VietNamNet Bridge – Trong Mai Islet (cock and hen) – a famous tourist spot in the central province of Thanh Hoa – is at risk of falling off the rock base due to natural weathering phenomena and human impact.

The Trong Mai Islet in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa Province.

According to the local authorities, the rock in the shape of a hen has moved toward the outer edge of the base stone and it can fall out anytime due to natural weathering phenomena and human impacts, because tourists usually climb on the islet to take photographs.

The local government is seeking ways to deal with the problem.

Mr. Luu Hong Son, Head of the Culture Division of Sam Son town, said the local bodies received people’s reports on the risk at the end of 2013. The issue has been reported to higher authorities.

"This is a special tourist spot that is mentioned in historical books, ancient poems and folk songs, so it must be preserved and embellished," Son said.

However, the elderly in the region said that the hen-shaped rock moved a few centimeters compared to its original position. In fact it is fairly stable.

The Trong Mai Islet is a scenic spot of the Truong Le Mountain Historical and Cultural Relics which was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national relic in 1962.

The Trong Mai Islet includes three big rocks that stand on each other, featuring a cock and a hen, so it is called Trong (cock) - Mai (hen) Islet.

According to legend, a young fisherman in Truong Le village incidentally rescued a girl on the beach. They fell in love and got married. The woman was a fairy who broke the rules and was banished to the earth by the Jade Emperor.

When the exile was expired, the Jade Emperor sent some deities to the earth to pick up the fairy but she refused to return to the heaven. The Jade Emperor was angry and he sent the thunder genie to the earth to punish the couple.

When the thunder genie came, he only saw a rocky shore. With faithful love, the young couple transformed into rocks to be together forever. The big rock in the shape of a cock is the husband and the smaller rock in the form of a hen is the wife.

These rocks are surrounded by many other small stones, shaped like pigs, cats and kitchen tools...

Since then, the Trong Mai Islet has become a very famous scenic spot in the coastal town of Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province.

Pha Le