Than Dinh Mountain, also known as Bat Nghia Mountain or Chua Non Mountain – Source https://phongnhaexplorer.com/

Than Dinh Mountain is located in Truong Xuan Commune, Quang Binh Province. Than Dinh Mountain is about 342m above sea level. This is a rocky mountain that separates the Truong Son range from the coastal plain, so it stands out and is easily recognizable. From Hai Dang Hill or Dai Bridge (Dong Hoi) looking to the South, along the Luy River, at the end of the Dau Mau range is the towering Than Dinh Mountain. This place has “lovely mountains and rivers”, “mountains and waters intersect” because the mountains are at their highest and the water flows all year round.

Than Dinh Mountain is a wonderful landscape that nature has bestowed upon Quang Ninh in particular and Quang Binh province in general. Amidst the mountains is a primeval forest that still retains its wild beauty with many rare species of flora and fauna. Geological formations have formed many caves in the heart of the mountain with stalactites that have beautiful, magical images. According to some recorded documents, emperors such as Le Thanh Tong and King Minh Mang once came here to enjoy.

On the way to visit Than Dinh Mountain, visitors will admire many beautiful things around.

In particular, according to historical records and steles, in ancient times on Than Dinh mountain there was an ancient Kim Phong pagoda (the ancient Kim Phong pagoda is commonly known as Non Pagoda – a pagoda built with bamboo and thatch from the Later Le dynasty and rebuilt with bricks under the Nguyen dynasty (1829).

According to the books “O Chau Can Luc” (1553) and “Phu Bien Tap Luc” (1776), in 1470, when King Le Thanh Tong was inspecting the South, he came to Than Dinh mountain. The mountain master was facing a different direction, so he ordered his mandarins to symbolically hit the foot of the mountain to punish him for his “unrighteousness”. According to the stele of Than Dinh mountain, Than Dinh has a famous beautiful landscape near the imperial capital (Hue).

The mountain has Ky Lan peak in the East, Than Dinh peak in the Northwest, Long Lao peak, the highest in the Southwest. The three peaks face each other to form a valley on the mountain, connected to create a saddle shape about 200 square meters wide. There is Kim Phong ancient pagoda leaning against the dirt mountain, with a tower on the left, and the temple of Than Dinh Son Than on the right. Next to the left side of the pagoda is a mountain cave. The pagoda faces North, overlooking Nhat Le gate.

To form the temple garden and the medicinal and fruit gardens on the mountain, the ancients built many steps leading to the Fairy Well and the entrance to Than Dinh Cave, with a stone embankment over 2m high. The steps are still intact but are covered by trees and tangled vines that have not been restored. No one knows when the temple was built. Based on the stele, it can be known that before the 17th century, Hoang Phu Chan Quan, an enlightened monk, lived in the temple, practiced and wrote military books. When Dao Duy Tu went to the South at the beginning of the 17th century, he came to the mountain and was taught military books by Hoang Phu Chan Quan.

In 1807, the Canh Tien Pagoda Charity Association (Dinh 10) came to restore it but failed. In 1825, the great monk Tran Gia Hoi, from Duc Pho (Duc Ninh, Dong Hoi) came from Thien Mu Pagoda (Hue), built a thatched pagoda on the mountain and practiced here. In 1829, retired mandarin Le Van Truc, former village chief Co Hien and many good men and women donated money to build a pagoda and shrine on the mountain with bricks and tiles. In addition, 1,225 stone steps were built at the southern foot of the mountain up the mountainside to reach the pagoda. At the same time, a monk’s house was built for monks at the foot of Rao Da village, later called the first Zen house; a bell was cast and 11 statues were brought up the mountain.

From 1627 to 1634, Dao Duy Tu was chosen by Lord Nguyen as a military advisor and ordered the construction of a defense system of ramparts to defend. Truong Duc rampart was built in 1630, starting from Than Dinh to Hac Hai, Dau Mau rampart starting from Dau Mau to Nhat Le was the project that Lord Nguyen defended to establish a career in the South. According to the content of the stele erected in the 11th year of Minh Mang (1830), it was written about Kim Phong pagoda. In general, the stele wrote: In the Chinh Hoa era of the 21st year of the Later Le dynasty (1697), the pagoda had 8 rooms, with monk An Kha as the abbot. In 1701, he established Tam Bao field to expand the pagoda. But after a period of existence, the pagoda was burned down by fire, and all the monks dispersed and went elsewhere.

If visitors go to the pagoda to worship, they can take the waterway to the Lord’s Wharf (in the middle of Rao Da village) or take the road to the foot of the mountain along more than 1,200 stone steps to get to the pagoda. Go up the mountain, worship at the pagoda, at the shrine, go down to the Fairy well to get holy water, enter Than Dinh cave to admire the group of Buddhas at the end of the cave created by the rock sprouts and the canopy formed by stalactites on the wall with many mysterious and magical images for visitors to unleash their imagination.

At an altitude of 342m on Than Dinh mountain, visitors look towards Nhat Le estuary, Dong Hoi city, a landscape of mountains and rivers, brocade will gradually appear. Nhat Le, Kien Giang, Long Dai rivers like 3 winding dragons, winding around the two districts of Le Thuy, Quang Ninh disappear into the green of trees, fields, the water image from Cam Ly river evokes light like a reflective mirror.. All create a wild, magical beauty.

The climate on Than Dinh Mountain is relatively mild, very suitable for eco-tourism trips of tourists. Not only is it a poetic landscape, Than Dinh Mountain also contains within it an extremely rich and diverse flora and fauna. This is the place where many precious woods such as Tau, Huynh, Go, Lim grow and develop, besides there are also many animals living there such as monkeys, gibbons, monitor lizards, etc.

If anyone has ever been here, they will see in the dense foliage, the close proximity of trees and grass, the chirping of birds and the howling of gibbons, creating the sounds of the mountains and forests, intermingling with the rustling of trees and grass, giving us the feeling of being in a fairyland. Especially admiring the cycad forest growing on the cliff, the roots clinging tightly to the cracks, collecting every drop of rain from the sky. In any weather condition, the cycads still thoughtfully radiate a distinct green color. Looking up from the foot of the mountain, we cannot mistake the color of the cycads for the color of the trees.

Leaving the mountain, standing on the North bank of Long Dai looking up, the top of the mountain is carved with the image of Buddha kneeling on the Ky Lan peak in the East, her chest full from the two peaks of Than Dinh and Long Lao, her feet stretched into the Lantern (Rao Tru) in the West. Hearing the stories about King Can Long presenting the bell to Kim Phong Pagoda: Thien Chanh Hau (the eldest grandson of Nguyen Huu Dat, the eldest son of Nguyen Huu Hao) was the Chief of the Luu Don Dao (Dinh Muoi) when he went up the mountain and met the Buddha who descended to meet him at Bich Dong… then visitors will feel more respectful and inclined to goodness.

Along with many tourist attractions in the south of Quang Binh province such as Bang Hot Spring, Cha Loi Cave, Love Valley, Cold Water Stream and Long Dai Ferry Relic, Than Dinh Mountain promises to be an interesting eco-tourism and spiritual tourism destination for many visitors in the journey to discover the beauty when coming to Quang Binh.

Source: Department of Natural Resources and Environment