Sa Lý has Cam Mountain and Heavenly Pond.

BAC GIANG - In the minds of many, Sa Ly commune is the most remote and isolated area of Luc Ngan district, with its rugged mountainous terrain, steep slopes, numerous passes, deep ravines, and treacherous streams. It was once considered a place of extreme remoteness and inaccessibility. Therefore, although I had long heard of places like Cam Mountain, Ao Troi (Heavenly Pond), Suoi Nga (Ivory Stream), Cooc Mo Peak, etc., only now have I had the opportunity to explore them.

Báo Bắc Ninh•23/04/2025

Sa Ly, bordering Loc Binh district ( Lang Son province), not only boasts stunning natural beauty with waterfalls, vast grasslands, and fascinating primeval forests, but is also home to the Tay, Nung, and San Chi ethnic communities, known for their simplicity, honesty, and rich cultural identity.

The Heavenly Pond is located in the middle of the forest and almost never runs dry.

We arrived in Sa Ly on a late winter day. From Bac Giang city, we traveled nearly 90 kilometers over the Lun Pass and through the Ta Cang stream to reach Sa Ly just as the mist was dissipating. The winding mountain passes were lined with pristine white lychee blossoms. Mr. Au Van Dat (of the Tay ethnic group), Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of the commune, along with his son Au Van Trieu and another local youth, guided us to the summit of Cam Mountain by motorbike. Although we had been told about it beforehand, I was still overwhelmed by its grandeur and felt incredibly small in the face of nature.

The car slowly moved from one mountain peak to the foot of the pass, like climbing the spine of a dinosaur. The higher we went, the thicker the fog became, and some places were a bit dangerous. Despite the hardship, the breathtaking beauty of the mountains and forests compensated for it; the sweat that soaked our shirts was quickly dried by the mountain breeze and the scent of the sky.

Cam Mountain stretches endlessly, with parts belonging to Lang Son province and parts to Bac Giang province. Although it's a dry season, the vegetation on the mountaintop is still lush and green, thanks to the dew. Carpets of rhododendron, yellow jasmine, and many other rare and exotic flowers bloom throughout the mountains and forests. Mr. Dat, born in the highlands, loves peaceful, secluded places, so whenever he has free time, he climbs the mountain to revisit the place where he and his childhood friends herded buffalo and swam in the streams.

Mr. Au Van Dat (leading the way) took us to explore Cam Mountain.

He said, "When I retire, I plan to buy a herd of buffalo to graze on this mountain, then I can freely enjoy a peaceful life." Au Van Trieu (born in 1995), like his father, is passionate about the forest, strong and skilled in survival skills in the mountains. He is currently the Deputy Secretary of the Commune Youth Union, the Secretary of the Village Youth Union, and a member of the self-defense militia.

Recently, the road to Cam Mountain has become easier to travel thanks to a unit that built the road to bring equipment up for the installation of a wind power testing system. Reaching the summit of Cam Mountain (also known as Peak 975 - 975 meters above sea level), looking down at the villages in the distance, it feels like riding the wind and treading on clouds. Before my eyes, the mountains are arranged in a beautiful row like mounds of sticky rice. According to Trieu, in the cold winter, when Mau Son Peak (Lang Son) is covered in ice and snow, this fascinating natural phenomenon can also easily be seen on Peak 975, because it is very close to Mau Son.

What impresses visitors to Cam Mountain is the cool, fresh air and pristine nature; the winding trails around the mountain resemble the multi-layered dress of a highland maiden. From the mountaintop, one can clearly see Nga Stream and the Heavenly Pond. The pond is quite large, nestled in the forest, and almost never runs dry. The beautiful mountain scenery has attracted many tourist groups from all over to come and explore.

After a quick lunch on the mountaintop, Trieu and I chose to walk across the grassy fields and then follow a trail through the old forest down to the mouth of the Cam stream. Cool, refreshing water flows year-round. According to Trieu, even though it hadn't rained for many months, the Cam stream still flowed continuously, thanks to the preserved primary forest.

Cam Stream not only provides water for agricultural production but is also an important source of drinking water for many villages in the commune. In the summer, the powerful waterfall makes Cam Stream even more magnificent. Many groups of visitors flock here to swim and enjoy the cool, natural water. Both the forest and the stream boast a diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna, including birds, animals, insects, fish, shrimp, crabs, and snails. The most convincing evidence is that in less than 20 minutes, young man Au Van Trieu caught dozens of fish of all sizes in his net.

Nature has bestowed upon Sa Ly enchanting landscapes and a mild climate. The scenery is beautiful, the people are warm, but this highland commune also leaves me with some lingering concerns. Despite its great tourism potential, everything here remains very pristine. To develop it, a "conductor" is needed to explore and transform it into an attractive destination for tourists from all over. This is also the aspiration and proposal of the officials and people of Sa Ly commune. Recently, when they saw a unit experimenting with and planning to invest in a wind power system on Cam Mountain, the people were very happy and hopeful. They believe that when wind power develops, a concrete road will be built up the mountain, and tourism in this area will have a chance to flourish.

Text and photos: Nguyen Huong

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bg2/dulichbg/sa-ly-co-nui-cam-ao-troi-postid416308.bbg