Legend of the land of Agarwood
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Thanks to the natural advantages, Khanh Hoa possesses a harmonious, pristine, and pure beauty. Apart from the clear blue sea, white sandy beaches, and ancient structures that bear the marks of time, this place also holds captivating tales of legends about the land of agarwood.
Mountain Mau Tu – the sacred
Mountain Mau Tu, also known as Mother
Embracing Child, stands out at 2,051 meters
amidst hundreds of other mountains. It is
situated to the northwest of Ninh Hoa town.
The mountain’s peak is flat and devoid of tall
trees. There is a large green rock at the top,
alongside a rock that’s half the size of the larger
one. Clouds enshroud the mountain year-round,
creating the image of a woman holding a child
from a distance. Hence, the local people refer to
it as Mother Embracing Child.
The legend tells that the rock known as Mother
Embracing Child used to be a transformed person,
while the surrounding rocks were household
items and domestic animals. Dissatisfied with
the bustling life of the common people, a couple
took each other to live on the mountain. After
living there for four years, they had a child who
grew to be four years old. One day, an old friend
who had become an accomplished immortal
visited them. Both the hosts and the guest were
delighted. The wife busied herself preparing
a feast while the husband sat listening to the
friend’s teachings about cultivating immortality.
However, the guest mentioned that to seek
immortality, one had to burn agarwood and
make a plea. The fragrance of agarwood would
carry the prayer to the Tam Thanh Palace to
fulfill the petitioner’s wish.
The host was instructed that agarwood could be
found in the nearby mountains, but to preserve
his life, he needed to hold his breath. After a feast of food and wine, the guest fell into a deep sleep. The host then reached into the guest’s bag, took the bundle of agarwood, and quietly left.
Two days and nights later, when the guest woke
up and didn’t find the bundle of agarwood, he
panicked and searched frantically. Jumping
from one mountain to another, he scoured the
entire area, but there was no trace of the host.
Angry and worried, he slipped and fell from Tinh
Son Mountain in Son Hoa region (Phu Yen) and
died. The good spirit inside the guest’s bag
transformed into a rock, and his bones and flesh
turned into old trees.
As for the husband who set out to find agarwood
while holding his breath, months and days
passed in the deep forested mountains. He
longed to return but couldn’t find his way back.
Over time, he lost his breath, grew hair all over
his body, turned into a gray tiger, roared a few
times, and then headed back to his old home to
find his wife and child. However, when he arrived,
the familiar scene was no longer there.
The wife waited at home, tears streaming down
her face. Her body turned into stone under the
sun and rain, along with the objects and animals
that were transformed into stone alongside her
and her child. The streams turned into rivers in
the province and neighboring provinces. Among
them was a stream called Suoi Tien (Fairy
Stream), whose water is always clear and never
dries up.
The gray tiger looked at the pitiful scene, roared
through the mountains and forests, destroying all
the old trees on the mountain before vanishing into
the deep woods.
Mountain Mau Tu remains sacred. During the
resistance against the French colonialists, the Le
Duong battalion marched and temporarily resided
on Mountain Mau Tu. A mischievous soldier buried
a mine under the stone of Mother Embracing Child
and detonated it. The explosion shattered the
surrounding rocks and trees, but the stone statue
of Mother Embracing Child remained unharmed.
As the explosion subsided, the soldier was found
dead.
Today, after many years have passed, people still
see the towering mountain in the shape of a mother
holding her child, waiting for her husband. It not
only recalls the legend of the land of agarwood but
also evokes the touching story of faithful marital
love.
Hon Ba- The Queen of mountain ranges
Hon Ba is also known by its written name, Bich Son,
which means Rocky Mountain. Hon Ba was originally
considered the “queen” among the mountain
ranges in the region. The clustered mountains
connect to form a defensive wall, stretching from
north to south. Hon Ba stands prominently in the
center, towering over all the tall peaks. White
clouds and mist shroud it year-round.
In Ninh Hoa, there is also a place called Hon Ba,
but it is named so because there is a shrine to
Lady Thien Y A Na on the mountain’s summit. In
Cam Lam, it is called Hon Ba because it is seen
as Lady Thien Y’s Palace. According to legend,
every time Lady Thien Y ascends the mountain,
there is a long radiance like a strip of silk flowing
down the mountain, followed by the sound of three
thunderclaps echoing through the forest. However,
sometimes there is no thunder, only light emitting
from the mountain like a brilliant glow visible for
hundreds of miles. People recognize Lady Thien
Y’s arrival through these radiant nights with clear
moons and cool winds, so they burn incense and
agarwood as offerings.
Because of these tales, nobody dares to visit
Hon Ba for leisure or exploration due to its lack
of accessible paths, dense vegetation, and wild
animals in the forest. The rocky mountain is layered
and piled up, each layer as solid as a wall.
It wasn’t until 1914 that Dr. Yersin, seeking a place
to experiment with the quinine plant, found a way
to reach the summit. After discovering that Hon Ba
was suitable for the quinine plant, a species capable
of surviving at elevations of 1,500 meters in the
tropical highlands, he established an astronomical
observatory and a wireless station there.
Even though Hon Ba used to be veiled in mist and
smoke, about 50 kilometers from Nha Trang, the
journey was fraught with difficulties. Despite the
small trail Dr. Yersin opened from Suoi Dau to the
mountain’s base and the road expansion permitted
by the French government that allowed cars to travel,
reaching the summit still required a six-hour hike
from the mountain’s base. The road was challenging,
but the cool climate and serene scenery provided a
delightful and enjoyable journey.
With frequent rain in this area, the dense forest
features tall trees, orchids clinging to branches,
and wild strawberries surrounding Dr. Yersin’s camp.
During spring, hundreds of thousands of vibrant
flowers blossom, filling the deep forest with a
captivating fragrance.
Today, despite the increasing number of tourists
visiting Hon Ba, the place still maintains its pristine
beauty. At the mountain’s peak, Dr. Yersin’s two-story
wooden house still stands, along with ancient tea
trees, horse stables, and gatherings of exotic bird
species rarely seen elsewhere.
The breathtaking view of Hon Ba remains magnificent,
with the eastern side reflecting the mercury-colored
sea and the southern and northern mountain ranges
merging with the green valley and coastal plains. At
night, beneath the moonlight, the green waves of the
forest trees mingle with the shimmering waves of the
open sea, creating an enchanting blend of reality
and dream.
