First thing first, Con Son Mountain is a must-see site which boasts the fairytale setting and Zen spirit, compared with a resting lion. The Mountain surrounds U Bo Mountain and a valley with bamboo forest all the way to the west, situated adjacent to Phuong Hoang (Phoenix) Mountain range. The range features 72 mountain peaks with its colossal pine forests, serene streams, peril cliffs and a host of towers and pagodas.
Situated at the flat top of Con Son Mountain, next to Fairy Chess, is Am Bach Van (White Cloud Temple). In order to reach the Fairy Chess, you need to climb up 600 rocky steps. The legend has it that visitors from Northern Citadel came to visit the Mountain in the early morning and discovered the trace of someone who had been playing chess and enjoying the atmosphere at the top of the mountain. It is believed that some deities had ridden clouds to Con Son Mountain to play chess and hurried back to heaven when they heard the sound of human beings arrived at the site.
At the foot of the mountain is located Con Son Pagoda, which was built at the end of the 13th century. Once you enter the entrance gate, you will enter an absolutely tranquil, meditative atmosphere without bustle and hustle from enthusiastic tourists and hawking vendors. Con Son Pagoda is one of the three centers of the Buddhist Truc Lam Trinity under Tran Dynasty in the period of 1225-1400. In 1329, the pagoda got extended and has undergone a number of restorations during the 17th and 18thcenturies.
Visitors coming to the pagoda may wish to lay eyes on a grandiose, 600-years old tree, which is claimed to be planted by Tran Nguyen Dan, a gifted poet and Confucian scholar, simultaneously the Great Prime Minister under Tran Dynasty in 14th century. The Pagoda is remarkable with its collection of 385 Buddha statues with different facial expressions.
There are other sites worth your visit such as Con Son Stream and Thach Ban (Stone Table) where Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), the World Cultural Figure, used to spend time composing literature masterpiece and being in deep thoughts of national issues.
In 2002, a temple was inaugurated in commemoration of Nguyen Trai’s birthday anniversary. The temple covers an entire area of 10,000km2. The temple is circled by To Son, An Lac and Ngu Nhac Mountains. The temple manifests Vietnamese people’s gratitude to Nguyen Trai, the prominent and loyal and dedicated servant of Vietnamese People back in ancient time.
Nguyen Trai Temple