Mysterious characters in Ngu Hanh Son

These mysterious characters are being submitted by Da Nang to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for recognition as a world documentary heritage.

In 2019, while researching, the Lieu Quan Buddhist Cultural Center (Hue) reported that there were 90 ghost texts (texts carved on the cliffs) in five caves at Thuy Son mountain of the National Monument. especially Marble Mountains. The mystery of special characters created by pre-humans is gradually revealed.

Focus on finding autographs of ancestors

Most Venerable Thich Khong Nhien, leader of the research team, said that when approached, most of the chewed shells were not intact due to weathering. Some have been chiseled, erased, filled with paint and cement, and written overlaid with unreadable letters.

For a month, the team spent a lot of effort on processing to fix it. For plastered ghosts, in order not to affect the text structure, the group did not use chemicals but used water to soften, then used a brush to scrape off the surrounding cement and moss. “A group of eight people, some days work continuously from 7 am to 10 pm. There are ghosts on high that have to use scaffolding, we are supported by the management of the relic site and the pagodas, so everything goes smoothly,” said Venerable Thich Khong Nhien.

According to this monk, many chewing ghosts are hidden behind a layer of cement, covered with moss, which is difficult to detect with the eye during the day, but must wait until night to use a flashlight to look up the cliff to find. The hidden ghosts often have square or rectangular contours, which after detecting the group mark the position for the next day to be processed. Out of the 90 listed ghosts, there are 60 documents with content, 30 documents that have been weathered, lost words, and cannot be repaired. The most unfortunate thing is that out of the eight inscriptions of the Nguyen Dynasty, there are five that have been chiseled out, although the delicate patterns around the frill and forehead are still quite intact.

The ma-cheong stretches from the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen (the seventeenth century to the end of the twentieth century) with many genres such as inscriptions, poetry, riches, singing, words, and couplets. The composition of the author is also very rich, from domestic and foreign dignitaries, kings, great ministers of the Nguyen Dynasty, writers and poets, foreign writers … when coming to Ngu Hanh Son, they all leave traces of ghosts. The content reflects the spiritual life and cultural activities – traditional beliefs in the complex of Marble Mountains through the periods. Many poems also carry thoughts, feelings and even nostalgia that the ancestors sent to posterity.

After processing to peel off the cement layer and cover the outside paint, the research team took pictures, translated and charted the revealed mastication system for future research. In which, Huyen Khong and Tang Chon are the two areas with the most and most important number of chewing ghosts.

Members of Lieu Quan Buddhist Cultural Center (Hue) study the Marble Mountains. Photo: TTLQ

90 is the number of ghosts listed at Ngu Hanh Son. In which, 60 documents have content, 30 documents have been weathered, lost words, cannot be repaired.

Ngu Hanh Son has the largest number of chewing ghosts in the country

Most Venerable Thich Khong Nhien said that Ngu Hanh Son was the major Buddhist center of Dang Trong, leaving the mark of many famous monks at home and abroad to practice religion. This is also the pilgrimage center of Buddhists, foreign traders through business and trade. Compared to the addresses of the northern and northern central regions, Ngu Hanh Son is superior in quantity, integrated with multiple chronology, and is especially rich in genres.

“Although it is a valuable source of documents, preserving a lot of valuable information related to the history of formation and development of a land, the Ngu Hanh Son mammoth system is deteriorating. The reason is because for many people, it’s just the text on the cliff, maybe after we make it visible, the moss will cover it again and no one will see it. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to protect this precious resource as soon as possible,” added Venerable Thich Khong Nhien.

People at home and abroad are interested in watching and learning about Ngu Hanh Son chewing ghosts. Photo: TTLQ

Mr. Le Ngoc Nhat, Deputy Head of the Management Board of Ngu Hanh Son Monuments, said that the Ngu Hanh Son ghost system is a very valuable resource. For many years, the management board has taken measures to manage and protect them against the impacts of nature and humans. Mr. Nhat also shared that after the Ngu Hanh Son mammoth system was recognized as a world documentary heritage, the preservation will certainly be more favorable. Related industries will also calculate and promote the value of the revealed ghost system, making this place a new tourism product of Da Nang.

Director of the Da Nang Museum Huynh Dinh Quoc Thien said that the ghost chewing at Ngu Hanh Son is a source of historical data reflecting the cultural, economic and social exchange relationship between Vietnam – China – Japan.