Ten Thousand Steps to Grab the Head

Travelers on foot arrive at Dau

Located within the "5 peaks" system of Mount Cam.

At dawn, the summit of Mount Cam is shrouded in clouds. From Thuy Liem Lake, hikers to Vo Dau must travel up and down a winding, treacherous concrete road. At an altitude of about 600m, slightly northwest, about 3km from the Maitreya Buddha statue, Vo Dau is part of the "5 peaks" of Mount Cam, which include Vo Bo Hong, Vo Ba, Vo Ong Buom, and Vo Thien Tue. Hiking takes about an hour, while a motorbike ride takes only 15 minutes. According to folklore, Vo Dau is considered the first peak of Mount Cam.

Another legend says that Vồ Đầu resembles the head of a dragon. Vồ Đầu is home to two mystical spiritual tourist attractions: the Temple of the 13th, dedicated to the Holy Mother of Hoa Son and the Ancestors of the Hundred Families. Pilgrims believe that to reach Mount Cấm, one must conquer the Temple of the 13th by navigating through the mountain crevices and venturing deep into the labyrinth of rocks to open their hearts. Some have emerged from the cave and exclaimed that the Temple of the 13th is like a "mother's birth cave." They also believe that crawling through the Temple of the 13th is like being reborn in this world. Even during the day, the Temple of the 13th is very dark and silent, making it difficult to crawl through; therefore, one must use candles or flashlights to see the way.

When reaching deep and narrow places, we have to take deep breaths to get through. Inside the cave of Temple 13, which is about 50 meters long and deep, there are many dark areas that make people feel suffocated the first time they crawl through. Temple 13 is also likened to the "gateway to heaven" on Mount Cam. Outside are huge rocks that look as if they were erected by the hand of a supernatural being. After exploring Temple 13, tourists continue their journey climbing to Vo Dau peak, more than 100 meters away. Meeting a group of tourists from Bac Lieu province passing by, Mr. Hai, who sells drinks near Vo Dau peak, happily invited everyone to sit on benches to rest and continue the climb.

Mr. Hai said: “According to stories told by our ancestors, Vo Dau is a sacred spot on Cam Mountain. In the old days, Vo Dau was very difficult to reach. Forest dwellers said that it took a whole day to get there, requiring machetes and sticks to clear a path. In the past, it was very remote and densely populated, home to many wild animals, even tigers and large snakes. The terrain here is rugged, but in the past, our ancestors came here to practice asceticism and live in seclusion.”

Attractive destination

Nowadays, the road to Vo Dau is very easy to travel, thanks to a wide and straight concrete road. Along the mountain road, shops and guesthouses have sprung up to serve pilgrims. Many groups of visitors from other provinces come to explore Mount Cam and stay for several days. Previously, without roads, travel was difficult, and transporting goods was very arduous for the locals. Therefore, each time visitors came to explore Mount Cam, they had to bring their own rice and food up the mountain, find accommodation, and ask the mountain people to cook for them. To make things convenient for pilgrims, the shop owners here enthusiastically take on the responsibility of cooking. This is how they attract more and more tourists to Mount Cam.

The owners of the vegetarian noodle stalls near Vồ Đầu hill said that in the past, tourists used to stay overnight and eat here in large numbers. At night, they would go up to Vồ Đầu hill to worship and make offerings. Strangely, at some unknown time, a shrine dedicated to the Holy Mother and the ancestors was built on the summit of Vồ Đầu hill, and today tourists regularly come to worship. Currently, the locals have built a corrugated iron roof to provide shelter from rain and sun. Many tourist groups come here to pray for good fortune and blessings for their families.

Nguyen Van Chi (from Cho Moi district), leading a group of over 40 pilgrims, enthusiastically said: “First, we go to admire the scenery, then we visit the temples, caves, and hermitages on the mountain. This morning, we climbed several points on Mount Cam. Vo Dau is the final stop for our group. At Vo Dau, people believe that praying is for peace and to leave behind any misfortunes from the past year. Some even pray to the mountain god and the Holy Mother for protection from harm.” Every year, in May (lunar calendar), we climb Mount Cam on pilgrimage. A two-day trip to the mountain allows everyone to explore all the temples, hermitages, and shrines here.

Now, the road to Vo Dau peak is convenient; if there are elderly people or children in the group, travelers can ask motorbike taxis to take them up. When we stopped at a hammock shop near Vo Dau peak, we saw many tourists stopping by to rest. The shop owners were very welcoming, inviting travelers to lie in hammocks and relax. Although many people didn't buy drinks, they were still warmly welcomed. Ms. Tuyen shared: “This season, there are many visitors to Mount Cam. During the climb, some tourists bring their own water and food for convenience. However, we still kindly invite them to rest. In the past few days, there have been quite a lot of tourists visiting Vo Dau peak, and business on the mountain has been quite good, providing a stable income for the locals.”

This season, the weather on Mount Cam is unpredictable, with sudden rain and sunshine, and occasionally you'll even see swirling clouds embracing the mountain. Leaving Vo Dau peak, travelers journey through the mist, all expressing delight at this ethereal place.

HOANG MY

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/van-buoc-vo-dau-a422100.html