What to play in Chau Doc Mount Sam : The most famous mountain in the West. Covering an area of ​​about 280 hectares, 241 m high, Sam Mountain is covered with shady trees all year round. In summer, the red color of the phoenix is ​​added, nestled in the surrounding canals. Sam Mountain has an extremely rich system of temples, pagodas and caves, creating a beautiful landscape among the rich plains. In addition to the system of temples and pagodas, Sam mountain is also attracted by its majestic natural beauty. Photo: Hai Trieu. Cam mountain: Also known as Thien Cam Son, about 37 km from Chau Doc. This is the highest mountain in the Mekong Delta. Cam Mountain attracts visitors by its majestic natural scenery, cool air and many unique architectural works such as Bo Hong Palace, Maitreya Buddha statue… In addition, visitors also have the opportunity to participate in climbing activities, exploring caves or bathing in streams in Cam Mountain. The unspoiled landscape and quiet space in Cam mountain attract tourists. Photo: House of clouds. Chau Giang Cham Village: One of the famous Cham villages in An Giang, Chau Giang is famous for its Muslim activities and beliefs in cultural life. In particular, here still preserves traditional customs and practices in the style of stilt houses in the river region. Coming here, in the quiet countryside space, visitors can experience canoeing, weaving, learning about culture through hundred-year-old stilt houses and majestic mosques. Beautiful cathedrals in Cham village. Photo: Hoai Thu Pham. Tra Su Melaleuca forest : About 30 km from Chau Doc, the forest is a great eco-tourism destination with many rare animals. Coming here, visitors move on wooden boats drifting along the water, immersed in the shade of Melaleuca trees. The attractive and unique natural scenery along with a quiet space help visitors forget the chaos of the city. Poetic Melaleuca forest in the flood season. Photo: Phuong Mai Nguyen. Chau Doc floating village : A typical symbol of river culture, where people build wooden raft houses to live. Each house usually consists of many fish rafts around, creating a large and cool space. Here, people mainly use boats and ships to serve their travel and fish farming activities. Coming here, visitors can also sit on a boat to visit the village of fish farming in cages, learn about life floating on the river, and enjoy delicious dishes right on the raft. Unique floating village in Chau Doc. Photo: Phu Tan. What to eat in Chau Doc? trumpet noodle soup: A unique noodle dish of Chau Doc region, cooked with coconut milk. In terms of processing, this dish is similar to curry noodles, the difference is in the use of fish. Because this dish is difficult to cook well, with the right taste, there are very few places to process it to serve diners. In Chau Doc, there are only 2 places selling vermicelli noodles. The famous vermicelli noodle shop near Chau Doc market. Photo: Phong Le Thanh. Jaggery beef cake: An Giang is known as the land of jaggery trees, so it is not difficult to understand when the jaggery beef cake becomes a specialty of this land. Golden cake, the fatty aroma of coconut milk mixed with jaggery make visitors impressed. Delicious jaggery beef cake is a specialty of Chau Doc. Photo: PN PN. Types of fish sauce : Along with jaggery beef cake, fish sauce is one of the famous specialties of Chau Doc. Visiting Chau Doc market, visitors cannot help but be overwhelmed by the variety of fish sauce here. From snakehead fish sauce, Thai fish sauce, peg sauce, choke sauce, trout fish sauce, to ba Khiet fish sauce… the fish sauce stalls exude a distinctive smell, placed on clean, attractive high shelves. But the fish sauce stall attracts diners in Chau Doc market. Photo: Phuong Toan Nguyen. Sam mountain beef 7 dishes : Beef from That Son is famous for its softness and deliciousness, which is an interesting choice for diners when coming to Chau Doc. Here beef will be processed into 7 dishes to serve diners in turn, including: Beef dipped in vinegar, spring rolls, beef rolled with fish fat, beef with guise leaves, beef satay, beef steak and porridge cow. Beef 7 dishes of That Son region bring an interesting culinary experience to diners when coming to the West. Photo: Khanh Linh.

