KIEN GIANG – Binh San Mountain is one of the 10 famous landscapes in Ha Tien, associated with the Mac family who openly reclaimed this land 300 years ago.
Binh San mountain is located in the inner city of Ha Tien city, once entered into poetry in the work Ha Tien Thap Vinh by Mac Thien Tich with the Chinese name of Binh San message Thuy, meaning the mountain has built a green color. The mountain is about 50 m high, also known as Lang mountain because on the mountain there is the tomb of Mac Cuu and his relatives and generals of the Mac family, who openly opened the land of Ha Tien today.
Mac Cuu was originally a Chinese merchant, because he did not want to live under the domination of the Qing Dynasty, he took his family on a boat to the South. At present Ha Tien, he stopped to settle down and explore this land. When the Nguyen Dynasty carried out the expansion of its territory to the South at the beginning of the 18th century, Mac Cuu gave the land of Ha Tien to the Nguyen Lord (1708) and was appointed ‘Governor of Ha Tien’.
Today, the Mac Cuu mausoleum at the foot of Binh San mountain is a familiar destination for tourists every time they come to Ha Tien. The temple grounds of the Mac family are always quiet, with a contemplative look, in the relic there are many ordinations to acknowledge the merits of the family.
After visiting the temple, visitors follow the road on the right to the tomb area located on Binh San mountain, the road has gentle steps paved with greenstone, both sides of the road are carefully cared for green forests, creating Open space, green all year round, along the way there are stone benches for visitors to rest.
On Binh San mountain, there is a forest of white apricot trees, also known as apricot trees. The forest was propagated from the first Bach Mai tree, brought by Mac Cuu from Guangxi to plant in 1720. On each occasion of the Lunar New Year, Bach Mai flowers bloom with 4 petals, growing in clusters with pure white color and yellow pistil. Pleasant fragrance, pure beauty, spreading fragrance throughout a mountainous area.
The top of Binh San mountain is considered to be the place with the most favorable position of Ha Tien land, in the past, the ancestors of the Mac family used to come up to sacrifice to heaven and earth, praying for favorable rain and wind. From the top of the mountain, there is also a path down to other tourist attractions in the area such as Phu Dung Pagoda, then visitors can move to Phat Da Pagoda, also known as Lo Gach Pagoda to visit.
After more than 300 years, the temple and mausoleum of the Mac family at Binh San mountain are still intact. In front of the temple, there are also two large lotus ponds, it is said that two ponds were dug to store freshwater for Ha Tien people to use. In addition to the area of Binh San mountain and Mac Cuu mausoleum, Ha Tien also attracts tourists by other destinations such as Thach Dong , Mui Nai beach, Da Dung mountain, Tam Bao pagoda…