Dich Long cave in Gia Thanh Commune (Gia Vien District, Ninh Binh) is a beautiful, magical cave with a system of stalactites forming the shape of a kneeling elephant, a reclining horse… that captivates visitors.
Dich Long Cave was given the title “the third most beautiful cave in the Vietnam” by Emperor Minh Mang, after Huong Tich and Bic Dong cave. According to legend, Dich Long Cave was discovered by a woodcutter in 1739. In 1990, Dich Long Cave and Pagoda were ranked as a national monument.
Dich Long Cave is located halfway up Dich Long Mountain, about 80 m above the foot of the mountain. From the foot of the mountain to the cave entrance, you have to climb more than 100 stone steps.
Dich Long Cave is located in a wild and dense mountainous area. Standing at the cave entrance, when the wind blew in, one could hear the sound of a flute, so one named it Dich Long (Vietnamese: Địch Lộng; địch means the sound of flute; lộng means wind).
Seeing that there were many strangely shaped stalactites in the cave, the people of Gia Thanh commune immediately opened a road to build a pagoda to worship Buddha since 1740 and named Nham Son Dong Co Am Tu (meaning Co Am Pagoda in Nham Son Cave), and at the same time built an additional communal house here, creating a cluster of pagoda-communal architecture as it is today. Beside the pagoda is a a stone temple worshiping Ly Quoc Su, also known as Saint Nguyen by the people.
The cave consists of 3 caves connected together. From the main entrance of the cave is the outdoor cave, the area for worshiping Buddha; then the dark cave and the bright cave.
The bright cave has many stalactites forming the image of Buddha, kneeling elephants, horses, etc.
The dark cave is longer and wider. The stalactites in this cave form many vivid images placed by the locals such as: elephants drinking water from a jar, tigers drinking water from a jar, monkeys carrying their children, old women selling medicine, money trees, gold trees, silver trees, rice trees, etc.
The stalactites in the cave are still sparkling, their colors changing with the sunlight. When using a stone to lightly tap on the stalactites, it makes a sound like a bell. Inside the cave, there are hundreds of bats living on the stone arches.
Dich Long Cave was bestowed by King Minh Mang as the third most beautiful cave in the Vietnam. In 1990, Dich Long Cave and Pagoda were ranked as national relics.
Source: collected by An
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