Ha Nhi Sacred Stone is highly respected and worshiped by the people here, not only because of its speciality but also from the legendary stories about this stone. Ha Nhi Sacred Stone is not only a place to burn incense to pray but also an outstanding tourist attraction of Lai Chau.
Photo: Panoramic view of the site where the sacred stone is located today
1. General introduction about Thien Ha Nhi rock
A Po U Phu means White Stone Old Man, also known as Thanh Thach, has existed in the area for a long time, since the commune was formed. Ha Nhi people here consider it a symbol of faith to wish for luck and happiness for the villagers. Every year, the “saint stone” worshiping ceremony is the most awaited festival of Ha Nhi people here. This is also a unique culture of Ha Nhi people.
In the past, this whole Northwest land was covered with old forest. Wild animals were countless. At that time, the whole Thu Lum commune had a few households. At night, relatives have to light a fire to sit together and chase away wild animals. The story of the couple, they traveled all night to cross hundreds of streams and thousands of streams. When they reached a mountain peak in Vietnam, the wife suddenly remembered that she had forgotten her head scarf at home. So the husband had to wait for the wife to get the towel. When the wife returned home, she returned to her husband’s place to wait, but the rooster crowed in the morning, so she couldn’t cross the jungle anymore. The husband waited forever, did not see the wife come back until he was petrified at some point. The place where the husband waited for his wife, which was originally a mountain of earth, suddenly grew a mound like the husband sitting with his chin and eyes facing the South. Since then, Ha Nhi people consider it a sacred land.
Every year, after the Lunar New Year, Pa Thang village organizes a holy stone festival. Mr. Chu Ca Xa B (who knows best about the legend of the White Stone Old Man) was assigned the responsibility of choosing a good day and then leading the young men in the village up there. Women in the village are not allowed to come, but women from other places can still visit.
1.1. Geographical location of Ha Nhi sacred rock
Ha Nhi Sacred Stone is a natural quartz block, the special thing is that it is stuck on the top of an earth mountain with an altitude of more than 1300m in Pa Thang village, Thu Lum commune, Muong Te district, Lai Chau province.
1.2. How to move Ha Nhi sacred stone
From the Thu Lum Border Guard post, you have to go another distance of about 20km, with twists and turns to reach the mountain with the Sacred Stone. Right below the stone is a small path about 100m, you have to go up from this path to see the stone with your own eyes. That stone, standing alone, is cylindrical about 1.2 to 1.3 m high with a diameter of about 80 cm. The shape of the stone is like a person sitting, holding his chin in his hand, looking towards Vietnam. Ha Nhi sacred stone is also considered the boundary point between the two countries Vietnam – China.
2. Legend of Ha Nhi sacred stone
Also because of the strangeness of the stone, there have appeared many thrilling stories about this stone. You can ask the people around, everyone will happily tell you about these stories.
There is a story that in the past, people here had a nomadic practice. About three years when the shifting cultivation was dry and discolored, people in the village had to hold a sharp awl, carry a packet of chili seeds, and go to find a new farming land to move their house and work on the field. This custom is passed down from father to son and has become the famous saying “There is no mountain higher than your knees. Go ahead, your grandparents’ mountains will give you the land to live on.”
There was a young couple holding a sharp awl in search of land. The couple helped each other wade through a deep stream and then climbed to the top of a windy hill. At this time, it was cold, the wife suddenly remembered that she had forgotten her head scarf, so she went back to wade across the stream to go home to get a towel. But unfortunately at that time, it rained heavily, thunder and lightning came, accompanied by floods that lasted for several days. Missing her husband and worrying, the wife hugged a banana tree and crossed the fast water to swim, but she was swept away by the flood. The husband, looking for his wife for many days but could not find it, went to the flowing stream, waited, and turned into a white stone.
There is another story about this stone, that in the past, the land here was still very deserted, people had not set foot yet. One day, a patriarch named Phu Tu from a far away place came here, because he was tired of fighting for land, stealing, and killing, so he led his tribe to take refuge and find a new land. The group of people struggled through the forest, crossed the slope, fought with wild animals, and then gradually fell. Even Mr. Phu Tu’s wife and children are lagging behind. Only Mr. Phu Tu, he went to this right place, the darkness was already covered.
Mr. Phu Tu sat and rested alone in the middle of this mountain, with nostalgia for his wife and children and also the fear of not being able to fulfill his promise before leaving with the people of the tribe. He sat until morning. When the sun was high in the sky, it gave off a bright light that made him dizzy, drunk on his face, and exhausted his strength, but couldn’t get up and continue. Then he turned into a strange white stone pillar among the trees.
3. Special feature in Ha Nhi sacred stone
People here say that in the past, the worship of Ha Nhi sacred stone did not have incense. Because in the past, the Ha Nhi people lit with Lao medicine that they planted for this stone. Later, there were more confectionery, because the stone god was used to being lit by Lao medicine, so this custom could not be abandoned.
In addition, for large offerings, the must-have offerings are 1 black pig, 2 (live) chickens, 3 red-dyed eggs, 3 bowls of rice, 3 bowls of tea, and 3 bowls of wine. The altar is made from 4 straight branches, solid, with leaves intact, buried in the ground, divided into 3 floors by bamboo. Later, people built an altar and 2 stone lampposts convenient for worshiping.
Coming to Ha Nhi sacred stone, you should only ask for one thing because Ha Nhi people believe that the stone god does not want people to become greedy. So, listen to the stories about this Sacred Stone, as well as the people’s customs about this sacred White Stone!
Ha Nhi Sacred Stone is highly respected and worshiped by the people here. Not only because of its speciality but also from the legendary stories about this stone. Ha Nhi Sacred Stone is not only a place to burn incense to pray. It is also a prominent tourist attraction in Lai Chau.
Source: Collected internet.