Activities to explore the nature of Cam mountain attract many young people. Cloud hunting camping Cam Mountain, also known as Thien Cam Son, belongs to An Giang province. This is the highest mountain in the Mekong Delta, and is considered the “Da Lat of the West” because of its cool and fresh air. Currently, visitors can participate in camping and rattan hunting activities at Nha Cua May homestay located on Cam mountain. Up to the present time, this is the only place for tourists to stay overnight and experience the life of the people of An Giang mountainous area. Duong Thi Cam Van was born and raised in That Son area, she has a great love for the natural beauty here. Pioneering in camping activities on Cam mountain, Van shared with Zing: “In the past, the mountain mainly developed spiritual tourism, visitors came to the temple and then returned, few people stayed. I want to introduce visitors to other beauties of the mountain, which people may not know yet.” Homestay is built in the middle of the mountain. From a small hut with the original purpose of keeping the garden, Van and his family converted into a house with bamboo and leaves to rest. With the support of friends, Van develops homestay service and welcomes guests to the house to play, enjoy the fresh mountain air. “I think where I live the weather is very cool, the scenery is also beautiful, why not create a resort for everyone,” Van said. Guests coming to the homestay will have the opportunity to experience camping and cloud hunting activities, in addition to enjoying the rustic dishes of the An Giang mountains. Huynh Ly (HCMC) shared: “I found out about Nha by chance through a tour group. At first, I didn’t think the West would have a mountain camping area like this. Very impressive experience. Everything is simple, nestled in the middle of the mountains and forests, opening the door in the morning, the clouds flood into the room. Every moment of the day is a completely different scene.” According to Ly, the most memorable memory of riding a motorbike taxi from the foot of the mountain to the house is a little adventurous, a little refreshing, watching the wild landscape of the mountains in the cool breeze. The peaceful space in the mountains helps visitors forget the stress in life. Discover the nature of Cam mountain In addition to camping activities, hunting clouds, enjoying local dishes, Van also regularly organizes picnics, helping visitors to clearly feel the fresh beauty of the Cam Mountain. “The rainy season is the most beautiful season of Cam Mountain, because in this season the waterfalls and streams are very beautiful. The feeling of immersing in the early morning mist, standing on a high hill listening to birds singing, watching majestic waterfalls, I really want to share with everyone,” Van said. Visitors also have the opportunity to experience mountain crab fishing, visit strawberry, durian and avocado gardens and understand more about the history of the land.

