Deep inside the Chu Glap mountain range in Ring Village, Ia Hru Commune, Gia Lai Province, stands a towering rock formation locals call “Buddha.”

Located around 8km from National Highway 25, the site remains largely isolated from the outside world due to its rugged and difficult terrain.

The rock formation shaped like “Buddha”

To reach the rock formation, visitors must travel roughly 2km by motorbike along a rough and winding dirt trail.

From there, the journey continues on foot down steep slopes, across a small stream and up Chu Glap Mountain, where the rocks stand.

From the starting point of the hike, visitors can already see the massive stone structure rising dramatically against the sky, evoking the image of a meditating figure or a Buddha seated in silence.

The closer visitors get, the more quiet and mysterious the surroundings become.

The formation consists of five massive rocks stacked on top of one another with a total height of around 30m.

To approach the rocks, visitors must carefully navigate steep and dangerous stone slopes.

Below the main formation are four large rocks of different sizes, creating a wide stone base measuring roughly 15m across.

Above them, five giant rocks are stacked in gradually smaller layers, balanced precariously in a way that makes them appear as though they could collapse at any moment.

The lowest rock has a cylindrical shape standing approximately 10m tall.

It is made up of two giant stone slabs pressed tightly together as though split from the same original boulder.

The uppermost rock is considered the most mysterious part of the formation.

From a distance, it resembles a human face with surprisingly distinct features, leading many visitors to associate it with the image of a Buddha statue hidden in the mountains.

Even more unusual, the “face” appears completely different when viewed from separate angles.

Nguyen Ba Thanh, born in 1981 and a resident of Ring Village, said there are no temples, shrines or traces of human construction anywhere near the site.

The road leading there is extremely difficult and motorbikes cannot reach the rocks directly, convincing him that the formation is entirely natural.

According to Thanh, the two upper rocks once appeared much rounder and less human-like than they do today.

However, after being struck by lightning years ago, part of the rock broke away, creating a shape that more closely resembles a Buddha figure.

Stories filled with mystery and folklore

Beyond its strange appearance, the mountain is also linked to numerous mysterious stories passed down by local residents for decades.

Ksor Phi, born in 1956 and originally from Ayun Pa, said he first came to the area in 1976 while working for the Chu Se Lime Enterprise.

At the time, workers’ camps were located roughly 2km from Chu Glap Mountain.

According to Phi, the region was once extremely wild, covered in dense forest and frequented by dangerous animals, discouraging most people from venturing near the rocks.

The man, who has spent nearly half a century connected to the area, recalled hearing strange sounds coming from the mountain at dusk.

“It sounded like people talking and calling pigs or chickens back home,” he said. “But in reality, there were no houses or farms anywhere near that mountain.”

Phi said villagers only began entering the area to collect wild ginger after tigers and other dangerous animals gradually disappeared.

Unlike geological explanations, Phi also shared a local folk tale claiming the rock formation was created by a “giant.”

According to the story, the giant once passed through the scenic mountain region, stopped to rest and stacked the stones together, creating the strange formation seen today.

In recent years, more visitors have come to the so-called “Buddha Mountain” to sightsee, take photographs and pray for peace and good fortune.

For local residents, the site is more than a strange natural rock formation - it is also deeply tied to mysterious folklore and spiritual imagination.

Pham Khac Tiep, deputy secretary of the Ia Hru Commune Party Committee, confirmed that the unusual stacked rock formation exists in the area and has recently drawn public attention.

Local authorities have assigned the commune’s cultural office to conduct surveys and prepare a report for the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding the unique natural landmark.