Phai Ve Mountain (Dong Kinh Ward) is a precious gift that nature has bestowed upon Lang Son during its geological formation. It is a small mountain rising amidst a vast plain beside the Ky Cung River, with many caves within. Many people liken Phai Ve Mountain to a miniature landscape, adding to the poetic beauty of Lang Son. The ancients called Phai Ve "Tam Thai Mountain," a name often recorded in Vietnamese geographical texts from the Nguyen Dynasty. In astronomy, Tam Thai refers to three stars at the tail of the Big Dipper constellation: Thuong Thai, Trung Thai, and Ha Thai. In folklore, mountains with three peaks located on three levels, resembling the positions of the three Tam Thai stars in the sky, are often called Tam Thai Mountains. Our country once had mountain ranges named Tam Thai, well-known in Thanh Hoa, Hue, Da Nang , etc. The book Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi (National History Institute of the Nguyen Dynasty) records the Tam Thai mountain in Lang Son as follows: "Tam Thai mountain: 35 miles south of Thoat Lang district, the range extends from Cong Mau mountain in the east, crosses Ky Cung river, and rises as 3 peaks east of the provincial capital."
In 1906, H. Mansuy, a French geologist and archaeologist working at the Indochina Geological Survey, visited Phai Ve Mountain to search for traces of the geological formation and human development there. Inside a cave, he discovered several animal fossils from the Late Pleistocene period, such as tapirs and wild boars, and identified them as one of the paleontological relics in Indochina. In January 1998, the Institute of Archaeology (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences ) and the Lang Son General Museum collaborated on a research and survey to find traces of human habitation in the caves within the mountain. During the excavation of Phai Ve Cave II in April 1998, archaeologists found numerous artifacts that provided evidence of human habitation in the area. These are the tools and household items of prehistoric people, including: 1 axe with a polished shoulder, 9 grinding stones, 4 millstones, 2 pestles, 25 chipping tools, 28 fragments of coarse pottery... Along with these are the remains of their meals in the "kitchen rubbish heaps": 159 mountain snail shells, 5,806 stream snail shells, 41 clam shells, 1,252 mussel shells, 1,714 bone fragments, and 20 animal teeth. In addition, there are 10 human skull fragments, suggesting that this may be the remains of a burial site. The Phai Ve archaeological site is considered by archaeologists to be a crucial transitional step between the late Bac Son Culture and the early Mai Pha Culture, dating back approximately 5,000-4,500 years ago. In 2004, the Phai Ve archaeological site was classified as a national historical and cultural relic, becoming a well-known tourist attraction.
Under the feudal dynasties of Vietnam, Phai Ve was a place marked by historical events of the period of feudal autonomy. This included the relocation of the administrative center from the Quang Lang (Chi Lang) region to the present-day Lang Son capital. The Lang Son Gazetteer (published by the People's Committee of Lang Son Province in 1999) states that during the Tran Dynasty (13th century), Lang Son citadel was built at the foot of Phai Ve mountain, hence its name, Ve citadel. Later, due to the perceived disadvantage of the location, it was moved south of the Ky Cung River (in Mai Pha, Chau On district), now the location of the Doan Thanh relic (Luong Van Tri ward). In the 3rd year of Thanh Thai's reign (1891), the Lang Son Confucian Temple was rebuilt at the foot of Phai Ve mountain, as the old site at the southern gate of Lang Son citadel was occupied by French troops. The inconvenience of religious ceremonies for the people led to its relocation. The Lang Son Confucian Temple is one of the few Confucian relics in Vietnam dedicated to Confucius – the sage of Confucianism. An inscription recording the reconstruction of the Lang Son Confucian Temple in the 3rd year of the Thanh Thai reign (1891) describes the location as follows: “In front of that land is the Ky Cung River, behind is Tam Thai…”. In the document “Lang Son Village Chronicle” compiled by the French School of Far Eastern Studies in 1942, the image of the Confucian Temple and Phai Ve Mountain appears as a beautiful symbol of the Confucian tradition and respect for talented people in the northern border region of Vietnam: “In front of the Confucian Temple there is a lake and behind there is a mountain called the inkstone and brush, an ancient relic…”. Later, when the Confucian Temple deteriorated and fell into disrepair, the local people moved the incense burner into a cave in the mountain for worship, so from then on the Phai Ve archaeological site is also known as the Confucian Temple Cave. Here, on the cliff face, there is also a rock inscription in French marking the time of road construction in Lang Son town in the early 20th century: "From 1914 to 1919, the Vinh Trai - Po Mo National Highway project was completed."
During the years of the resistance war against the US to save the country, Phai Ve Mountain once again became a "witness" to history. It is the place that commemorates President Ho Chi Minh's visit to Lang Son on February 23, 1960. The photograph of President Ho Chi Minh standing and speaking with the people of the province's ethnic groups at the Dong Kinh stadium, with Phai Ve Mountain visible in the background, has become a beautiful symbol whenever the deep affection of President Ho Chi Minh for the people of Lang Son is mentioned.
Throughout thousands of years of history, Phai Ve Mountain has been a repository of cultural sediments from the border region of Lang Son. Along with Nhi-Tam Thanh, Doan Thanh, Thanh Pagoda, Ky Cung Temple and stone wharf, Ky Lua Street, Muoi Street... this historical site has contributed to creating a unique cultural space of great value for the province's tourism development. Amidst the murmuring waves of Ky Cung, the small mountain range seems to forever tell stories of sacred origins and the bygone days of Lang Son homeland.
Source: https://baolangson.vn/nui-phai-ve-dia-danh-lich-su-van-hoa-5085141.html
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