Relics at the foot of Bai Tho Mountain Geographical position: in Bach Dang Ward, in the center of Halong City, Quangninh Province. It includes a group of natural and historical relics: Bai Tho Mountain, Long Tien Pagoda and Tran Quoc Nghien Temple.
- Bai Tho Mountain:
About 200m high, the mountain stands like a huge pillar next to Halong Bay. Its original name was Truyen Dang (Light Transmitter). In 1468, on his way to An Bang [now Halong Bay], King Le Thanh Tong praised the Mountain’s beauty and expressed his pride in its historical role as guardian of the country. The King carved his poems on the south wall of the mountain. So it was called De Tho Mountain (carved poems) and later Bai Tho Mountain (Poem Mountain). Besides the poems of King Le Thanh Tong, there are also the poems of Lord Trinh Cuong and poets from the Nguyen Dynasty.
In the French and American resistance wars, Bai Tho Mountain witnessed many historical events in this coal mining area. On 1st May, 1930, the first Vietnamese Communist flag appeared on the summit of the mountain, leading to the dawn of a new era in the history of Halong. In the American resistance war, it was used as a broadcasting station for Quangninh Post Office, broadcasting vital information to the central government.
- Tran Quoc Nghien Temple:
Located on the west side of Bai Tho mountain. The temple is dedicated to Tran Quoc Nghien – King Tran Hung Dao's eldest son, a high ranking mandarin who lead his soldiers in the defense of the northeast border of the country.
- Long Tien Pagoda:
Located at the foot of Bai Tho Mountain, Long Tien Pagoda was built in 1941. The pagoda is dedicated to the Buddha, the Holy Mother and the Generals of the Tran Dynasty. This is the largest Buddhism center in Halong City. An annual festival is held on March 24th.