Relics and scenic spots of Nui Mọt Pagoda (Van Son Tu)

Tuesday - 20/12/2022 15:17

Nui Mot Pagoda ( Mot Mountain Pagoda), also known as Van Son Tu, is located in the middle of Mot Mountain, about 1.6 km from Con Son town. It was built by the former South governement in 1964 in order to serve spiritual beliefs for the families of the people working in the administrative apparatus, the officers and soldiers on the island, and addition to serving the purpose of demagoguery and disguise to cover the eyes of the press and internationl public opinion about the brutal prison rule of the former South regime.

Since 1960 in Con Dao prison, the enemy had tried to increase the level of forced labor exploitation by organizing “ community labor” on Sundays.
In April 1965, the enemy forced prisoners with a life sentence who were imprisoned at Camp 2 (Phu Hai) to build Nui Mot Pagoda. The prisoners had to carry materials including sand, stone, cement… from the bottom to the top of the mountain. At the scene, the prisoners protested fiercely, and the security team observed, grimaced but did not react. In the afternoon, when returning to the prison, the enemy did not permit the prisoners to take a shower or have a meal as usual but forced them to salute the flag and locked them in a cell, then they purged 63 people who were considered the key leaders to be locked in the cell (stone tunnel) at Camp II. 63 prisoners were tightly packed in two standing stone tunnels, seemingly with no room to move, and there was not enough air to breathe as the enemy used sacks to cover the vent hole in an attempt to turn the two stone tunnels into two mass graves, thus many prisoners suffocated. Comrade Mai Van Xinh from Ben Tre suffocated in the stone tunnel of camp 2 on May 1, 1965 (now his grave is in zone C of Hang Duong Cemetery, Con Dao).
At present, the pagoda is not only a cultural work, a scenic spot , a historical relic of Con Dao district , but also a place for people and tourists to make pilgrimages, incline to the good and pray for heroes and martyrs who sacrificed for the country.

The pagoda has an architecture of Asian Buddhism style and is a main place to worship Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Although the pagoda is not spacious, its location is considered one of the most beautiful locations in Vietnam with its back firmly leaning on Mot Mountain, and wonderful sceneries can be enjoyed from the other sides. From the top of the pagoda, each view of the four directions gives visitors a different feeling. The vast geen mountains and forests can be viewed from the South, the East of the clear Con Son Bay is where the peaceful town is developing while an immense An Hai lotus field is emitting fragrance every hour, every second in the North.
The most prominent pagoda is still the two – meter – high statue of Bodhisattva standing on a lotus platform, holding a bottle of peace and compassion in from of the campus and the sculptured architecture is delicately carved with huge wooden pillars that cannot be held by one person.
Local people and distant mainland guests, inclining to the good and praying to the Buddha, do not mind the long distance, cross more than 200 stairs and steep mountain slopes to sincerely stand in front of the Buddha, offer incense and pray for blessing the family and loved ones, as well as pray for the souls of heroes and martyrs to be free from suffering forever.

Van Son Tu relic is a cultural architectural work, imbued with the traditional cultural identity of the Vietnamese nation, showing the Vietnamese national sprit, which is the steadfastness and indomitable spirit to overcome all challenges. At the same time, the work is organized in harmony with the surrounding environment, closely connected with the Con Dao historical relic system, which is both a tourist attraction of Con Dao and a sanctuary for tourists and local people to send their wishes for peace and goodwill. Over time, Van son Tu relic was degraded and started to be embellished on August 13, 2010. It was inaugurated on December 4, 2011.