Explore the Five Sacred Mountains

Sacred

From Highway 37 to parking lot number 1 of Con Son relic site, looking up to the right, Ngu Nhac appears towering, covered with green trees that are pleasing to the eye.

Climbing a few dozen stone steps, we "touched" the ceremonial gate built in a 2-storey, 8-roofed architecture, like "three mountains" with a high "middle mountain" and a low "side mountain". "According to the concept, this is the link between the life force of heaven transmitted to the earth, reflecting the eternal desire of people hoping that the power of the cosmic superpowers will contribute to the balance between yin and yang to create all species and things, ensuring eternal happiness", Ms. Dinh Thi Lien, tour guide of the Con Son - Kiep Bac relic site, informed us when climbing Ngu Nhac mountain.

After offering incense at the main gate, we started our journey up the mountain on foot. It was spring, with misty rain covering the path. The slope was gentle, the road was quite easy to walk. The higher we went, the more we could feel the pure scent and sound of the Con Son mountains and forests. The hustle and bustle of everyday life seemed to have been left behind, giving way to the serenity and relaxation in the souls of each person in the group.

According to Ms. Lien, Ngu Nhac Mountain originates from the Huyen Dinh and Yen Tu ranges. With the sand and gravel structure and high humidity, the vegetation here is rich and green all year round, with the most pine, bamboo, tamarind, wild banana... The sound of pine trees rustling, leaves rustling, streams flowing, birds chirping. All of these create a symphony of the Con Son mountains and forests that lasts through the years, never ceasing.

The ancients used to praise: "Chi Linh is a district, it is truly sacred because of Con Son. Con Son is the most sacred, it truly depends on the Five Mountains." Meaning, Chi Linh is called sacred because of Con Son's sacredness. Con Son is sacred because of the Five Mountains.

Ngu Nhac Mountain is located in the Northeast of Con Son, sloping from North to South with a length of more than 4 km, including 5 peaks, on each peak the ancients built a temple to worship the gods of the five directions, so it is called Ngu Nhac Linh Tu.

The ancients considered Ngu Nhac a sacred mountain because sacred energy from all directions converged.

5 sacred mountains

During the journey to climb Ngu Nhac, Ms. Lien took us to offer incense at 5 temples: Bac Nhac Temple - Trung Nhac Temple - Tay Nhac Temple - Dong Nhac Temple - Nam Nhac Temple. The locations of the 5 temples are 5 mountains of Ngu Nhac range.

The five temples were built of green stone, all facing south, overlooking Con Son Lake - a place where spirits, water and fortune gather. "No one knows when these five temples were built, they were previously simple open-air altars, plastered with lime. In 2006, the People's Committee of Hai Duong province restored the five temples along with a system of walking paths up the mountain to meet the spiritual needs of people across the country and to introduce to visitors from all over the world the unique cultural features of the Eastern region, past and present," Ms. Lien informed.

The five peaks of the Five Mountains represent the East, West, South, North and Central directions, each corresponding to an element (metal, wood, water, fire, earth). According to Taoist theory, the Five Mountains are one of the geographical flags of the Taoist heaven. Therefore, on each peak of the Five Mountains, there is a place to worship the natural gods, the Five Directions and Five Elders: the Green Emperor in the East, the White Emperor in the West, the Red Emperor in the South, the Black Emperor in the North, and the Yellow Emperor in the center. This is the phenomenon of the deification of the five elements into the five directions and five gods of Taoism.

Each temple on the Five Mountains has the function of governing good luck, bad luck, misfortune, and fortune, commanding all creatures, and governing trees, mountains, forests, and ravines. The Eastern Mountain Temple symbolizes the element of wood, worshiping the Thanh Long Thanh De god who governs all misfortunes and fortunes in the human world. Offerings at this temple are to pray for the removal of bad luck and disasters, and for career advancement. The Southern Mountain Temple worships the Red Emperor god who governs two-legged creatures and fire. Offerings at the Southern Mountain Temple are to pray for avoiding fires. The Western Mountain Temple worships the White Tiger Thanh De god who governs the five metals. Offerings here are to pray for metallurgical and mining businesses. The Northern Mountain Temple worships the Black Emperor god. This is a god with a very high position in Taoism. Offerings here are to pray for favorable weather and wind.

Trung Nhac Temple is the center of Ngu Nhac, it is said that the immortals often gather here. Since ancient times, Trung Nhac Temple has been the place where prayers for peace are held. In ancient times, whenever the country encountered problems such as drought, crop failure, war, and bandits, the dynasties would send their officials to Trung Nhac Temple to pray for the immortals to bless the country with peace, favorable weather, and good crops.

Every year, on the morning of January 17, the Organizing Committee of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival solemnly holds a ceremony on Ngu Nhac Mountain, praying for national peace and prosperity, good crops, and prosperity... At the end of the ceremony, the leaders will give grain to the people for planting.

The ceremony at Ngu Nhac Linh Tu is one of the main rituals, contributing to expanding the sacred space of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival, meeting the spiritual and cultural needs of the people and tourists from all over.