Pilgrims pay tribute to An Ky Sinh, a rock considered sacred on the misty Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh Province

Yen Tu Mountain in the northern province of Quang Ninh is famous for its breathtaking natural scenery.

The third emperor of the Tran Dynasty came to the area after his abdication and began a new life as a Buddhist monk. He also founded the Truc Lam Zen School, the first Vietnamese Buddhist Zen institution.

A cable car shuttles visitors up to the mountain’s peak and offers a spectacular view of lush green forests, valleys, streams and misty rolling mountains.

However, Yen Tu remains best known for a special outcrop on the mountain called An Ky Sinh rock. As visitors ascend the peak toward the two-meter tall stone, a misty cloud engulfs the area, appropriately named Heaven’s Gate.

After reaching An Ky Sinh rock, visitors will continue walking toward another famous rock projection. This stone is located in the Hoa Yen, Mot Mai and Dong pagoda complex and looks out over a small temple where pilgrims pray, light joss-sticks and give offerings.

The rock bears the likeness of a figure looking down upon the world. Legend has it that An Ky Sinh, a Chinese Taoist, lived on the peak of Yen Tu Mountain thousands of years ago and turned to stone after achieving enlightenment. For this reason, many believe that the statue is sacred.

The An Ky Sinh stone is well looked after by the pilgrims who visit it to pray for peace, health and prosperity. They donate VND200 (US$0.11) banknotes as part of their offerings and scatter them around the area. Alternatively, some people opt to simply rub the rock with a banknote in the belief that it will bring financial prosperity and help them to conduct business more smoothly.

Reported by Phan Huy Tram