Across the country, there are 7 Vong Phu islands in the provinces, but familiar and well-known is still the Vong Phu island in Lang Son with the name "Nang To Thi".
Across the country, there are 7 Vong Phu islands in the provinces, but familiar and well-known is still the Vong Phu island in Lang Son with the name "Nang To Thi".
The stone statue of To Thi in Lang Son has entered the legend with the famous folk song: "Dong Dang has Ky Lua street, there is To Thi, there is Tam Thanh pagoda...". Photo: XTDL
To Thi mountain and the Mac citadel located in front of Tam Thanh cave are a relic complex located in the Nhi-Tam Thanh scenic area which has been ranked at the national level.
According to incomplete statistics of author Nguyen Duoc - Trung Hai in the book "The Handbook of Vietnamese Places" published in 1998, there are 7 Vong Phu islands in the whole country, but they are familiar and well known. The most is still the Vong Phu island in Lang Son with the name "Nang To Thi".
The staff of the City Sports and Culture Center cleans and weeds the stone statue of To Thi. Photo: Minh Hieu.
Currently, this unique stone statue is located on the mountain of the Nhi - Tam Thanh scenic area complex, the Mac citadel in Tam Thanh ward, Lang Son city. In 1962, this relic, including To Thi mountain, was ranked at national level by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).
The legend of To Thi in Lang Son has many different versions, but in general, the image of To Thi holding her child waiting for her husband in Lang Son is a symbol of the loyalty of Vietnamese women. .
In 2019, the People's Committee of Lang Son city coordinated with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi to organize a workshop on the Nhi - Tam Thanh scenic relic, To Thi mountain, and the Mac citadel. The topic "Cultural heritage and tourism potential" includes research to clarify the value of the symbol of Vong phu island - To Thi.
Prof. Dr. Lam Thi My Dung, history expert, Hanoi National University affirmed: In Vietnam, there are many stories about Vong Phu island and certainly the story of Vong Phu island handed down in Lang Son has a deep influence. bold and widespread in the Vietnamese mind. The most unique feature of the stone statue of To Thi is the highest crystallization of a woman's loyalty.
Next to Nang To Thi mountain is a flat valley, with two stone walls blocking it, which is the relic of the Mac Dynasty citadel.
The citadel was built of stone, 300m long, 1m thick face, still intact. Photo: XTDL.
In 1527, the Le, with the help of Lord Trinh, drove the Mac out of Thang Long, the remnants of the Mac fled to the northern border provinces (Cao Bang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang) and established a base to against Le – Trinh.
The Mac citadel in Lang Son was an important and dangerous military base guarding the monolithic road, built in the late sixteenth to mid seventeenth centuries. This is a military architectural monument reflecting a period of war in Vietnam's history.
The citadel was built of stone, 300m long, 1m thick face, still intact, standing on the citadel looking to the east can cover the whole Lang Son city. Currently, the ruins of the Mac Dynasty citadel have been invested, embellished and put into service for domestic and foreign tourists.
Lang Son
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Update day
: 09/08/2023
Kỳ Phong