Viet Nam News
By Chu Quoc Hung
Lam Dong Province’s most famous tourism destination by far is Da Lat City, known the world over since its days as a French colonial summer resort. But located 110km to the south of Da Lat is the town of Bao Loc, quieter and fresher than Da Lat with its own charm.
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| Greeeny: Bao Loc Pass. Photo saostar.vn |
The weather is cool in Bao Loc City all year round. The locality hosts many mountains, hills, lakes, waterfalls and streams. In recent years, tourists have begun to discover its charms, such as the Damb’ri Waterfalls, farming sites with green tea fields by a romantic lake, Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda and other popular sites for young travelers.
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| Reflective: Bat Nha Monastery is an attraction in Bao Loc City. Photo chuahoanghiem.com |
A day at the Tam Chau Tea Planting Farm will be interesting as tourists travel from Bao Loc City to Damb’ri Ecological Tourism Site. In the middle of the road, tourists can visit the famous tea farm for relaxing and tranquil moments away from the city’s bustling atmosphere.
Established in 2001, Tam Chau Tea Planting Farm covers a total area of 90ha with many hills planting famous kinds of tea like Kim Tien, Tu Quy and O Long.
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| Tranquil: Monks at a worship ceremony at Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda. Photo news.zing.vn |
In the past four years, the farm has welcomed tourists free of charge, so they can experience a day as local farmer picking young tea leaves and learning the tea processing stages.
“Working in the city with lots of stress, I feel relaxed coming here to enjoy fresh air and green landscapes,” said Tran Thi Tra My, from Bao Loc City.
According to Nguyen Huu Chuc, deputy director of Tam Chau Tea Farm, the farm will build homestays around the lake, which measures 10ha wide, to offer overnight accommodation to tourists and an exhibition house to introduce Tam Chau Tea Trademark and tea planting and processing stages.
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| Spiritual: Monks at Linh Quy Phap An Paggoda. Photo linhquyphapan.vn |
After a day at the farm, tourists travel a further 10km to reach Damb’ri Waterfalls, the highest waterfalls in the central highland region with 60m height. According to legend, the waterfalls began when a couple learned they could not stay together. Their tears turned into the waterfall we see today.
At the site, tourists can cycle around the lake to watch immense hills of flowers. The area has modern hotel rooms, conference halls, restaurants and tree houses, which are suitable for young couples and families wanting to stay near wild nature.
“In our plan this year, we will invest in upgrading restaurants and hotel as well as healthcare services to meet increasing demands of tourists,” said Chu Kim Thac, director of Damb’ri Tourism Company.
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| Sunrise spot: Heaven gate at Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda. Photo linhquyphapan.vn |
Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda in Bao Lam District has become a new tourism destination in the past two years, though it was built in 2006, thanks to the photos taken by young travelers over the beautiful landscape from a peak on Phap An Son.
From Quan Chieu Duong resting place on the peak, tourists can have an aerial view over mountains and hills below.
The pagoda is located 20km south of Bao Loc City. In order to trek to the top of the mountain, tourists often get up early in the morning so that when they reach the peak, they can receive the very first sunlight.
With an architectural style friendly to nature, a wooden gate at the Quan Chieu Duong has been compared as the Heaven Gate especially when the fog cover rolls in over quiet hills and mountains.
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| Powerful: Dam B’ri Waterfalls with a height of 57m. On sunny days tourists can see rainbow at the site. Photo news.zing.vn |
“The tranquil beauty and the pagoda’s solemn atmosphere here make me feel as if I were in a fairy land,” said tourist Vu Song Ha, from HCM City.
“Bao Loc City has various famed tourism destinations and the cultural features of ethnic minority groups like Co Ho and Chau Ma,” said Nghiem Xuan Duc, chairman of Bao Loc City’s People’s Committee. “Especially gong culture is suitable for developing community-based tourism.”
He said this year, the city will continue to invest in traffic infrastructure, call for enterprises to invest in infrastructure and create more tourism products to lure tourists.
Last year, Bao Loc City drew some 700,000 tourists. — VNS