The travel itinerary of Da Nang and Hoi An is filled with a variety of splendid and stunning attractions. Many places are still out of tourist’s approach and only a few have visited them. You can find every type of place like green lands, tropical forests, river, sea, mountains and many more. The majestic mountain ranges are very important and amazing to visit. They are clean and well preserved so you can see some natural wonders in the hills, peaks and caves.
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Where is Ngu Hanh Son Mountion located?
The Ngu Hanh Son mountain is located at the distance of 8 km from Da Nang city center. This is a mountain range, located near the Hoa Khue Village coastline in the white sand. The other areas near the mountain range are Hoa Vang province, Ngu Hanh Son ward. This is a complete system having five different mountains with their own unique features. The stunning natural master piece looks like a sky from above and this is considered as a sacred land for the Vietnamese people. You can easily see this because of its appearance, temples, pagodas and sacred vibes. The names of the mountains in the group are Kim Son, Thuy Son, Tho Son, Moc Son and Hoa Son. They were named during the Nguyen Dynasty by the King Ming Mang. The Thuy son is the most prominent mountain because it is the most beautiful and highest among all the others. You will find this trip as the most unforgettable thing in your Vietnam trip.
(Ngu Hanh Son Mountain – Marble Mountain entrance fee)
The Folklore of the Ngu Hanh Son Mountain
The Cham culture is one of the oldest cultures of Vietnam and they believe in this legend about the mountains. There was a Fisherman who used to live near the seaside in the immense sand. One day a Dragon Naga God appeared that was flying in that area for reproduction. Suddenly, Kim Quay God who was a golden turtle came there and started digging the sand. He put an egg into that and gave his toenail to the fisherman. He taught him how to protect the egg by the help of the toenail. It helped him to prevent the eagles and other wild creatures to come near the egg. The days kept passing and the egg started growing rapidly. A beautiful girl came out of the egg. When she came out the shell of the egg broke into five pieces that converted into five mountains. The names Kim, Moc, Hoa, Thuay and Tho were given to them that is among the most famous destinations of Vietnam.
(Ngu Hanh Son Mountain – Marble Mountain entrance fee)
Trace of History in Ngu Hanh Son Mountain
This place is the center of history and culture of Vietnam. The King Minh Mang used to visit this place 200 years ago. He created the pagoda, mountain sculpture by dubbing the mountain and grottos by his own hands. It took a long to do this task and names dubbing like Ngu Hanh Son, Van Nguyet, Huyen Khong, Thien Long. The mountains and landscape had a special place in his heart. Vietnamese are so proud of this mark of history and culture of their country. This place is very well kept that it still works like it used to during the 19th century. Cliff moss in grottos have the poetry relics of Le, Tran dynasty. Some spiritual masterpieces of the place are the tomb of Tran Quang Dieu’s mother, Ngoc Lan Princess shrine, Kim son mountain, Ba Tho cave and Hell Grotto. They are the representatives of the legends of the Ngu Hanh Son Mountains and are considered as sacred.
Five Mountains of the Ngu Hanh Son Mountain
There are a lot of stories associated with the mountains. They are listened and told by the locals in a very interesting way that visitors enjoy them. The mountains are very charming and magical like a fairytale kind of thing. Their natural existence is very interesting because the five names of mountains are the five elements which create the universe according to the Chinese philosophy. The names meaning:
Kim is Metal
Moc is Tree
Thuy is water
Hoa is Fire
Tho is soil
Five Mountains Detail
The names and the details of the mountains are as follows:
Moc Son – The Wood Mountain
The Moc son is located near the Thuy son in the east coastal area. The mountain has fields to the north, sandy caves to the south and east and villages on the west. This is the wood mountain but it does not have a lot of green trees but there are a huge number of rocky peaks. The other name of the mountain is Mong Ga mountain because of the shape of peaks. There is one marble block on the mountain that resembles to a sitting person. It is locally known as Co Mu Stone, Ms. Mu or Guanyin. There is a small cave in the mountain known as Ba Trung which was used by the locals and officials to hide during the US and French attacks. The north and southern side of the mountain looks like an abandoned wall.
