Thất Sơn, also known as Bảy Núi (seven mountains) or Thiên Cấm Sơn (the Cấm Mountains), is a range of small mountains located in the Tri Tôn and Tịnh Biên districts in Vietnam's An Giang province.
The common names of the seven mountains in the That Son range are:
The 710-metre Núi Cấm is the highest among the mountainous region of Thất Sơn and it is the highest peak in the whole Mekong Delta region. Endowed with such spectacular mountainous terrain, Núi Cấm is known as the "Da Lat of the Mekong Delta". The mountain is commonly busy with tourists and pilgrims during the festival season, from the 4th to the 7th lunar month. About 3,000 people live on the mountain, with an average of 1,000 visitors per day.[1]
The prince Nguyễn Ánh, who later proclaimed himself the first emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802–1945), sought refuge in the mountain from the Tây Sơn insurgents. Anh forbade anyone to come to the mountain, hence its Vietnamese name meaning "Forbidden Mountain". Followers of the Buu Son Ky Huong tradition, founded in An Giang in 1849, refer to these mountains as Bửu Sơn ("Precious Mountains"), since their founder, Đoàn Minh Huyên, is said to have spent time in meditation in these mountains.
Tourists can now visit Ba Chua Xu temple complex on Sam mountain, Great Buddha Pagoda and the Nui Cam Natural Reserve (Lam Vien Nui Cam), located nearby.