When there was a plan to merge the two provinces of An Giang and Kien Giang - named "An Giang" and placed the administrative center in Rach Gia - the first question about culture and tourism came to mind: Where will the sacred Thien Cam mountain stand on the new economic and cultural map?
Beautiful mountains and rivers (source: Duong Viet Anh)
A coastal "super province"
The new administrative unit will have an area of approximately 9,900 km² and a population of nearly 3.7 million people - the largest in the Mekong Delta both inland and along the coastline. The economic scale will also expand: An Giang's GRDP in 2024 is estimated to increase by 7.16% (66.24 million VND/person) combined with Kien Giang's increase of 7.5% (81.84 million VND/person) will push the total regional product higher than the current figure, creating new budget space for tourism infrastructure.
"Mountains and Seas One Day Journey"
Kien Giang is famous for Phu Quoc and Ha Tien; An Giang owns the majestic That Son. The merger allows tourists to climb mountains in the morning and swim in the afternoon in the same province - a marketing message that not many localities have.
That distance is about to be shortened when the Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang expressway is expected to be completed in 2027, connecting Tinh Bien border gate (at the foot of Cam Mountain) with the central axis of the delta, and the Ha Tien – Rach Gia – Bac Lieu expressway, starting in 2026, will gather the flow of sea passengers into the high-speed road network.
Cam Mountain – from "spiritual peak" to brand anchor
Unique topographic symbol : In the "only Western province with high mountains and deep sea", Thien Cam Son, 710 m high, will represent half of the mountain space, in proportion to Phu Quoc, which is half of the island.
Natural scenery bestowed on An Giang in the vast Mekong Delta (source: Duong Viet Anh)
Multicultural religious resources : Cam Mountain is associated with Buu Son Ky Huong festival, Ba Chua Xu Temple in Sam Mountain (Chau Doc) - a tripod with Mac Cuu Tomb (Ha Tien). Linking the festival will extend the peak tourist season throughout the year, instead of just focusing on Tet and Via Ba at present.
Investment boost : With a larger consolidated budget, the Camping project on Lam Vien can easily access green credit capital, become a pilot model of "glamping - telling historical stories" and then reach the National Tourist Area standard.
Socio-economic spillover value
Increased spending on cross-border routes : Foreign tourists will think about booking tours to Angkor Temple – Ha Tien – Cam Mountain. When administrative procedures are simpler within a province, travel agencies save a significant amount of time in applying for border permits.
Sustainable livelihoods for ethnic minority communities : Cam Mountain in Tinh Bien town - an area where the Khmer people make up the majority. The abundant number of sea and mountain visitors helps homestay services, local culinary culture, etc. increase, promoting satellite commercial services.
Cultural catalyst : The Nghinh Ong sea festival (Ha Tien) and the pilgrimage season to Ba (Nui Sam) are usually one month apart, but now we can set up a "Sea - Mountain - Border" Festival route lasting about 45 days, promoting the heritage of Kien Giang's opera and the Khmer five-tone music culture of An Giang.
Representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity - Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam (source: Sam Mountain Management Board)
Challenges to be solved
Placing the administrative center in Rach Gia requires the rapid completion of the infrastructure connecting the mountain and sea of more than 150 km; otherwise, Nui Cam is at risk of being "left behind" after the highway. However, with Lam Vien's clean land fund of more than 100 hectares and the number of visitors to An Giang in 2024 reaching 9.1 million (revenue of VND 10,250 billion), investors believe there will be no shortage of resources for upgrading.
Water park at Lam Vien right in the heart of the mountain
Cam Mountain – a place once “sealed” in secrecy – is coming into the light as the brand anchor of the new “super province”. When the highway cuts through the mountain, the glamping tents turn on their lights, the bells of Van Linh Pagoda will resonate further, not only across That Son mountain range but also along the common economic and cultural development roadmap of a land with high mountains, vast seas, and long rivers.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/nuicam-se-chien-luoc-hon-khi-an-giang-mo-rong-196250606164859616.htm
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