In the first days of the new year of Giap Thin, from Vinh city I took a "departure" to the South, through the right bank of Lam river, which was formerly known as "Nam nam" (including: Khanh Son, Nam Kim, Nam Phuc, Nam Cuong and Nam Trung). This trip was also an opportunity to discover more traces that our ancestors left behind 600 years ago. This place used to be an important base of Le Loi's army in the early days of the uprising against the invading Ming army.
From Vinh city, crossing Yen Xuan bridge, I headed straight towards Thien Nhan range. Under the spring rain, Lam river was covered with mist, Thien Nhan range appeared and disappeared less than 25 km from Vinh city. Stopping by the Nam Kim commune People's Committee headquarters, I was personally led by Mr. Tu Hong Quang - a cultural officer of the commune to the ancient citadel. At the foot of Thien Nhan mountain, there was no way up, we had to leave the car and walk. From the old-colored relic sign placed at the foot of the mountain, going about 1 km deeper into the mountain towards Dong Chu peak, through the dense acacia forest planted by the people, the vestiges of Luc Nien ancient citadel gradually appeared. Due to the erosion of time, the ancient citadel only has a few remaining sections lying under layers of moss and rotten grass.
According to historical records, Luc Nien citadel has a rectangular shape, built in a stone-joined style at the end of 1424, when Le Loi's army had to withdraw to build a base in the South (in Nghe An and Ha Tinh today). Regarding the name, in addition to Luc Nien, the citadel is also called Luc Hoa, located halfway up Dong Chu mountain in Thien Nhan range. But the name Luc Nien is still the most popular, because according to the explanation, this citadel was built at the exact time marking 6 years from when Binh Dinh King Le Loi raised the flag of uprising until he had to withdraw his troops to the South (1418-1424).
With its location built halfway up the mountain, Luc Nien citadel was considered an outpost of Le Loi's insurgent army after moving to the South, blocking the northern side of the main army, which was stationed in Do Gia district (Huong Son - Ha Tinh today). From here, the Lam Son insurgent army command could cover and control a large area of the Lam and La river basins and monitor the activities of the Ming army in Nghe An citadel (stationed in Thanh mountain, Hung Nguyen district today).
In Nghe An Ky by Bui Duong Lich, the section about Thien Nhan Mountain (the word used by Bui Duong Lich is Thien Nhan), it is written: “Thien Nhan Mountain in Thanh Chuong District is a mountain that stands guard in the district. From Kim Nhan Mountain running down to the East, from one layer to another, in the middle there are 3 big mountains, called Tam Thai. This mountain range runs continuously with 999 peaks. Each peak has the appearance of a thousand galloping horses, with a majestic atmosphere, commonly called Thien Nhan Mountain. Dong Chu Mountain is in the South, with an ancient citadel more than 10 miles long (Dong Chu Mountain is also called Dong Tru Mountain; the ancient citadel is called Binh Ngo Citadel), the rocks at the foot of the citadel are shaped like people, horses, spears, and lances. To the North of the mountain there is a roaring stream, flowing down on the slope called Bo Dai Stream. Hoang Tam Mountain has a headquarters (where the king temporarily stays when going on inspection trips abroad) of King Le Thai To, called Luc Nien Citadel. Historical records: The king led his army from Kha Luu Pass to Da Loi village, In Tho Du district (Thanh Chuong during the Ming Dynasty), the young and old there competed to bring betel and wine to welcome and say "I never expected to see the majesty of the old country today"...
Dr. Bui Duong Lich in the book “Oc lau thoai” (story in a leaky house) – a collection of over 50 poems and prose, including verses and writings in the style of “ngon chi”, also wrote about Thien Nhan mountain:The land borders three dangerous rivers/Mountains like ten thousand galloping horses/Dividing Thanh Chuong and Huong Son districts into two roads/Is the junction of Lam and Pho rivers/Showing off their strong virtues to guard Hoan Chau and Cuu Duc/Tra and Cao mountains control the distant border/That day there was the pacification of Ngo/Defeating the enemy to build a foundation.
