Binh San Mountain - a famous destination in Kien Giang

Binh San Mountain is one of the 10 famous landscapes in Ha Tien, associated with the Mac family who reclaimed this land 300 years ago.

Binh San Mountain is located in the inner city of Ha Tien, and was once mentioned in the poem Ha Tien Thap Vinh by Mac Thien Tich with the Chinese name Binh San diep thuy, meaning a green mountain. The mountain is about 50 m high, and also has another name, Lang Mountain, because on the mountain there is the tomb of Mac Cuu and his relatives and generals of the Mac family, who have contributed to the opening of the land of Ha Tien today.

Mac Cuu was originally a Chinese merchant. Not wanting to live under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, he took his family by boat to the South. Arriving at present-day Ha Tien, he stopped to settle and develop this land. When the Nguyen Dynasty expanded its territory to the South in the early 18th century, Mac Cuu offered the land of Ha Tien to Lord Nguyen (1708) and was appointed 'Governor of Ha Tien'.

Today, the Mac Cuu tomb relic site at the foot of Binh San mountain is a familiar destination for tourists when coming to Ha Tien. The Mac family temple grounds are always quiet and solemn, and the relic site also has many royal decrees recognizing the family's achievements.

Mac Cuu Temple is located at the foot of Binh San Mountain, with an architectural style in the shape of the Chinese character "quoc", surrounded by thick stone walls, with a shrine in the middle. Photo: @bell.beoo/Instagram

After visiting the temple, visitors follow the road on the right to the mausoleum located on Binh San mountain. The road has gentle steps paved with blue stone. On both sides of the road are carefully tended green forests, creating an airy, cool space all year round. Along the way, there are also stone benches for visitors to rest.

On Binh San Mountain, there is a white apricot forest, also known as the blind apricot. The forest was propagated from the first white apricot tree that Mac Cuu brought from Guangxi to plant in 1720. Every Lantern Festival, the white apricot flowers bloom with four petals, growing in clusters of pure white, yellow pistils, pleasant fragrance, carrying pure beauty, spreading fragrance and color throughout the mountain area.

The path from the temple to Mac Cuu's tomb on Binh San mountain. Photo: @@bell.beoo/Instagram

Binh San Mountain is considered the most favorable location in Ha Tien land, where the ancestors of the Mac family used to go up to worship heaven and earth, praying for favorable weather. From the top of the mountain, there is also a path leading down to other tourist attractions in the area such as Phu Dung Pagoda, after which visitors can move to Phat Da Pagoda, also known as Lo Gach Pagoda for sightseeing.

After more than 300 years, the Mac family temple and tomb at Binh San mountain are still intact. In front of the temple are two large lotus ponds, which are said to have been dug to store fresh water for the people of Ha Tien. In addition to Binh San mountain and Mac Cuu tomb, Ha Tien also attracts tourists with other destinations such as Thach Dong, Mui Nai beach, Da Dung mountain, Tam Bao pagoda...

Compiled by Huynh Nhi

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