The market is held at dawn to shine the first rays of sunlight on Cam Son (Tinh Bien, An Giang). The market serves about 500 households scattered on the Forbidden Mountain and thousands of tourists make a daily pilgrimage to the sacred high mountains. It is called a market, but the scene of trade and exchange is peaceful and full of sharing and love between vendors. Because, they all understood each other, were familiar with each other for almost their whole life on this deep mountain cloud market. It is called May market because all year round immense white clouds cover the entire mountain, mandala clouds wrap tangerines under people’s feet. Clouds are rolling dew, clouds hanging around the way … On the first day, May market appeared, Cam mountain had only about 30 roofs. The mountains and forests were still unspoiled, full of snakes and wild beasts. Having grasped the needs of daily life and food products of the households living in the sacred forest, the Cham women at the foot of the mountain bravely carried the goods to sell. May market space encapsulates at the foot of Vo Bo Hong on Cam Mountain. It is also a hard journey to have the bustling sales of goods on May market. Every morning, when dawn was not yet dawn, the business partners had to squirm themselves to climb the mountain. Buyers call it going to the market, but to the sellers, they call it “market climbing”. From the foot of the mountain to the top, May market has 3 sub-points, namely Bai Teo junction, Trai Hom junction and Truong Truong junction. Here, sellers take advantage of resting feet, wiping sweat and serving a few roofs halfway up the slope. Here, there is no concept of defiance. Throughout the fair, there was no more or less haggling. Buyers happily withdraw their money, sympathy for the pain of bringing “market” up the mountain of women and sisters. The path to May market is nearly 10 kilometers long, winding, meandering with successive slopes, cliffs ready to unravel, rolling stones, dark, smoking abyss. Double optical burden, how many years have passed, the day is as fresh as when driving the ball is still a product, a certain weight. A special feature of May market is that it does not sell wildlife like many other mountain markets. They sell simple and familiar products from the mountains and forests such as bamboo shoots, bamboo shoots, chayote, cold rice … Every market has its own rules, at May market, whoever sells any product, is always loyal. With it, buyers are just waiting for their acquaintances to buy. If someone impersonates the May market selling counterfeit goods, it will be immediately discovered and boycotted. Even though it was a business, evil wouldn’t exist in this place. Cho May only holds meetings within 2 hours. Those who have stock will continue to carry to sell along the rock canyons, the paths leading to each house, hiding behind the canopy of the forest. Just like that, their feet ran until they ran out of stock before they returned home. People in May market have a song: “Bring dawn in the morning, bring sunset in the afternoon”. Struggling to make a living At 5:00 in the morning, from Van Linh Pagoda, we heard the resounding voices of greetings coming from May market. The scene of trading in the mist, beside Thuy Liem Lake, at the foot of Vo Bo Hong is like a place in the middle of a fairy tale. The earliest person to go to the market was probably Mrs. Neàng Say La (62 years old). At that age, Mrs. Say La was still diligent every day, persisting with the load of boiled cassava. With her head wrapped in a bandana, wearing a jaggery-braided hat, Say La attracted me and any other crossroads while walking around May market. Her sweet potatoes were hot and smelly, mingling the aromas of the typical soil, rock and water of the Forbidden Mountains. This fish will sell from dawn until sunset. Mrs. Say La was born and lived most of her human life on the top of Thien Cam Son. Her life, the number of times going down the foot of the mountain can only be counted on the fingers. She had never known a city or town in her own region. She said she felt lost in the street, very strange, preferring to live in the mountains. She has been selling goods at May market for only ten years. Previously, she lived with her father on the top of Vo Bo Hon, specializing in collecting free medicines for people in the Forbidden Mountain area. From the day of her father’s death, she moved to a small house at the foot of the Maitreya Buddha statue living quietly with boiled sweet potatoes. Whoever buys as much as she also sells, but at most only 10 thousand dong. Whoever buys more, she smiles and says: “If you eat more, I will give you, no more money”. Her goods are only about 2 hours before they are finished. She turned her burden back, her back cuffs bent to the ground, her stray steps in the wind, for a moment was hidden in the mist. A familiar image at May market is a woman’s pair. Mrs. Neàng Thanh Sao (45 years old) said in a sigh, but did not forget to smile at ease with the profession that has been with her for nearly 20 years. She confided that in rainy days, the way to the Forbidden Mountain was slippery, her Lao sandals were worn out, easy to slip off, she took off her sandals with bare feet, had to press all 10 toes into the rock. Each time she fell to her knees, still trying to balance her load. In times of not being able to support it, both the body and the burden rolled to the ground, cutting them out. People on the mountain see vegetables covered with mud, the more they love, the more they buy. During her pregnancy, Ms. Sao still regularly climbed the market without skipping any session. Also fell, also slipped to the ground, but luckily, the god of the mountain, the god of the forest, loved the child in peace until the day of birth. Ms. Sao said happily that many women who climb mountains are extremely easy to give birth. She gave birth to 3 children, so naturally, none of them had to go to the hospital. This, Ms. Neang Kim San is a living witness. A lifetime of burden of rain 52 years old, Ms. Neang Kim San is still tough, persistent with the profession of “market climbing”. Quang’s burden is always heavy with tea and fruit cakes. In the army, Ms. Kim San belongs to the ranks of village elders with more than 30 years of age. That day, Kim San just got married, had little land, no job, and a poor life. Her husband went to Cambodia to fish, so he was engrossed in the country of Bien Ho, leaving his wife alone and hungry. Tried to do a few things such as collecting water hyacinth, picking crazy flowers in the flooding season but erratic, with no meals, she asked the sisters in the village to let them learn the profession “climbing the market”. Fruits are carried from the foot of the mountain to sell. She chose to sell sticky rice, tea, and bread, because these items are easy to get, popular with all households, and are rare goods in the mountains. In the early days, she felt like her legs fell off, her shoulders were purple, and she hurt her bones. The first week, she was carrying and crying so hard, she just wanted to give up. The sisters encouraged them, each took some of the goods, and together they sold them to help. Sisterhood “climbing the market” has revived her spirit. Every time her husband returns, Mrs. Kim San becomes pregnant. Her first child, she climbed the mountain until the day of birth. After giving birth exactly 1 month, she continued to go up the mountain, her shoulders weighed more goods, her anxiety increased a few parts. Children at home are hungry and cry, the mother is filled with chest tightness, she wants to suffocate. Looking at her, the sisters and brothers were so desperate to sell all of them, and yet they shared them so that she could quickly return to breastfeed. This child has just finished weaning, she is pregnant again. Why are you poor but give birth so much? Brothers and sisters are shy. She said, I miss it, just give birth to this child. But, come on, the 3rd and 4th continue to be born. She gave birth easily, simply and had something miraculous that could not be explained. Ms. San said that when she was 6 months old when she was pregnant with her third child, she fell down a cliff about 10m when she got stuck on a tree. At that time it was still foggy, the visibility was no more than 2m. The left wheel was splashed everywhere, losing both of them to the cliff. Sisters go together in panic to save each other. Pulling her up, her limbs were only scratched on the skin, the rest was unharmed. They quickly called a motorbike taxi to take her down the mountain. Mrs. San came home, felt normal and felt normal, so she did not go to the hospital anymore. The next day, she went to the market again from 3 am. By the ninth month, her pregnant belly surpassed her face and her legs were swollen, but she was still working hard. Going too much, working hard, the baby in the belly “emerged” 10 days earlier than planned. That day, Ms. San got up at 2 am, preparing to take care of the mountain trip, suddenly felt abdominal pain, then ruptured amniotic fluid. Before the midwife arrived, the child was born. Mrs. Kim San’s children were growing up like that, but none of them were sick. She always thinks, children come to me is predestined, to be with me is debt. 34 years old, Kim San is the mother of 4 children. She honestly said that if her husband did not leave to get another wife to find a son, she would probably still give birth. At the age of 44, Mrs. Kim San became a grandmother. The eldest daughter soon “broke the burden” in the middle of the road, then left her two grandchildren behind for her grandmother to take care of. She accepted all, hugged everything in her arms. In this life, she is willing to make sacrifices for her children and grandchildren, according to her philosophy of life.

