Recently, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed a decision approving the general plan to transform the Mang Den area in Kon Tum province into one of the country's tourism , resort, and cultural centers.
Da Lat of the Northern Central Highlands
When people think of Mang Den, they immediately picture a pristine land with vast green forests, unique cultural features of the local people, and especially a cool climate year-round.
From Kon Tum City, we followed National Highway 24 for about 60 km to reach Mang Den town in Kon Plong district. This season, both sides of the road are lined with vibrant yellow wild sunflowers, swaying gently in the breeze. It was midday, and we were only about 10 km from the district center, halfway up the Mang Den pass, when we felt our ears ringing from the sudden chill. And we knew we had arrived in the land known as the "Da Lat of the Northern Central Highlands."
Over the years, tourism in Mang Den has undergone a remarkable transformation, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
Exactly 10 years ago, we first visited Mang Den when Kon Tum province announced the 2013 Prime Minister 's Decision approving the planning for the construction of the Mang Den national ecological tourism area. Back then, National Highway 24 was still winding and very difficult to travel on, not as smooth and gentle as it is now, like a silk ribbon draped across the hillsides. The dense primeval forests full of ancient trees, the lush green pine hills, and the cold air and fog... were still the same, with not much change.
From the early 20th century, the French discovered this area, with its altitude above 1,200 meters, cool climate, and beautiful scenery. Therefore, they wanted to turn it into a resort destination and planted countless pine trees. As a result, Mang Den now boasts not only vast primeval forests with countless species of valuable timber trees but is also surrounded by lush green pine forests.
Many people believe that Mang Den is blessed by nature with its consistently cool climate, but for me, the fact that it rains and is windy almost all year round is somewhat harsh. Nevertheless, for those who are already accustomed to the heat, dust, and hustle and bustle of city life, Mang Den truly is blessed with many natural advantages.
In Mang Den, indigenous ethnic groups such as the Mo Nam, Xo Dang, and Ca Dong have lived for generations. They possess unique cultural characteristics and traditional customs that are still preserved today.
A noticeable change.
Over the years, the Kon Tum provincial government has implemented numerous policies aimed at transforming the once-dormant Mang Den into a tourism hub for the province and the country. As a result, Mang Den has undergone a significant transformation, with a steady increase in tourist numbers. By the end of November 2023, Mang Den had welcomed 930,000 visitors, nearly double the number in 2022.
Ms. Y Lim, a resident of Kon Pring village, Mang Den town, said that in the past, people in this area relied solely on a few rice paddies and cassava fields for their livelihood. Not only her family, but many villagers in Kon Pring also frequently suffered from food shortages during the lean seasons.
"Back then, everyone worked so hard, planting rice, then cassava, building huts..., but still there wasn't enough to eat," recalled Mrs. Y Lim.
By 2019, seeing that Kon Pring was still very unspoiled despite being close to the district center and surrounded by picturesque scenery, Kon Plông chose this village to develop into a tourist village. Initially, the district built three longhouses to accommodate tourists. Gradually, word spread and more tourists came, so the villagers expanded the number of rooms to accommodate more visitors.
According to Ms. Y Lim, people from many localities have visited Kon Pring village for tourism, but the majority are still tourists from major cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi , and Da Nang. In Kon Pring, tourists can experience the unique cultural characteristics of the local people; enjoy many authentic dishes of ethnic minorities made from rattan shoots, wild vegetables, etc.; and live close to nature, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Thanks to tourism, the lives of the people in Mang Den have changed significantly. In addition to farming, the villagers are also participating in tourism services in an increasingly organized and professional manner.
Kon Pring village has 70 households, of which 12 specialize in serving tourists with services such as accommodation, selling local specialties and handicrafts like baskets and crossbows. The other households that do not directly provide services support the community by going into the forest to gather rattan shoots, bamboo tubes, and wild vegetables to offer to tourists.
Nowadays, when talking about economic life, the villagers of Kon Pring often boast about who is better off, and no one complains about poverty or lack of food like before. "Thanks to providing services to tourists, the villagers' lives have changed not only economically but also in culture, communication, and behavior... everything is completely different from before," affirmed Mrs. Y Lim.
Over a decade ago, most of the people who came to Mang Den for tourism were elderly, captivated by the pristine beauty and climate of the region. One of the first was Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung. She even gave up her business with over 100 employees in Ho Chi Minh City to build a restaurant and hotel in Mang Den.
Initially, there were few customers, and many times Ms. Dung wanted to return to Ho Chi Minh City, but her love for this place made her reluctant to leave. Today, after nearly 20 years of development, her business has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mang Den.
Today, Mang Den is bustling with shops, homestays, and restaurants… Unlike before, most business owners now are young people who have come to this area hoping for a better life.
Towards becoming a national tourist area.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Kon Plong district, believes that the Prime Minister's decision to approve the general planning task for the construction of the Mang Den Tourist Area until 2045 will help this region undergo a stronger transformation.
The planning study area includes Mang Den town and five communes: Mang But, Dak Tang, Mang Canh, Hieu, and Po E, totaling over 90,000 hectares. Of this, 19,000 hectares are non-forested and will be used for housing and urban development; approximately 71,000 hectares of natural forest will be planned for tourism development. In the future, Mang Den will become a national and regional-level tourism, resort, and cultural center; an attractive destination in the Central Highlands with its rich natural landscapes and biodiversity.
Previously, in August 2023, following a proposal from Kon Tum province, the Prime Minister approved the addition of Mang Den Airport to the airport planning. The investment cost for this project is 4,000 billion VND, under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. Mang Den Airport is expected to cover an area of approximately 350 hectares, with a designed capacity of 3 to 5 million passengers per year, located in Mang Den town, and implemented from 2023 to 2027.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, with the potential that Mang Den possesses, Kon Plong district will invest in developing various types of tourism, including eco-tourism and resort tourism; cultural tourism showcasing the unique characteristics of the ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands; and adventure, sports, and outdoor tourism. The goal is that by 2025, the Mang Den Tourist Area will basically meet the criteria of a national tourist area, becoming an attractive destination with a strong brand in the region, domestically, and internationally.
"The government, businesses, and local people will work together to develop sustainable and eco-friendly tourism. This consensus will help Mang Den tourism develop to a new level in the future," the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Kon Plong district expressed.
Attracting investment in tourism services.
Mr. Dao Duy Khanh, Secretary of the Kon Plong District Party Committee, emphasized that the locality identifies tourism as a comprehensive economic sector with interdisciplinary, inter-regional, and regional characteristics, and a high degree of socialization; bringing diverse benefits in terms of economy, culture, society, and foreign relations; and promoting the development of other sectors and fields in the district.
In the coming period, Kon Plông will implement many policies to further develop the tourism industry. Specifically, the district will research and flexibly apply mechanisms and policies to encourage and attract strategic investors in order to effectively mobilize and utilize resources for tourism development. The district will focus on supporting and encouraging ethnic minority villages to preserve their traditional cultural identity, especially the gong culture heritage; and support the restoration of traditional crafts of ethnic minorities in the area to create diverse products to serve the sightseeing and shopping needs of tourists.
In addition, Kon Plông will effectively implement administrative reforms and improve the investment and business environment to create a favorable, fair, and equal competitive environment to attract investors in tourism services.
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