Published:  00:00 Sunday - February 21, 2010

Langbian Mountain has become an attractive destination for tourists thanks to its biodiversity and attractions such as mountain climbing, camping and the traditional cultures of its ethnic minority groups.

Located 12km north of Da Lat city, Langbian Mountain belongs to Lac Duong town, Lac Duong district of Lam Dong province. The mountain is well-known for its beautiful landscape, which climbs to an altitude of 2,169m. Thousands of tourists visit Langbian Mountain each year to conquer its height and enjoy its fresh air and natural beauty, especially during the lunar New Year Festival when Spring has finally arrived.

Local residents have a legend about a young couple who lived on in Langbian mountain. The boy, named K’lang, loved his girl friend, Ho Bian, very much, but they couldn’t marry because their two clans had a long-standing feud. The two decided to commit suicide together to keep their love alive forever. After their death, their bodies were buried on the top of two mountains, which eventually merged into one, called Langbian – the name of the faithful boy and girl.

A project to develop the mountain and its surrounding area into a tourist resort got underway 10 years ago. The mountain has now become an attractive destination where visitors can enjoy its great natural beauty and explore the cultures of the local ethnic minority people.

Nguyen Thi Kim Giang, Vice Director of the Langbian tourism area, says careful attention is being paid to protecting the environment and preserving the natural landscape. Visitors to Langbian resort can climb to the top of mountain, walk down to Dankia hill, and take advantage of newly available food and beverage services, while enjoying Gong performance by ethnic minority groups.

It’s a poignant moment when visitors arrive at the peak of Lam Vien Highland. From this vantage point, the land stretches as far as the eye can see.

Ngo Thi Khanh Ha, a tourist from Nha Trang City, says she was very proud to have conquered this 2,169m peak. Despite her weariness, it felt good seeing Dalat city from high above. This was the second time Ms Ha had been to the Langbian tourism area.

Dankia hill, which rises to a height of 1,950m, lies 4km from Langbian peak. The hill has been made into an inviting rest stop for tourists passing through the area. It has a large restaurant that serves local specialties, and tourists can camp here overnight and enjoy a panoramic view of Dalat City, twinkling with lights.

Liangbian offers gong performances by K’Ho ethnic people and the ‘100-year’ Valley - a modern resort providing guest with accommodations, karaoke and travelling services, and tennis courts.

Last year, the tourism area attracted over 300,000 domestic and foreign tourists, an increase of about 35 percent over 2008.

Ms Kim Giang says tourists come to visit Langbian mainly because it remains underdeveloped. If more infrastructure is built, she says, tourists might no longer love it. Tourists especially like such activities as mountain climbing, ecological research and hang-gliding.