Thuy Son – The Water Mountain
This is a huge and most beautiful among all the mountains. It is located at the northeast of the Ngu Hanh Son. There are a wide number of stalactite caves and ancient temples in the 15 hectares long mountain. Two amazing places in the mountain are Linh Ung Pagoda and Tam Thai Pagoda. The path is made with 108 stone stairs to reach the Linh Ung Pagoda in mountain. To reach the Tam Thai Pagoda there are 156 stairs. There is a stone carving village at the roadside if Huyen Tran street that can be visited by car. The people are expert of carving statues in the stone. The mountain is a home of Buddhist anchorites and the pagodas belong to the 17th century. There is an elevator for those who do not want to hike. This marble mountain entrance fee is 40000 VND and for the elevator is 15000 VND.
Kim Son – The Metal Mountain
The South East of Ngu Hanh Son is the home of Kim Som that is near the Co Co river. The boat trips take the visitors to the temples and the calm waters with the mountain shadows. There is a cave passing under the mountain that is almost 50-meter long and 10-meter wide. The height is around 15 meters that lead to the natural stone shaping. You will find layers of stalactite on the cliffs that naturally formed the statues of Bodhisattva. The statutes have natural shimmer and glitter because of the stalactites layers and there is a dragon curled up at the bottom. The Quan Am Pagoda is located behind the mountain. The cave was discovered in the nineteenth century because its entrance is small but it becomes bigger from inside. Vietnamese people pay offering to this place for wealth, health and happiness. The water passing from the rock layers make a clear water pond in the center of the cave. The natural statue looks like a magical happening of water.
Hoa Son – The Fire Mountain
The fire mountain is made in the form of two peaks joined together with a knob of stone street. Locals call this rock formation as the negative and positive side. It has limestone on its parts and a number of thick trees growing with stones. There is a Pagoda named Pho Son Da and some caves in the mountain. The middle of the peaks joining is also a Pagoda named Ung Thien. The mountain is not famous for the beauty but it is an important spiritual and religious site where Buddhist comes to worship.
Tho Son – the Earth Mountain
It is the lowest and the longest mountain of the five. Thuy Son has it in the west and Kim Son has it in the north side. The mountain resembles a huge dragon in the sand. It attaches with the Ba Cha river from the western side. Mountain has wide range of rocks creating two floors and a number of low and narrow cliffs. The Mountain has grass in the red clay that was used for the brick making in the Champa Era. The mountain has a deep cave known as the Coc Cave or Bo De Cave. This place has a very close connection with the Cham culture because it became a shelter for the Cham people when they lost their lands to Vietnam Government. Their structures and temples are well preserved which can be seen.
How to get to Marble Mountains
The mountains can be reached by crossing the Han River bridge from the Da Nang city center. The site remains open daily from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. The marble mountain entrance fee is:
Water mountain 40000 VND
Hell Cave 40000 VND
Guide for a group (if you hire) 50000 VND
(Ngu Hanh Son Mountain – Marble Mountain entrance fee)
Best time to visit Ngu Hanh Son Mountain
They can be visited any time of the year except for the stormy season otherwise the coastal areas temperature remains mild or hot. There is a lot of walk and climbing to visit the site so wear comfortable clothes and shoes. The best time is from June to August when there is Summer season. The time from September to November is not recommended to visit. This is the storm season and the mountains becomes wet and very slippery. The dry season is from December to June so this time they can also be visited. However, you have to bring a lot of drinking water. The beaches of the area remain filled with tourists from December to August. If you want to get some amazing photographs, then visit the place in Summer when the mountains are on their full glory.
Places to visit in the Mountains
Huyen Khong Cave
It is very famous among the tourists and Buddhist people. This huge place is an ancient sanctuary of Buddhist gods. The natural light moves in the cave very beautifully and shines on the face of Buddha Statue. This is an amazing view of the three meters Buddha sculpture in the center of the cave. There are two temples in the cave for worshipping to bring health and wealth.
Linh Ung Pagoda
It contains around 200 Buddha statues and is restored a lot of times. The gate has some stunning views of the ocean.
Tam Thai Pagoda
It is an amazing historical and cultural site belonging to the 17th century. There is a need to climb 156 stone stairs to reach this pagoda. The three entrance gates have one for men one for women and the middle one for the Buddhist Monks. Natural disasters and wars destroyed some parts of it that were reconstructed many times. There are Hue’s Tombs and Pagodas in the original form along with the heart shaped card of fire given by the King Minh Mang.
