiton into a land of elves (although there were no dwarves).
Although it was not until the 1930s that the name of the Loch Ness monster stirred up European public opinion, the lifespan of this legendary animal is much “older”. Around the 6th century, the Scots told each other in the dark Loch Ness a monster of prehistoric origin.
Somehow, real or fake, in the 1930s, the Western press got a picture of the Loch Ness monster. Very soon, the whole world knew about Loch Ness.
It is not clear if this monster really exists, but Loch Ness is still located in the Scottish Highlands. It has an area of about 56.4 km2, a maximum depth of 230m, and is at an altitude of 15.8m above sea level.
Interestingly, in the lake, there is also a beautiful little Cherry Island. In addition, on the shores of Loch Ness there are also the beautiful ruins of Urquhart Castle. So even though they can’t see the legendary monster, tourists still love to visit the lake.
Even for those who have never set foot in England, the name Sherwood forest is still very familiar. Because it is associated with the legendary hero Robin Hood.
From folklore to written literature of the United Kingdom, people constantly praise Robin Hood’s heroic act of robbing the rich and giving to the poor. With the backing of the thick Sherwood forest, this great man suddenly appeared and disappeared. He was both the immediate worry of the greedy and the hopeless for the lowly commoners who were ruled for life.
Unfortunately, the Sherwood Forest is no longer as majestic as it used to be. But still glad that the county of Nottinghamshire promptly put it into conservation, and let’s keep the old oak tree when Robin Hood was still “horizontal”. It’s called Major Oak, and it’s about 1000 years old.
If you have ever read the collection of Japanese folklore Tono Monogatari (Fairy Tales of Tono) collected by the late writer Kunio Yanagita (1875-1962), you surely know the name Tono village. It is in this village that familiar Japanese fictional characters, including the famous Kappa, step out.
Lovely is that the village of these kami (gods) and yokai (youkai) is real in real life. It is the town of Tono, located in Iwate prefecture, northeast of Honshu, the largest island in Japan.
Contrary to modern cities such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Tono is still full of simplicity, idyllic, and agricultural features. In particular, the village also has the Unedori shrine of the marriage god and the famous sacred wish tree. It is believed that if you can tie a piece of red cloth to this tree with only your left hand, your wish will come true.
Year-round, Tono has folk festivals held. It is truly the most ideal place to learn about the indigenous culture of Phu Tang.