Tiếng Việt
“The Land of Fairies” is a recently coined nickname by the youth for the land and people of An Giang. So why is that? Let’s explore the 1001 reasons why An Giang is called “The Land of Fairies” through the article below!
Famous Spiritual Tourist Destination in the Mekong Delta
Lately, many of you have probably heard the name “The Land of Fairies,” and this is the name that many young people use when referring to the land and people of An Giang. So why is An Giang nicknamed “The Land of Fairies”? One of the reasons is that An Giang is a famous spiritual tourist destination in the Mekong Delta with many pagodas and temples famous throughout the country.
Visitors can explore some of the following sacred pagodas and temples when they come to An Giang:
- Ba Chua Xu Temple, Sam Mountain: A famous spiritual tourist destination nationwide, attracting millions of visitors annually to worship and pray, especially during the Via Ba festival (the Via Ba Chua Xu Sam Mountain Festival is recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity). Visitors come here mostly to pray for wealth, fame, and health, with deep faith in the long-standing sacredness of Ba Chua Xu Sam Mountain.
- Van Linh Pagoda: Listed among the beautiful and sacred pagodas in An Giang, Van Linh Pagoda was built in 1972 on Cam Mountain. Currently, every year, visitors from all over the country gather at the pagoda to burn incense and admire the scenery of the pagoda.
- Hang Pagoda (Phuoc Dien Tu): This pagoda was built a long time ago, around the years 1840 and 1850. Having existed for nearly 200 years, Hang Pagoda is proud to be one of the famous pagodas in An Giang. This place is also associated with the legend of a pair of divine snakes in the early days of its establishment, making it very sacred and mysterious.
- Koh Kas Pagoda: One of the Khmer pagodas in Tri Ton. With a large area, including immense rice fields, Koh Kas Pagoda attracts visitors with its unique design. A highlight of Koh Kas Pagoda is its two-story, five-room building with a triple-pointed tiled roof. The 500m-long gate, known as the “Heaven’s Gate,” stands amidst the rice fields. This is also a popular check-in spot for young people visiting Tri Ton, An Giang.
- Ta Pa Pagoda: Also one of the famous Khmer pagodas in Tri Ton, An Giang, with its unique architecture and prominent location. The pagoda is not built on flat ground but on a 45-degree steep mountainside. Therefore, Ta Pa Pagoda is built on high pillars, tens of meters tall, perched precariously. From a distance, the pagoda looks like a fairyland suspended in the wild mountains.
- Phuoc Thanh Pagoda: A large and famously sacred pagoda in An Giang province. It has been recognized by Vietnam Records for having the largest Amitabha Buddha statue and the largest 48 Bodhisattva statues.
These are just a few of the many famous pagodas and temples in “The Land of Fairies,” An Giang, which boast beautiful architecture, unique locations, and a reputation for being sacred and mysterious.
Mystical That Son (Seven Mountains) of An Giang, Renowned for Hermit Cultivators
A distinctive and prominent feature of An Giang is undoubtedly the magnificent and mystical That Son (Seven Mountains) region. Although named “Seven Mountains,” the Tinh Bien and Tri Ton areas actually have a total of 37 large and small mountains, all rocky with structures of large and small rocks stacked on top of each other.
Among the dozens of mountains in That Son, only a few have residents and convenient paths for pilgrims from near and far, such as: Cam Mountain, Co To Mountain, Ket Mountain, Tuong Mountain, etc. The rest are still quite wild, sparsely populated, and especially not frequented by tourists. This is also a suitable place for some high-ranking individuals to ascend the mountains for spiritual cultivation.
Even without going to the deserted mountains, just by going to Cam Mountain or Co To Mountain—where many tourists come to pilgrimage—and venturing into remote areas or climbing to the mountain peaks, you can easily encounter some hermit monks practicing in small hermitages, caves, or grottoes.
Most of the fellow practitioners on the mountain peaks belong to the Hoa Hao Buddhism (of Master Huynh Giao Chu – Huynh Phu So) or the Buu Son Ky Huong sect (of Master Tay An – Doan Minh Huyen). These are the two dominant sects in this area, with the main purpose of advising people to cultivate themselves, live righteously, do good deeds.
>> Khám phá núi Tượng (Đỉnh Phụng Hoàng Sang) vào ban đêm huyền bí như thế nào?
An Giang is Famous for its Mystical Spiritual Stories
Speaking of spiritual stories in the mystical That Son (Seven Mountains) region, it can be said that there are countless tales. If you were to tell them for three days and three nights, it still might not be complete, perhaps this is why it is called “The Land of Fairies.”
Each mountain in the That Son region of An Giang has its own formation legend: the legend of Ong Ket Mountain, the legend of Cam Mountain, the legend of Co To Mountain…
In addition, spiritual stories about animals living in the That Son mountains, which have grown to large sizes due to hundreds of years of cultivation, are still being passed down by the people of this land to this day.
Notably, there is the cloud tiger snake, which is tens of meters long on Cam Mountain. Some people say they once saw a piece of its incomplete skin that was already several meters long on the mountain. There are also images of tall cloud tiger snakes appearing above the treetops, but they were only captured from a great distance, so their shapes are not clearly visible…
There is the legend of the pair of snakes in front of the cave in Hang Pagoda from the early days of its establishment. Initially, these two snakes were very fierce, but when they were tamed by a nun, they became gentle and lay in front of the cave listening to the sutras and practicing until the nun passed away, and the snakes also disappeared to this day.
One of the more famous tales is the story of Ong Nam Cheo, a five-legged crocodile with a strange color, raised from a young age by Master Tay An, which has become a great legend to this day. It teaches people to live righteously, avoid evil, cultivate their minds and bodies according to the Buddha’s teachings, otherwise, there will be a time of purification, and Ong Nam Cheo will appear along the Mekong River with a colossal size and devour the wicked.
Another story is about Cam Mountain and the resounding explosion on its peak that will usher in a new era, a time of purifying the bad and guiding the good to a more beautiful and magical realm. This story may also be related to the event of Ket Mountain turning its head towards Cam Mountain, which many people still tell each other to this day.
It is unclear whether the mystical spiritual stories in the That Son region are true, or whether they will actually happen in the future, but one thing is certain: these stories are conveying a positive message, teaching people to be good in the present.
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“The Land of Fairies” An Giang – Praise or Ridicule?
Besides the good meaning that the spiritual stories in “The Land of Fairies” bring, there is a segment of the population that is so superstitious that they believe in the possession of tigers and snakes on the mountain. These are just deceptive activities by some people aimed at exploiting the superstitious psychology of many, leading to blind faith.
These clips of tiger possession are the main reason why the land and people of An Giang are called “The Land of Fairies” in a mocking and derisive sense. It is truly sad if this continues to happen. Believing in spiritual healing methods like this is truly unscientific; people will only end up losing money and getting sicker, not cured.
The culture, people, and nature of An Giang are truly wonderful, and tourists who come to An Giang will clearly feel this. It is hoped that in the future, superstitious activities will be eliminated so that people will no longer fall into unfortunate situations, and the name “The Land of Fairies” will also carry a more positive meaning than a negative one.
I really love this An Giang region, especially the That Son area, so I’ve explored the mountains here many times in my own unique way. I hope you’ll also enjoy traveling to An Giang and like my trips. Follow the “Mystical That Son” series for more on my Youtube & Tiktok channel, Tieu Dao Tu!
>> Khám phá sự hùng vĩ của vùng Thất Sơn huyền bí An Giang
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