Located in Ngu Hanh Son District, the Ngu Hanh Son (Five Elements Mountains) lies about 8km in the South- East of Da Nang City's center, on the way to Hoi An. It is also known as the Marble Mountains.
The Mable Mountains has been considered as "The Landscape of the Southern Sky” (Nam Thien Danh Thang). According to the Yin and Yang theory on the five basic elements of the earth, it is called the god's gift to mankind. At the Marble Mountains, visitors not only can visit the pagodas but also enjoy the poetic beauty of nature. The caves inside the Marble Mountains are a mysterious world which is endowned by nature.
All of the mountains have caves and numerous tunnels, and it is possible to climb to the moutainous' peaks. Several Buddhist sanctuaries can also be found high on their sides, making this a famous tourist destination. Linh Ung pagoda is one of the famous pagodas at the Ngu Hanh Son which have inspired many great poets.
The Marble Mountains comprises five mounts and a 2km2 stretch of coastal area, look like five fingers rising out of the ground. Ngu Hanh Son is a cluster of five marble and limestone hills called Kim Son (Metal Mountain), Thuy Son (Water Mountain), Moc Son (Wood Mountain), Hoa Son (Fire Mountain) and Tho Son (Earth Mountain).
They were named after the five basic elements of the universe nearly 200 years ago by the Nguyen Dynasty King, Minh Mang, who went there many times and fell in love with the beauty. A lot of the legends and folklore about the mountains have been spread through by word of mouth.
There is also Hades Cave (Dong Am Phu) which was named in the reign of King Minh Mang at the beginning of the nineteenth century when the King visited the mountains. According to the Yin and Yang theory, humans and animals lives have two opposing sides, including day and night, birth and death. Therefore, there is a road to Heaven at the Thuy Son Mount and a road to Hell at Hades Cave.
In addition, there are a number of caves, grottos and Buddhist temples on the mountains with nice natural entrances and tunnels. The temples make the area a popular pilgrimage site.
Most of tourists go there to climb the Mountain of Water (Thuỷ Sơn). This hill has many caves and pagodas dating from the early seventeenth century. Hundreds of quite steep and mostly natural stone steps lead to the peak. After some 150 stone steps you will arrive in front of the Tam Quan Gate. Beside of the gate is the Riverview Tower (Vong Giang Tower). From this tower you can see Mount Kim Son, the Truong Giang and the Cam Le rivers, and surrounding coastal strip.
Nowadays, the Marble mountains is not only well-known as a tourist attraction but also a famous stone sculpture village through the country as well as the world.
The area is famous for stone sculpture making and stone-cutting crafts. As direct rock extraction from the Marble Mountains is prohibited, materials are now being transported from quarries in northern provinces like Thanh Hoa, Quang Nam...
Visiting the Marble mountain, tourists will not only have a chance to discover misterious caves but also enjoy many unique artistic works of Non Nuoc stone village.
Compiled by Thanh Pham (TITC)
