TAM THANH CAVES

In the southwest, limestone reefs under the action of erosion have given rise to caves that can be visited a few kilometers from the river. The landscape evokes "a herd of elephants lying in the meadow". The site includes 3 caves: Nhat Thanh, Nhi Thanh and Tam Thanh. The most famous is the cave of Tam Thanh. According to a first version, each sound emitted inside the cave, notably that of water currents sliding on the stones, would be reflected in three echoes (Tam Thanh: Three Voices). A second version indicates that a man named Diêu Tin worshipped three statues of the Taoist cult in the cave. At the entrance of the cave, a poem engraved on the wall sings of the beauties of nature and the gentle murmur of the stream. It was engraved in the 18th century by the scholar Ngô Thi Si (1726-1780), at the time governor of Lang Son. There are also verses written by ambassadors who visited the area on their way to China. After 100 m, the cave widens into a huge hall whose very white stalactites, of various shapes, surround in an almost magical way a stone throne in the shape of a blooming water lily. On this throne is a statue of Confucius surrounded by that of Buddha on the left and that of Lao Tzu on the right. Not far from this cave is the Nhi Thanh cave (pseudonym of Ngo Thi Si). About 500 m to the right of the caves are the remains of the great fortress of the Macs (1527-1533), a dynasty that usurped the throne of the Le dynasty.