Kinh Chu Cave is a natural limestone cave in Duong Nham, Hai Phong, which King Le Thanh Tong (1442-1497) designated as the Sixth Grotto of Southern Heaven (Nam Thien De Luc Dong).

In 1962, Kinh Chu Cave was recognized as a national historical-cultural relic. During the American War for national salvation (1966-1975), Kinh Chu Cave served as a military base. The Hai Phong Petroleum Company established an evacuated oil and gas depot here, which was repeatedly attacked by enemy aircraft.

Dong nam o suon phia nam, tu chan nui phai qua 71 bac da de den cua.

The cave's south-facing entrance is 18,6 meters wide, 7,9 meters high, and 7 meters deep, leading to two passages that branch into three chambers. The left chamber measures 6,47 meters wide, 5,5 meters high, and 24,1 meters deep, featuring a small recess to its left that extends 3,5 meters further.

The central chamber is 4,6 meters wide with an entrance built in the "tam quan" (three-arched gate) architectural style; its widest point within the chamber reaches 10,3 meters. Venturing over 4 meters deeper into the central chamber leads to a third recess, 2 meters wide, which connects to the recess of the left chamber.

Regarding the altars, the outer left area houses altars dedicated to the Court's Four Pillars (Tu Tru Trieu Dinh), General Tuan Tranh (Quan Lon Tuan Tranh), and the Great Saint (Duc Thanh Ca). The central area is dedicated to Buddha worship. To the right of the cave are altars for King Ly Than Tong, Ly Chieu Hoang, the Virtuous Sage (Duc Thanh Hien), and the Maiden Altar (Ban Co). To the left, altars honor the Tutelary God (Thanh Hoang) and Lord (Duc Ong). Deep within the cave is a statue of the Third Patriarch Huyen Quang of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism (De Tam To Truc Lam Huyen Quang Ton Gia). Most of the Buddha statues here are new, as many ancient stone statues have been lost.

Ben trong dong, khong gian mo rong voi nhung vom da cao, anh sang tu nhien len qua cac khe da, soi roi xuong duoi.

The oldest inscription was carved onto the cliff by Pham Su Manh, a scholar of the Tran Dynasty, in 1368.

This inscription, mounted on a turtle's back, measures 124 x 90 cm. Its arched top, forehead, and surrounding areas are smooth, featuring the two characters "Duong Nham" in seal script at the upper left corner. The 131-character Han Chinese poem praises the beauty of the Kinh Mon region and commemorates the victory at Bach Dang. Through this, the author affirms the spirit and strategic brilliance of past generations in defending national sovereignty.

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Notably, an inscription on the cave ceiling features a poem by King Le Thanh Tong.

This horizontal rectangular inscription, measuring 85 x 145 cm, is bordered by double-lined dragon and cloud patterns and contains approximately 220 characters. The preface indicates that the king, passing through the cave during a military campaign, was moved by the exotic scenery and composed this poem of 22 seven-character verses. The inscription remains, and the French School of the Far East (Ecole Française d'Extreme-Orient) had made rubbings of the original before 1940. This is considered one of the finest poems by Thien Nam Dong Chu, King Le Thanh Tong's pen name. Imperial Scholar Hoang Dan wrote the characters, and the Chief Sculptor at the Ministry of Public Works carved them.

Another inscription, comprising 100 characters, features a Nom script poem at the top and Quoc Ngu script at the bottom, authored by the wandering monk Tran Quoc Trinh.

Kinh Chu Cave, one of the scenic spots at the gateway to the nation's northeastern region, lies adjacent to the Red River Delta. Consequently, many prominent figures from various eras have visited, leaving behind personal reflections that express their affection for the country and its times. These texts also document activities such as renovations, restorations, statue carvings, and land donations to the pagoda.

The pond within the cave complex was originally a bomb crater formed during the American War for national salvation.

During the revolutionary period, the cave served as a refuge for cadres operating in the area, and the pagoda and its monks provided shelter for them. In 1950, French forces advanced into Kinh Chu, stationed troops in the cave, destroyed many valuable artifacts, and built two bunkers on the mountain peak. During the American War, the cave was used for military purposes. By 1967, American forces bombed the cave entrance, completely destroying its architectural structures.

Hien dong Kinh Chu nam trong 12 diem cua Quan the di tich va danh thang Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac vua duoc UNESCO cong nhan la di san van hoa the gioi.

Le Tan