Leading the way to the cultural and spiritual realm

The road leading to Am Cac Pagoda.

Anyone who has ever walked on the road leading to Truong Le mountain in the warm spring days or the vibrant summer days will surely not forget the excitement and joy in the bustling footsteps of many tourists from all over. In autumn, that road takes on its own beauty and charm, evoking both the wild and liberal features and no less romantic and poetic. The mountain rocks are still deep and solid. The forest trees still rustle mysterious sounds that cannot be named. The small winding and curving paths keep leaning on each other, supporting the footsteps of travelers. On both sides of the road, the dry leaves are like a soft brown carpet, the layer of leaves wet with dew has begun to rot.

Here, in the autumn days, everything seems to be quiet. From the moment we set foot on the path leading up the mountain, we seem to have temporarily put aside the hustle and bustle to immerse ourselves in the natural scenery, open our chests to enjoy the fresh air. Above all, Truong Le mountain gives visitors a deep sense of the historical - cultural and spiritual values condensed in the legends and myths that have been passed down from generation to generation, in each relic present here.

It is a touching story about motherly love associated with the formation of Truong Le mountain; the legend of Hon Trong Mai - a love story of Thanh land; the legend of Doc Cuoc god - a giant who sacrificed himself to defeat the sea demons, determined to split his body in half to protect the lives of the people... The roads take us through the unique historical - cultural - spiritual relics with a system of sacred temples and pagodas such as: Doc Cuoc temple, Co Tien temple, To Hien Thanh temple, Tranh pagoda... Truong Le mountain is the place that preserves the mark of the French resort exploitation on the Sam Son sea land from a hundred years ago; the place that preserves emotional and proud memories of Uncle Ho on the third time he visited Thanh Hoa .

In the sweet yellow sunlight, the immense blue sky and clouds, the cool breeze, the path leading up to Cac Mountain (Dinh Hai Commune) is breathtakingly beautiful. From the foot of the mountain, when moving through the road, the view of Hao Hao Lake has made many people admire and admire. However, right when walking under the pine trees along both sides of the path, the mind seems to be attracted by this poetic and romantic scene. Then many young people will exclaim when seeing dry pine cones falling all over the path, happily choosing the most beautiful ones to keep as a beautiful memory of this land - "miniature Da Lat" of Thanh land.

The steep road with a length of about 3km not only impresses with its natural scenery but it is also the road that takes visitors to Am Cac Pagoda. This is the largest and most ancient Buddhist complex in Thanh Hoa with destinations such as Trinh Pagoda, Ha Pagoda, Trung Pagoda, Thuong Pagoda, and Mau Temple. In which, Ha Pagoda is the architectural center. Ha Pagoda faces East, its back leaning against Cac Mountain, on both sides is a mountain arc embracing the pagoda. Along the way to visit and admire the pagoda, visitors cannot help but be delighted when encountering stone slabs shaped like gongs, bells, ancient wells, large stone slabs carved with Buddha images...

It is known that, in the past, Am Cac Pagoda was a forgotten ruin in the middle of a wild and lonely mountain forest. The road to the pagoda was very difficult, mainly following a path of dense vegetation. In 2014, monk Thich Nguyen Dai came here, overcame many difficulties and hardships, mobilized all resources to restore and embellish the pagoda from a ruin into an attractive spiritual tourist destination, attracting the attention of researchers and archaeologists. Since then, Am Cac Pagoda has undergone archaeological exploration and excavation, discovering many valuable artifacts, which are important bases for determining the age, carrying out planning, preserving and promoting the value of the relic.

In a person’s life, who can count all the lands they have passed through, the roads they have set foot on. But there will be roads that we will never forget, wanting to return to many times. Like the way many tourists have traveled on the roads leading to Truong Le mountain, Cac mountain, Nua mountain,... and called them the paths to the cultural and spiritual land of Thanh land.

Article and photos: Dang Khoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/dan-loi-ve-mien-van-hoa-tam-linh-260750.htm