Society

The new allure of Mount Quyet today

Diep Thanh • March 30, 2025 07:16

Vinh is one of the few cities in Vietnam that has mountains within its urban landscape. Even more remarkably, Mount Quyet (Dung Quyet Mountain) in Vinh is not just a simple mountain, but also holds immeasurable cultural, historical, and spiritual value.

The "new look" of Quyết mountain

How long has it been since you last went up Mount Quyet?

Most of my friends – who live and work in Vinh City – admit that it's been a long time since they last came here. "It's probably been 5 years!", "I think the last time was 2 years ago"... In their impression, Mount Quyet doesn't have much to offer that would make it worth visiting repeatedly.

Actually, I used to think that way too. About 10 years ago, when I invited friends from Hanoi to Vinh, I found the trip to Quyet Mountain quite boring. Although I still remember it as a beautiful memory, the only lasting impression was the distant city of Vinh seen from above, behind the pine trees. Because of that, almost every year I made the opportunity to visit the temple of Emperor Quang Trung (also known as...).Quang Trung Temple) but didn't stay for too long. Until this year.

The first thing that caught my attention when I went up Mount Quyet this year was the meticulous maintenance of the historical site's grounds. During the most recent renovation, landscape murals were painted along the entire embankment from the foot of the mountain up to the parking area of ​​the Quang Trung Temple.

The murals are just new enough to impress visitors, yet old enough for the colors to blend seamlessly into the landscape, as if it were a part of nature. From my perspective, I am truly grateful to the designers and creators of this artwork. The entire embankment features images of fields, flower gardens, and villages… consistent in style and color. No advertising, no slogans, no rigidity; everything evokes a gentle, peaceful beauty.

Secondly, and perhaps most captivating for many visitors, is the view of a section of the Lam River from the newly built bridge in the temple's parking lot. Instead of having to struggle to find a clear, tree-lined spot to get a view as before, visitors can now stand on the bridge against the cliff and freely gaze out at the picturesque scenery of the emerald green Lam River with its tranquil boats, fields, bridges, roads, and passing vehicles… All of this creates a peaceful rural landscape with the familiar rhythm of life at the confluence of the rivers.

If the river flows on one side of the mountain, then on the other side – viewed from the stone steps on the left side of the temple – lies the bustling city of Vinh, with its undulating rows of red tiled roofs, towering skyscrapers, and the statue of Uncle Ho facing towards the horizon… Vinh is constantly changing and developing, and where else can this be seen more clearly than here?

Dung Quyet is not only attractive because of the structures on the mountain. Right at the foot of the mountain, there are countless options where you can stop to admire, take photos, and be captivated by the beauty.

Surrounding the mountain, the old, dimly lit, potholed roads have been replaced by smooth, paved roads with neat sidewalks and shady trees. Every so often, tourists want to stop to capture beautiful moments – sometimes a young couple strolling under towering, straight-trunked trees, other times two elderly friends admiring the view at Ben Thuy wharf, or a charming archway made of wood, a row of vibrant red lanterns hanging along the roadside, or a winding street corner… Surely, anyone who loves beauty and knows how to take photos would be captivated by such poetic shots.

“Around Quyết Mountain, the air is always fresh and cool; the closer you get to the mountain, the cooler it gets. That's why, at any time of day, along Tran Canh Binh and Ngo Thi Nham streets, it's not difficult to find people strolling, exercising, or playing sports. It gets even busier in the late afternoon, with people gathering to play volleyball, jog, and enjoy themselves in a healthy way,” shared Mr. Dau Van Dinh, a resident at the foot of Quyết Mountain.

"I never get tired of going to Dung Quyet."

That's the sentiment of many people when asked about the sacred mountain. From each person's perspective, Dung Quyet Mountain could be even more attractive and memorable.

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“My high school and college years were closely associated with this mountain. Every weekend, my friends and I would cycle up the mountain to play, admire the scenery, and exercise. With my current job, I go to Quyết Mountain even more often to find inspiration for painting and to pick herbs to dry and use as decorations for gift products. The flora here is truly rich and diverse,” Ms. Phương Nam explained.

Ms. Tran Phuong Nam (Hung Dung Ward, Vinh City)

Not only exploring it from an artistic perspective, Dong Quang Vinh (born in 1991 - Truong Thi Ward, Vinh City) believes thatQuyet MountainIt's like a wonderful "educational environment." Vinh said: "As a life skills teacher, I used to organize many activities for children on this mountain: organizing walks and mountain climbing for them to improve their physical education; taking advantage of the weather radar station to teach children about measurement methods and experiments; letting them participate in survival skills training sessions by going up the mountain, distinguishing different types of insects and plants..."

Not only for children, Vinh has also organized quite adventurous mountain climbing trips for adults here. With overgrown paths, many insects, and very difficult cliff sections, the trip is enough to make even novice trekkers feel apprehensive.

“In recent years, the number of visitors to Quyet Mountain has increased significantly. For about two years now, many other groups have also chosen Quyet Mountain as a familiar destination to organize activities such as traditional martial arts competitions, painting contests, tree planting… We are ready to cooperate with other units to spread the image of the temple dedicated to Emperor Quang Trung in particular and Quyet Mountain in general,” shared Mr. Nguyen Van Xuan, Deputy Head of the Relic Management Board.

Hailing from the port city of Hai Phong, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Phien spent all his time at Quyet Mountain wandering around and taking photos. He said: “This year I chose Quyet Mountain and was amazed by how much the scenery has changed; it’s more beautiful, cleaner, and more well-maintained… Hopefully, with what we have now, every time we come back to Nghe An, we will have even more reasons to stay…”