Khai Hung is a remarkable novelist of the Self-Reliant Literary Group. Many of his works clearly show the influence of Vietnamese folk tales, including the novel Trong Mai. The novel is in the fairy background of Sam Son - Thanh Hoa region with a familiar symbol in folklore, which is the Trong Mai rocks. From the perspective of landscape criticism, this article aims to decipher the overlapping layers of meaning of this symbol in the novel. So doing, this helps to clarify the writer's meanings and opens up the possibility of rethinking the ideal and romantic in Khai Hung's novels. Additionally, it contributes to emphasizing the role of folklore in creating the literary talent of Khai Hung.