Than Dinh Mountain Festival - Quang Binh: A Spiritual Journey Amidst Sacred Mountains and Emerald Waters

Than Dinh Mountain Festival (or Kim Phong Pagoda – Than Dinh Mountain Festival) is a unique cultural and spiritual festival of the Quang Binh region (now in Quang Tri province), held annually to pray for national peace, favorable weather, and a peaceful, happy life. It is also an occasion for locals and tourists to make pilgrimages, offer incense to Buddha, and immerse themselves in the traditional cultural space amidst the mountains and forests.

Located along the Long Dai River, Than Dinh Mountain stands about 342–405 m high, famous for Kim Phong Pagoda (Non Pagoda), Fairy Well (Gieng Tien), and a system of mystical caves. To reach the peak, visitors conquer over 1,200 stone steps, embarking on a pilgrimage while admiring the majestic natural scenery. With its unique historical, religious, and cultural values, the Than Dinh Mountain Festival was inscribed into the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2025.

The Than Dinh Mountain Festival originates from folk legends and long-standing historical footprints of the Quang Binh land. Legend has it that during his southern campaign, King Le Thanh Tong named the mountain Bat Nghia Son (Unfilial Mountain) because its posture faced away from the North, contrary to the concept of "tributary mountains" of that era. Later, this became a sacred land associated with Kim Phong Pagoda (Non Pagoda), built during the Later Le Dynasty, along with many anecdotes about revered monks and historical figures like Dao Duy Tu.

Folk tradition still holds the saying: "Dau Mau has many fairies, Than Dinh has many Buddhas", affirming the special position of Than Dinh Mountain in the spiritual life of local people. On the mountain peak, Fairy Well (Gieng Tien) is also considered a sacred water source, symbolizing good luck, peace, and health.

Not only an occasion for pilgrimages and offering incense to Buddha, the Than Dinh Mountain Festival conveys wishes for national prosperity and peace, favorable weather, and a warm, happy life. At the same time, the festival contributes to preserving traditional cultural values, fostering community solidarity, and spreading the spiritual identity of the Quang Binh land.

The Than Dinh Mountain Festival is a harmony of traditional spiritual rituals and community cultural activities, creating a solemn yet vibrant festival atmosphere that attracts a large number of locals and tourists.

• Fairy Well Water Procession Ritual: This is the most important and sacred ritual of the festival. Water is collected from Fairy Well on the peak of Than Dinh Mountain – a cool, clear water source that never dries up year-round – and solemnly carried to Kim Phong Pagoda for offerings. The ritual symbolizes purification, praying for peace, luck, and blessings for everyone.

• Grand Ceremony Praying for Peace and National Prosperity: Buddhist monks perform chanting rituals, praying for favorable weather, national peace and prosperity, family happiness, peaceful lives, and world peace.

• Pilgrimage and Incense Offering: Visitors overcome over 1,200 stone steps to reach Kim Phong Pagoda, offer incense to Buddha, pay respects at spiritual sites, and request Fairy Well water wishing for health, peace, and good fortune.

• Community Cultural Activities: Alongside the ceremonial part are art exchange performances, lion dances, folk games, mountain climbing competitions to conquer Than Dinh peak, and many other meaningful activities, contributing to a lively festival atmosphere and community bonding.

Not only carrying religious value, these rituals and activities also help visitors gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and spiritual life, as well as the long-standing traditions of the Than Dinh Mountain region.

The Than Dinh Mountain Festival is not only a cultural and spiritual event but also a symbol of harmony between humanity and nature, between tradition and modern life. Over the centuries, the festival has contributed to preserving the historical, religious, and cultural identity values of the Quang Binh land, featuring a complex of relics such as Kim Phong Pagoda, Fairy Well, shrines, and sacred caves. This is also an occasion for the community to continue the early spring pilgrimage custom, spreading fine values and promoting the image of the "sacred mountain and emerald water" region to visitors near and far.

More than a journey of exploration, each step conquering over 1,200 stone steps is an inner journey. Amidst the tranquil space of the mountains and forests, the resonating pagoda bell, the soft cloud of incense smoke, and the cool water from Fairy Well seem to help people set aside life's hustles to find peace of mind. It is these sustainable values that have made the Than Dinh Mountain Festival a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, contributing to preserving and spreading Vietnamese cultural identity for present and future generations.

The journey over 1,200 stone steps is not just a quest to conquer a mountain peak, but also a pilgrimage to find peace, listen to the echoes of the forests, and feel the harmonious beauty between humans and nature, between traditional beliefs and modern life. If you have the opportunity to visit Quang Binh (now in Quang Tri province) during the festival season, set foot on Than Dinh Mountain at least once, offer a stick of incense at Kim Phong Pagoda, sip the cool water from Fairy Well, and feel the sacredness of the land known as "sacred mountain and emerald water". It will not merely be a trip, but an unforgettable journey touching cultural, historical, and spiritual values.