This is also one of the first ranked relics in Nghe An in the Northern region. According to Decision No. 313-VH/VP dated April 28, 1962 of the Ministry of Culture of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, on the ranking of relics and scenic spots in the entire Northern region, Thien Nhan Mountain and Luc Nien Citadel are 1 of 3 relics (along with Dung Quyet Mountain - Phuong Hoang Trung Do area and Lam Thanh Mountain), in Nghe An recognized as relics and scenic spots and need to be protected according to the law of the State. The ranked relics and scenic spots are all managed by local cultural departments (through the periods) and the responsibility for protection is shared by all levels of government...
That shows that, in the period when the country was facing countless difficulties, the resistance war against American invasion, the unification of the country was entering a fierce period, Thien Nhan mountain and Luc Nien citadel still played an important role, were recognized and highly appreciated. Unfortunately, after more than 60 years of being ranked and exactly 600 years since Luc Nien citadel was built by our ancestors, this place is still deserted and at risk of gradually sinking into oblivion.
Not far from Luc Nien citadel, right at the foot of the mountain is the tomb of La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep (1723-1804) and his first wife - Mrs. Dang Thi Nghi (1730-1785). Nguyen Thiep's tomb was ranked as a National Historical Relic by the Ministry of Culture - Information (now the Ministry of Culture - Sports and Tourism) in Decision No. 921-QD/BT dated July 20, 1994.
In addition to the tomb that is still being cared for by the local government, the most regrettable thing is that the house of this famous scholar has been demolished, now only the screen and the old brick floor remain facing North, looking straight down to Thanh Lake. Leading us to visit the tomb of our ancestor, Mr. Le Ngoc Chau - residing in Hamlet 6, Nam Kim Commune, who has been assigned to look after the tomb since 1994 - after it was ranked as a national relic, could not hide his sadness as he recounted that, since he was a child, he still saw Nguyen Thiep's house looming on the mountain, next to the tomb. However, later, the house with 3 rooms and a curved roof was demolished and brought back to be the headquarters of the former cooperative, and has not been restored to this day.
Standing right on the old house's foundation, looking far away, across the vast Thanh lake, is the Lam river and the Dai Hue mountain range. For a person like the famous scholar La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep, choosing a secluded place with its back against the mountain, facing the river and having the Dai Hue mountain range as a natural screen must not have been a simple matter.
I imagine, hundreds of years ago when Nghe An citadel was located at the foot of Lam Thanh mountain, to get to the foot of Thien Nhan mountain, one had to cross the large Lam river, through many deep streams and dense forests. Strangely enough, in the year he died (1804), Nghe An citadel was also chosen by King Gia Long (the beginning of the Nguyen dynasty), who had defeated the Tay Son brothers, to move to the northwest of Dung Quyet mountain, not far from the place where La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep had advised King Quang Trung to choose as the capital - Phuong Hoang Trung Do.
Regarding La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep, historical documents recorded that he was from Nguyet Ao village, Lai Thach commune, La Son district (now Kim Song Truong commune, Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province), passed the Huong Giai exam in 1743, and held positions such as: Anh Do district chief; Thanh Giang district chief. In 1768, he asked to retire and live in seclusion. During the Tay Son dynasty, he was invited by Emperor Quang Trung three times to help the country (the first time in 1786; the second and third times in 1787). He was assigned important responsibilities such as choosing land to build Phuong Hoang Trung Do; then he was assigned to hold the position of Director of the Nam Hoa Chong Chinh Institute - the national center for translating Chinese books into Nom. This institute gathered many famous scholars from Nghe An such as: Hoang Giap Bui Duong Lich, PhD Phan Bao Dinh, Nguyen Cong, Nguyen Thien... who played a very important role and significance in laying the foundation for educational reform under the Tay Son dynasty. To achieve the goal of reviving and promoting Nom script, making Nom script an official script and gradually escaping the influence of Chinese culture.
Since 1792, when King Quang Trung suddenly passed away, Nguyen Thiep accepted King Canh Thinh's invitation to the capital Phu Xuan (Hue), but because of the changing times, he once again returned to the foot of Thien Nhan mountain to live in seclusion, providing medicine for the people and teaching children in the area for fun.
Although he lived in seclusion in the mountains and a simple life, La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep was always respected and honored by kings, lords, and scholars across the country. Besides his honest personality, talent, and contributions to politics, geography, education, and literature, La Son Phu Tu is a precious legacy left for future generations.
Despite its historical, cultural and landscape values, the Luc Nien ancient citadel on Thien Nhan mountain range and the tomb of La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep have not been properly preserved and exploited, which is a great pity.
