Ngu Hanh Son means the mountains of the five elements. The name comes from the five phases of East Asian cosmology, metal, wood, water, fire and earth, and was given by Emperor Minh Mang, who visited in 1825 and confirmed the names by decree in 1837: Kim Son for metal, Moc Son for wood, Thuy Son for water, Hoa Son for fire and Tho Son for earth.
Hoa Son has two peaks, so the group has six summits in all. The French called them the marble mountains; local people have long called the whole group Non Nuoc.
The names, the legends and the hill you climb
Our guides explain the five elements from the top of Thuy Son, where you can see the other hills around you.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursSee the tour →What are the five elements?
The five elements, or five phases, are a way of describing how the world changes that runs through Chinese and Vietnamese thought, from medicine to architecture. Each phase generates the next and restrains another, and together they stand for the whole of creation. Naming five hills after them turned a group of rocks on the sand into a picture of the universe.
Five is also a number with weight in East Asian tradition: five directions including the centre, five colours, five tones. The mountains carry that symbolism in their name.
Which hill is which?
| Hill | Element | Position | Local nickname |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thuy Son | Water | Northeast; the largest, 106 m | Pagoda mountain, or Tam Thai |
| Moc Son | Wood | East | Cockscomb mountain |
| Tho Son | Earth | Northwest; the lowest and longest | Stacked-stone mountain |
| Kim Son | Metal | West | Nui Dung |
| Hoa Son | Fire | South; two peaks, Duong Hoa and Am Hoa | The fisherman’s mountain |
Local nicknames are translated loosely from the Vietnamese. Thuy Son’s three peaks, Thuong Thai, Trung Thai and Ha Thai, are said to line up like three stars of the Great Bear, which gave Tam Thai pagoda its name.
Why is only Thuy Son open to visitors?
Thuy Son is the largest and highest of the five, and it holds most of the caves, the two main pagodas and the viewpoints. Its stairways, elevator and ticket gates are what visitors mean by the Marble Mountains. The other hills are smaller; some have temples and caves of their own, but none has a visitor route like the one on Thuy Son.
The complete Marble Mountain guide covers the visit, and the Tam Thai pagoda guide the story of the pagoda named after Thuy Son’s peaks.
Is there a legend behind the mountains?
Several. One widely told version tells of a dragon that came ashore and laid an egg on the beach; when the egg hatched, its shell broke into five pieces that grew into the five hills. Stories like this are told to children and visitors alike, alongside the more learned explanation of the five elements.
The written history is more recent and better documented: the Nguyen emperors visited, named and endowed the hills, and their words are carved into the rock in inscriptions now recognised by UNESCO.
See all five from the top of one
Our half day climbs Thuy Son with a licensed local guide who points out each hill and its story.
Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone Carvers5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern Light10 hoursSee the tour →Ngu Hanh Son meaning: quick answers
What does Ngu Hanh Son mean?
Ngu Hanh Son means the mountains of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Each of the five hills is named after one of them.
Who named the Marble Mountains?
Emperor Minh Mang of the Nguyen dynasty named the five hills after the five elements. He first visited in 1825 and confirmed the names by decree in 1837.
Why are they called the Marble Mountains?
French writers named them for the marble in the hills in the late 19th century. The hills are a mix of marble and limestone.
Which of the five mountains is the biggest?
Thuy Son, the water mountain, is the largest and highest at 106 metres. It is the hill visitors climb.
Five elements, one morning
Choose your group size and the price covers the day: pickup, private car, licensed guide, every ticket and water. Free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursfrom$39/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$135BOOK →2 guests$140BOOK →3 guests$150BOOK →4 guests$155BOOK →See the full tour page →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursfrom$89/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$265BOOK →2 guests$295BOOK →3 guests$325BOOK →4 guests$355BOOK →See the full tour page →Names and history were checked against the site management board and published sources in September 2026.