Thach Ban in Con Son is not only a creation of nature but has become a historical place associated with famous people.
Revolving around the Thach Ban are stories that are both true and false, increasing the attractiveness of the relic site.
Dream of Nguyen Trai
One of the places that tourists often visit when coming to Con Son is Thach Ban, known in folklore as the five-room stone, with an area of about 200m2, located next to Con Son stream, right in front of the Nguyen Trai house. Thach Ban was associated with Nguyen Trai’s childhood when he returned to live with his grandfather Tran Nguyen Dan at Thanh Hu cave in Con Son. When he was a child, he often lay on that large stone to read books and recite poems. Thach Ban appeared in the best verses he wrote about Con Son: “Con Son has mossy rocks. I sit on a rock like a soft mat” (Con Son ca). The poem Con Son ca has been included in textbooks in high schools, so when coming to Con Son relic site, many tourists remember these verses and visit Con Son stream and Thach Ban rock. Ms. Nguyen Hong Hanh from Cau Giay district (Hanoi) said: “I really like the landscape of Con Son, especially the path by the stream. Thach Ban not only adorns the landscape here more beautiful but also is a testimony of the ancestors.
During the years of fighting the enemy with Le Loi, many times Nguyen Trai wished that when he could, he would return to Con Son to drink tea mixed with Con Son spring water, lie down on Thach Ban to enjoy the peaceful scene. In the poem Con Son’s post-war turmoil (After the Con Son Rebellion), Nguyen Trai mentioned his life’s dream: “When will I live under the clouds / Thach Ban fresh tea spring water”. The image of Thach Ban is not only a part of the landscape of Con Son, but also becomes a symbol of peace, a dream of Nguyen Trai during the years of war. Perhaps in his mind, when he was able to sleep on Thach Ban, the country was calm and there were no foreign invaders. The dream about Thach Ban is a common dream for the whole nation, not just a dream about his own leisure. After Nguyen Trai’s reign,
The Management Board of Con Son – Kiep Bac relic has built an area to protect Thach Ban, on which is a stele, engraved with a passage from the poem Con Son ca. Thanks to Thach Ban, scientists were able to locate the foundation of Nguyen Trai’s house because in Nguyen Trai’s poetry, he wrote about how he returned to Con Son to build a house next to Con Son stream overlooking Thach Ban to teach his students. In 1979, Hai Hung Museum (now Hai Duong Museum) excavated at the location next to Thach Ban, discovered traces of Nguyen Trai’s old house with an architectural background with an area of 17m long and 7m wide. Many artifacts date from the 15th century. In 2005, the Con Son – Kiep Bac Relic Management Board embellished this area, surrounded the stone embankment and built a stele house marking the relics of the Nguyen Trai house, located right next to the big Thach Ban.
Where Uncle Ho stopped
Small Thach Ban, where Uncle Ho stopped when he visited Con Son in 1965
Along the 3 km long Con Son stream, there are many other stone slabs. About 70m from the big Thach Ban, there is another stone called the small Thach Ban, which also has special meaning because it is the place to save a famous person, a national hero. On February 15, 1965, when Uncle Ho returned to visit Con Son, after burning incense in Con Son pagoda, in the afternoon, Uncle Ho went to Con Son stream to rest at a small Thach Ban. Here, Uncle Ho met a group of students from Van Duc Secondary School going on a camping trip. Uncle talked to officials and students and advised to preserve and protect the historical relic well, plant many trees so that Con Son becomes a beautiful coniferous forest. Over the past 50 years, following Uncle Ho’s advice, the Con Son relic has been preserved, protected and embellished, becoming more and more beautiful and green.
Hai Thach Ban is the junction between the foothills of Con Son mountain and the foothills of Ngu Nhac mountain, from which you can go up to Ban Co Tien or Ngu Nhac Linh Tu. These are historical evidences that contribute to the special meaning of Con Son relic site.
Besides two real Thach Ban, Con Son also has an imaginary Thach Ban. That is the Fairy Table. In the 14th century, during the time of Truc Lam the Third Patriarch Huyen Quang practiced in Con Son pagoda, on the top of Con Son there was Am Bach Van, where high monks often went to practice, lecture, and preach to their disciples. Then over time, the area was ruined. One year, a group of famous Kinh Bac came to visit Con Son. Early in the morning, they went to the top of the mountain. When they reached the top, they heard laughter and laughter, and when they got there, they saw only a chessboard being played. Celebrities said that last night heaven and earth were reconciled, the fairies came down to talk and play chess, when they saw someone coming up, they abandoned the game to return to heaven. Since then, it was called Ban Co Tien. Mr. Le Duy Manh, Deputy Head of Con Son – Kiep Bac Relic Management Board said: “Ban Co Tien is the name of the flat land on the top of the mountain that comes from a story handed down in folklore. Although the top of Con Son mountain has rocky areas like chairs, there is no specific stone called Ban Co Tien. However, Ban Co Tien in that fantasy has created a magical attraction for this mountain peak, inviting many tourists to come and explore every time they come to Con Son.
Currently, two large and small Thach Ban both have beer and notes, but they are blurred and marked by many tourists with poor awareness. To preserve the monument and help visitors better understand Thach Ban, the Monument Management Board needs to restore the two steles with clearer notes and protective measures.
Source: Collected internet.