Elephant Mountain – Hon Vong Phu: When rocks tell a thousand-year story of Thanh land

VHO - In the heart of Thanh Hoa, there are two natural and cultural symbols carrying immortal legends: Voi Mountain and Vong Phu Rock. They are not just lifeless rocks, but also memories, symbols of bravery, loyalty and pride of many generations.

Today, faced with the challenges of natural disasters and time, the story of preserving these two heritages once again stirs public opinion, reminding us of our responsibility to preserve sacred values ​​for future generations.

Elephant Mountain – a sacred vestige in the land of Bat Quan

Located on the ancient land of Bat Quan, now in Quang Phu ward ( Thanh Hoa ), Voi mountain stands tall in the middle of flat land, like a giant rock transformed from the shape of a lying elephant.

Elephant Mountain scenic spot. Photo: VHDS

For generations, the people here have been fondly calling the mountain: Elephant Mountain. This rustic name not only simply describes the natural shape, but also draws from the legends associated with the heroic history of the nation.

The old people in the area said that when Lady Trieu rose up against the Ngo invaders, the insurgents were once besieged on the riverbank, their retreat blocked. In the midst of danger, the war elephants of the insurgents knelt down, their bodies prostrated themselves to block the enemy's path, then turned into towering stone.

Elephant Mountain is thus named, an immortal testament to the indomitable spirit of the nation.

At the foot of Elephant Mountain, a whole cultural and spiritual space has gradually formed. Elephant Pagoda and Elephant Palace are places that bear historical stories, and are places where local people place their faith and sincerity.

The mossy temple roofs and ancient statues blend into the mountains and rivers, creating a sacred whole that is rarely found anywhere else.

Elephant Mountain is also located in a special location. To the west of the foot of the mountain, the Le Dynasty canal flows quietly. In the past, there were Phu and Dinh wharfs here, which were once bustling trading points, where goods from the North to the South stopped to gather.

During the two resistance wars, that stretch of river became a transit point for loading and unloading goods, weapons, and supplies for the front line. Elephant Mountain is therefore not only a natural heritage, but also a witness to the heroic history of Thanh land.

Nowadays, Truong Son street where the mountain is located has been rapidly urbanized. But every afternoon, the mountain still silently reflects on the river, reminding many generations of people of ancient legends. It is a harmony between nature and history, between spirituality and daily life.

Hon Vong Phu - the song of loyalty turned to stone

Not far from Voi Mountain, on the top of Nhoi Mountain (also known as An Hoach Mountain, Hac Thanh Ward), Vong Phu Rock stands tall between heaven and earth. It is a rock about 20m high, from afar it looks like the shape of a woman holding a child, her eyes looking out to the distant sea.

Vong Phu Islet

For generations, Thanh people have considered the Vong Phu rock a symbol of loyalty and steadfastness. There are many versions of the folk tales about this rock, but they all revolve around a virtuous wife waiting for her husband to turn into stone.

There is a story about a husband who, in order to make a living, went looking for precious herbs and never returned; his wife carried her child over mountains and streams, and in the end, waited until she turned to stone.

There is also a story that, during the war, the husband went to battle and died, the wife still held her child and looked out to sea waiting until she turned into stone.

Regardless of which story is true, the Vong Phu rock still exists as an eternal symbol.

To reach this majestic rock, visitors must climb hundreds of stone steps leading to the top of Nhoi mountain. It only takes about 20 minutes of climbing, but it is enough for each person to feel the tranquility and freshness of the mountains and forests, and then when standing in front of Vong Phu rock, people's hearts seem to calm down, sympathizing with the desire for reunion and loyalty of many lives.

Hon Vong Phu does not stand alone. It belongs to the An Hoach mountain art and landscape relic cluster, along with Quan Thanh temple, Thuong temple, Quan Man tomb, Tien Son pagoda… All of them form a complex rich in culture, spirituality and history.

In 1992, this relic cluster was recognized as a National Monument, affirming the sustainable value of a heritage land.

However, on the night of June 15, 2022, nature struck a fierce lightning strike on Vong Phu Islet. Huge rocks collapsed, many cracks appeared, the entire rock tilted from 10 to 15 degrees, the risk of collapse was present.

Faced with this situation, in October 2023, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thanh Hoa organized a scientific workshop, inviting leading experts to assess the current situation and propose conservation solutions.

Here, Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) Tran Dinh Thanh emphasized: “Hon Vong Phu is a relic with special historical and landscape value. Thanh Hoa province needs to urgently deploy synchronous solutions to save this precious relic before it is too late.”

More than a year later, on August 25, 2025, Chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee Do Minh Tuan signed a decision approving a budget of 13.6 billion VND from the budget reserve to implement the project to preserve and reinforce Vong Phu Islet.

This is a welcome signal, demonstrating the determination of the government and community in preserving the sacred symbol of Thanh land.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/nui-voi-hon-vong-phu-khi-da-ke-chuyen-ngan-nam-xu-thanh-166456.html