Admire the 500-year-old ancient stone tower, famous and sacred in Ha Tinh

Cam Due stone tower was built in the 16th century on high land, more than 2,000 m2, in Quang Trung village, Cam Due commune, Cam Xuyen district (Ha Tinh). In addition to the stone tower, the relic site also has a shrine, elephant and horse statues, a three-way gate… (Photo: Tung Trong).

Cam Due stone tower is the resting place of Le Am, a mandarin of the Le Dynasty. He had great merit in supporting the king and helping the country.

Le Am was originally an intelligent man, thanks to his merits and virtues, he was rewarded by the king for choosing a burial ground while he was still alive. He chose the high land near the River Ngan Mo – the place where he was born and raised (now in Quang Trung village, Cam Due commune, Cam Xuyen district).

After his death, the Le Dynasty built this Am Thap for people to smoke incense. After more than 500 years, the stone tower has remained intact. Am Thap has three floors, more than 3 m high, assembled from monolithic stone slabs. Surrounding the tower is a system of walls about 1 m thick, 1.2 m high, built of purlin bricks (a type of burnt brick used to build temples in the past).

Above the archway facing the front at the second floor is engraved 5 ancient Chinese characters “Thien Co body Duc Tao”, meaning praising the virtuous and industrious people. On the 3rd floor of the tower, there are 3 Chinese characters engraved “Tinh, Sun and Moon”, meaning to praise the hearts of the ancients.

The entire tower is made of chicken liver colored stones. The stone slabs are flat, square to sharp edges, without adhesive mortar but firmly bonded together.

Mr. Duong Van Thanh (SN 1962, residing in Cam Due commune, Cam Xuyen district), who received the task of looking after this relic, said: “This stone tower is more than 500 years old, very sacred. The time is not yet. With the Covid-19 epidemic, tourists come back to visit and learn a lot.”

Ancient mossy walls.

From its construction until now, the tower underwent a restoration in 2009 – 2011. The authorities have renewed the shrine, built a three-way gate and a system of surrounding fences made of baked bricks.

Mr. Vo Ta Ky, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Cam Due commune (Cam Xuyen district), said that Am Thap has been around for more than 500 years. With unique cultural, historical, scientific and artistic values, in 2006 Am Thap was ranked as a national architectural and artistic relic.