28 Jul 2014
A hill in the Mekong River delta region of Vietnam has finally been recognised as a tourist attraction zone by the Ai Giang People’s Committee, last week,
Cam (Forbidden) Mountain in Tinh Bien district, stands 700 metres tall and earns its place in tourism ranks as the highest point in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta. The range of hills is known as the That Son (Seven Mountains) area, while Cam is often identified by its promoters as the “Da Lat of the Mekong Delta”.
Located around 70 km from Long Xuyen city, the Cam Mountain Tourism Zone can be reached by a road that winds from the foot of the mountain all the way to the peak passing Van Linh and Phat Lon pagodas and a 33.6 metre high Maitreya Buddha statute, considered to be one of the largest in Asia.
A 3,461 metre-long cable car system is under construction that will have 89 cabins to carry a maximum of 2,000 passengers per hour to the peak, a capacity that if reached would create horrendous congestion and seriously devalue the hill’s natural beauty.
But the cable car promoters say it is a better alternative to allowing thousands of cars and mini buses to drive to the peak on the narrow road.
The cable car will connect Lam Vien Tourism Park at the foot of the mountain with Vo Ong Buom on the peak of Cam Mount in An Hao Commune of the Cuu Long (Mekong) province of An Giang’s Tinh Bien district.
Cam Mount already welcomes over 1 million visitors annually, mostly domestic tourists who go there to enjoy the panoramic views and cooler weather.
Sourced: ttrweekly