Visiting the land of martial arts at the beginning of the year

National Highway 19 section passing through Binh Tuong commune, Tay Son - where there is an altar to worship heaven — Section of National Highway 19 passing through Binh Tuong commune, Tay Son - where there is an Altar to Heaven.

During my first “travel” of the year, I went to Binh Dinh. The upstream trip to find the “dragon vein” started from the Altar of Heaven and Earth and ended in the poetic waters and mountains of Dinh Binh.

Down the history

Tay Son district is nearly 50km from Quy Nhon city center, heading west. Following Highway 19, the “Altar of Heaven and Earth” gradually appears in Tay Son district.

The atmosphere is quiet on the way to the altar. On both sides of the road, there are a few houses, surrounded by the Hoanh Son mountain range, which is recognized as a great land in feng shui. The mountain is long and spreads out towards the national highway, in the back of the temple is Ong Binh rock, next to it is Ong Doc rock with a tiger head looking over.

Vehicles pass by on the small road across the lake.

On the northern slope of the mountain range is an ancient pagoda named Le Son, which, in harmony with the terrain, forms a "tiger base" shape. To reach the pagoda, one must go through a steep, steep dirt road. Travelers who are passionate about "traveling" often choose to walk, climbing to the top to experience the whole view of the unexplored deep mountains. The pagoda space was restored from the old foundation, mostly wild open spaces amidst the vastness of the sky, trees, birds and animals.

The altar of Heaven is located on the right side of the road, including the altar, the An temple and many auxiliary towers and shrines along the North-South axis on an area of 46 hectares. The altar is divided into 3 levels symbolizing Heaven - Earth - Human and 4 entrances, in which the main gate facing south has a horizontal board inscribed with "Bao Son Thien An", meaning: The precious mountain has the seal of Heaven.

Yuan Dan — Scene at the Altar of Heaven.

Entering the gate, passing through a short curved stone bridge, there are hundreds of consecutive high steps leading up to the main altar area. People call it the ceremonial path, consisting of 183 steps belonging to Hoang Dao street.

In addition to important architectural clusters, in the spiritual area there are also many temples, shrines, pen towers, resting huts... with ancient features.

Every 5th day of the Lunar New Year, the Dong Da festival is held to commemorate the victory of King Quang Trung. People from all over the country come to the altar to offer incense and pray for a peaceful and lucky new year. Some families also come to “return the favor” after “their thoughts have been fulfilled”. The items prepared are usually cakes, incense, and lamps.

The altar to heaven, in addition to its historical value, also has profound humanistic significance, expressing the wish to resonate with nature, praying for favorable weather, national peace, and world peace.

Immerse yourself in the mountains and rivers

Saying goodbye to the altar, I continued west and then went deep into the mountainous district of Vinh Thanh (Binh Dinh) to visit Dinh Binh Lake. In the mild cold, Dinh Binh still retains its wild beauty. This is a large irrigation project of Binh Dinh province. In addition to providing “white gold” and water for irrigation, the lake has become a tourist attraction.

From above, the cool, unadulterated blue of the lake makes one feel as if one is lost in the famous Maldives bay. The lake crosses the Kon River, which winds its way through the mountains and forests.

Like a humorous anagram, Dinh Binh is like a miniature Binh Dinh, with water, mountains, clouds and land. Dinh Binh Lake contributes electric currents that spread everywhere, embracing the riverside fields, feeding the silvery white fish, and nurturing the soul that wants to find a resting place. Wherever there are rivers and lakes, there is life. The water embraces the veins of life, watering the childhood of many generations who depend on water to live.