In 2021, the Management Board of Cam Mountain Tourist Area (Tinh Bien) will develop the type of tourism trekking Thien Cam Son. In fact, this type of tourism combines sports, with high challenge for participants. When Trekking the Forbidden Mountain, visitors will have to conquer the majestic, relatively unspoiled roads on the “western rooftop”, cross the steep rocks and experience the feeling of being immersed in the mist. dawn.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Vu (member of the Tour Team – The Management Board of Cam Mountain Tourist Area) informed: “Currently, the type of walking tour to conquer nature is developing and being popular with many people. The only means of transportation of this type are the visitors’ feet. They have to move on their own, go through new and interesting roads by themselves, conquer the peaks, caves, discover the wonders of nature. Meanwhile, Cam mountain with the system of caves, electricity and caves is ideal to exploit this type of tourism, such as Thuy Liem cave, Ong Ho cave, Huynh Long palace, Uncle Vat Lang cave, Cuu Pham palace, and Bo moo. Hong (the highest peak of the Forbidden Mountain), Ma Dung … As a person directly involved in the trips, I can confirm that you will have an interesting experience about the kind of trekking to explore the Forbidden Mountain.

The pristine trails offer a very different experience of the Forbidden Mountains as well as help trekking participants exercise their strength.

At the end of March 2021, Mr. Vu and 15 members of the survey team of Vicroria Hotel and Resort System and MDRs group (Mekong Delta Runners) made a Marathon to explore Cam Mountain with a distance of 42km. The team members took more than 12 hours to complete the set distance. “The purpose of the trip is to survey the route to host the Forbidden Mountain Marathon organized by the Victoria Hotel and Resort System, but also show the potential for tourism development by walking through the forest. in the Forbidden Mountains. Our group departed from the Thanh Long stream, crossed trails, fruit orchards, then explored the mounds, electricity, and caves in the mountain and ended the trip in the O-tuk-xa area. The members of the delegation are in good health and have participated in the trekking of Cam Mountain before, and could not afford the trip “- Pham Ngoc Vu said.

Mr. Vu also added that the 42km journey across the mountains and forests of the survey team members was a very interesting experience. Everyone has the opportunity to feel the fresh nature of the Forbidden Mountains and admire the majestic and poetic landscape of this area. Therefore, despite sweat mimicking, they all are very enthusiastic to accomplish this “difficult” goal. This is not the first time that the Marathon incorporating nature exploration has been held in the Forbidden Mountain. The previous times were by professional athletes of the MDRs group, who participated in Marathon events in Da Lat (Lam Dong), Sapa (Lao Cai) … to the Cam mountain to experience. To participate in this game, requires players to have good health, endurance as well as the will to overcome difficulties and win their own limits. Therefore, the members of the delegation feel excited when completing the set goals.

Trekking the Forbidden Mountain brings excitement to visitors

“We design the trip mainly as trails with unspoiled scenery so that everyone can experience the Forbidden Mountain from a different perspective. In the mocking sweat is a sense of satisfaction, when being in harmony with nature and discovering a Forbidden Mountain from being immersed in the early clouds until the afternoon sun is completely gone after the forest trees. Obviously, the Forbidden Mountain Trekking is both an attractive and interesting type of tourism, and a sport that helps people practice health effectively “- Mr. Vu analyzed.

The Management Board of the Forbidden Mountains plans to design more experience tours for those who love Trekking to explore the Forbidden Mountain. There will be tours designed with a distance of 5km, 10km or longer depending on the health conditions of the traveler. If this type of tourism is deployed, it will contribute to better exploiting the diverse potential of the majestic Thien Cam Son mountain. At the same time, to create conditions to develop more terrain trekking in the highest mountain in the West.