The mystery of the ancient tower on But Mountain.

(Quang Ngai Newspaper) - Thien But Mountain in Nghia Chanh ward, Quang Ngai city (formerly known as But Mountain) bears witness to an ancient story from thousands of years ago of the Cham people. This story is contained within an ancient tower, which needs to be explored and preserved.

Thien But Mountain. PHOTO: MINH HOANG

In 1909, in his work *Inventaire descriptif des monuments Cams de l'Annam* (Inventory of Cham Temples in Annam), French archaeologist Henri Parmentier, in a section describing the 1904 excavation at Chánh Lộ Tower, mentioned a collapsed Cham temple ruin on the summit of Mount Bút, where the fallen tower bricks covered the ruins, rendering its original form unrecognizable. The 2017 excavation of the Mount Bút tower ruins revealed that it was a Shiva temple located on the highest peak of Mount Bút.

Mount But, also known as Thien But Phe Van (Heavenly Pen Writing on Clouds), is one of the ten scenic spots of Quang Ngai , as described in a poem by Governor Nguyen Cu Trinh when he served in Quang Ngai in 1750. Reaching the summit reveals a geological formation with two peaks resembling writing brushes, the highest of which, at 58 meters, was chosen by the Cham people for the construction of a tower. Mount But is also called Quy Son (Turtle Mountain). From the west or photographed from above, the mountain resembles a turtle leisurely walking towards the Bau Giang River. The body is Mount But, while its head is a low hill to the southeast, about 10 meters above sea level, now the location of Power Transmission Company 2. At the foot of the mountain to the south is Quy Son Pagoda, built by the Nguyen family long ago. To the east of Mount But is Mount Yang, next to which is Yang Hill with a giant footprint carved into the rock – a place of worship for the ancient Cham people.

The But Mountain Tower consists of a main tower and a smaller tower, with the main tower facing east. The tower's foundation is built of laterite stone, with a layer of river pebbles underneath. The laterite stone foundation construction technique at But Mountain Tower is similar to that used in the Koh Ker temples in Cambodia during the Khmer period, dating back to the 10th century. The Cham people improved the summit of But Mountain by excavating and compacting earth to create a level surface for the tower's construction. The earth was taken from the eastern side of the mountain; traces of the pits used to extract the foundation still remain. The Cham people built an earthen path leading to the tower, starting from the east, where the boat landing was located on the Bau Giang River. From here, pilgrims follow the earthen path to the tower. Traces of the path and boat landing still remain. The tower's well is located at the foot of the mountain to the south, with a mouth about 1 meter wide, and its water is clear and cool year-round. The well provides sacred water for worshipping the deities at the tower. Next to the well is a shrine dedicated to the Goddess.

The But Mountain Tower has a square base, with each side averaging 9 meters. The tower body is built of brick, and the tower's entrance faces east. The central chamber houses the Linga Yoni statue. Notably, the Linga Yoni statue is located at the highest point of But Mountain. The Linga Yoni statue is a large, detached piece of sandstone. The Linga has a diameter of 0.40m and a height of 0.43m; the Yoni is 1.68m long, 1.24m wide, and 0.25m thick. The Garuda statue is humanoid, made of fired ceramic, with its head missing and its wings spread horizontally. Only the head of the Naga statue remains. The two humanoid statues, also made of fired ceramic, are beautifully crafted, featuring slanted eyes, a long nose, a slender chin, and large ears.

The But Mountain Tower is located within the Chanh Lo temple complex, a large-scale Champa temple complex situated on the southern bank of the Tra Khuc River, dating back to the 11th century. On a Google Earth map, if you place the Chanh Lo Tower in the center and draw a straight line from But Mountain Tower to Ong Mountain Tower, all three towers—But Mountain Tower, Chanh Lo Tower, and Ong Mountain Tower—lie on a straight northwest-southeast axis. The distance from Chanh Lo Tower to But Mountain Tower is 3 km, and from Chanh Lo Tower to Ong Mountain Tower is 2 km. In the sacred geometric diagram of Hindu temple complexes, there are always eight guardian deities protecting the eight directions. The northwest is protected by the wind god Vayu, and the southeast by the fire god Agni. For the Chanh Lo temple complex, the northwest is Ong Mountain, located near the southern bank of the Tra Khuc River, with a Champa temple on top; the southeast is But Mountain and the Champa temple on its summit. This suggests that the But Mountain Tower was built concurrently with the Chanh Lo Tower, around the end of the 11th century. This date aligns with the sculptural art found in the But Mountain Tower, particularly the human head sculptures with delicate facial features and slender chins, reflecting the Chanh Lo style. Furthermore, the ceramics found inside the tower were ceremonial offerings, a crucial indicator in determining the tower's age. Numerous ceramic fragments from various periods were found here, including celadon fragments of jade green from the Northern Song period.

Thien But Phe Van is a sacred mountain in Quang Ngai province, belonging to the fire element in the South according to the Five Elements theory. It is Quy Son, one of the four sacred mountains symbolizing stability, talent, and learning. The Thien But Tower is a valuable Cham heritage site located in the heart of Quang Ngai city that needs to be preserved and restored to become an attractive destination for tourists.

DOAN NGOC KHOI

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Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/van-hoa/202402/bi-an-thap-co-nui-but-db54db3/