Attractive Ong Cau Mountain

Ong Cau Mountain

Spiritual tourist destination

At dawn, the mist still covered the Seven Mountains area. From the foot of Ong Cau Mountain, we accompanied several groups of tourists from far away to conquer the peak. Ong Cau Mountain is about 200m high, covered by trees all year round. The unique concrete trail leading the group of tourists up the mountain is still wild. Along the road, there are strange-looking rocks and boulders. With its wild and mysterious beauty, Ong Cau Mountain impresses every group of tourists who set foot here.

After climbing a steep slope, everyone was exhausted. Sitting on a small rock, wiping sweat from his forehead, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong (a tourist from Ca Mau province) said that in the fourth lunar month, his group of 20 people went to Bay Nui to pay respects. After that, they arrived at Ong Cau mountain very early to climb to the top. “Every year, during the festival season of Ba Chua Xu mountain Sam, the brothers in the village pool money to rent a car to Chau Doc to pay respects to the Lady and then go straight to Bay Nui to visit the scenery for 1-2 days. The scenery on Ong Cau mountain is still wild and majestic, just like a fairyland,” Mr. Cuong confided.

Following the trail, the large rocks were stacked on top of each other in steps, as if arranged by supernatural hands. The people living on the mountain said that when they first came here to settle down, they saw this. While going into the forest to chop wood and pick fruit, the people walked along the trail. Later, they pooled money to pour concrete on small roads to various points on the mountain. Just after climbing the winding rocky mountain, we arrived at Tien yard, and Mr. Cuong's whole group breathed a sigh of relief. Next to it was a refreshment shop for tourists.

Mr. Tuan (the owner of the restaurant) said: “Every year, the most customers come on the 16th and 19th of January, lasting until the festival of Ba Chua Xu of Sam Mountain. During these days, the San Tien is very crowded, sometimes there is no more room to sit in the restaurant. On bright moonlit nights, many groups from Ben Tre, Ca Mau, and Bac Lieu also bring offerings to worship the moon.”

Cockfighting on the mountain

Residents on Ong Cau Mountain said that in the past, Mrs. Bay from Chau Doc came here to worship. Later, when her business was prosperous, she hired people to carry bricks and cement to build a temple to worship Ong Cau. Before, there was only a small temple with an incense burner next to a very desolate and deserted Bodhi tree. The sacredness has been passed down to this day. Therefore, every time visitors come to Tien yard, they also worship at Ong Cau temple, praying for a smooth business year.

Even more unique is that in the middle of the Fairy yard there is a large stone table (about 1.5m wide, more than 2m long) supported and propped up on 5 legs by small rocks. Visitors look around, wondering how they split the stone into a large piece, supported and propped up like that? In front of the stone table there is a deep hole that looks like a "giant" foot, which people imagine to be a "fairy foot", 10 times larger than a normal human foot. People believe that in the past, because the old man walked over five mountains and seven hills, his footprints are still imprinted on the stone.

According to legend, in the beginning of the world, on the full moon day, the Fairy yard on the mountain was the place where the fairies from heaven descended to earth to play, including cockfighting. Next to the Fairy yard, there are many natural wells, used for bathing chickens, patting chickens... People at the foot of the mountain said that in the past, this place was very deserted! Early in the morning, when the mist covered the top of Ong Cau mountain, you could hear the sound of wild chickens crowing. The large stone table, people believe that in the past, was the chess board for the fairies to entertain themselves. On the big full moon days of the year, visitors come here to worship, using plastic bottles to scoop up rainwater that collected at Ong Cau's feet and the fairy water holes to bring back.

Mr. Sinh (owner of a tea shop at the foot of Ong Cau Mountain) recalls that about 30 years ago, during the dry season, people who went to the forest to chop wood, grow crops, and pick fruits lacked water to drink, and these holes were the only places to quench their thirst. “Every year, thousands of people bring plastic bottles to get water, but they never run out. However, recently, some tourists have carelessly littered many of the holes, making the water dirty. Seeing this, people came to clean and rinse the holes, so the water became clear again,” said Mr. Sinh.

Leaving the Fairy yard, we climbed to the top of Ong Cau mountain, where there is a giant rock built by the locals to worship Ba Chua Xu. Standing on the top of the mountain, looking in all four directions, visitors will see Dai Nam Gieng mountain, Tra Su mountain, Cam mountain, Phu Cuong mountain... overlapping, very beautiful. There is a hypothesis that the reason why Ong Cau mountain is called that is because the people worship Cau Tai and Cau Quy, with the hope that these deities will bless, protect and bring them good luck.

In the afternoon, Ong Cau Mountain is immersed in a peaceful scene. Travelers quickly descend the slope after an exciting journey to conquer the peak. Now, this mountain is a quite attractive spiritual tourist destination where people come to worship.

LUU MY

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/hap-dan-nui-ong-cau-a420778.html