Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains) landscape site in the central city of Da Nang has been recognised as a national Special Relic, one of the 16 approved by the Prime Minister recently.

Kim Son Mountain, the largest of the Marble Mountains in Da Nang. The site was recognised as a National Special Relic.

Director of the city’s Department of Culture and Sports Huynh Van Hung said the mountains were among the most visited sites in Da Nang and the city’s second national special relic after Dien Hai citadel was recognised last year.

He said the recognition will help the city invest more funds in preserving historical sites, cultural relics and ancient buildings.

The site, which features five mountains by a pristine beach in Ngu Hanh Son district, was first recognised as a national historical and cultural relic in 1990.

The landscape, which covers 2.2sq.km, was given the name Ngu Hanh Son, or Non Nuoc, by King Minh Mang under the Nguyen Dynasty in 1837.

According to archaeologists, the complex of marble mountains were formerly islands. The beach they sit on ranges from Son Tra peninsula to Non Nuoc beach.

Rainwater and weather gradually turned the five mountains into different shades of white, pink, red, blue and brown, and formed caves with beautiful stalactites.

Over time, pagodas were built in the caves and a stone sculpture village emerged.

Thuy Son Mountain stands 160 metres tall on an area of 15 hectares. Its caves and stalactite formations are the most visited feature of the complex.

Kim Son Mountain, the largest of the Marble Mountains, hosts the annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Festival – one of the 15 largest events in Vietnam – at the Da and Quan The Am pagodas on the 19th day of the second lunar month. The festival draws around 10,000 residents and tourists each year.

The 400-year-old Non Nuoc stone sculpture village at the foot of the Marble Mountains was also recognised as a national intangible heritage. The complex hosted 1.5 million tourists in 2018.

According to the cultural heritage department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a total of 106 relics have received national special relic status.

Da Nang has included 50 historical sites and 18 national historical monuments in its restoration project for 2016-2020.-VNA