This is one of the three Linh Ung pagodas in Danang with the other two being Linh Ung-Bai But on Son Tra Peninsula and Linh Ung-Non Nuoc on Marble Mountains.

Linh Ung-Ba Na is the highest pagoda among the three as it is located at around 1,500 meters above sea level.

The pagoda is part of the Ba Na Hills ecological resort complex on top of Ba Na Mountain. It is a real challenge to walk up a very steep road to the pagoda from the Gare De Bay transit terminal where visitors take a cable car ride to the top of the mountain after going halfway to the peak. Don’t worry about that as vans are available for those who are not ready for a workout.

The pagoda is an excellent place where visitors can take a good look at the French-style mansion of the Gare De Bay terminal nestled in the jungle and looking just like a European castle as described in a fairy tale. Standing there, visitors can also have a bird’s-eye view of the jungle and the city below.

What’s more striking about the pagoda is the 27-meter-high white Sakyamuni Buddha Statue with the octagonal base having a story about the eight stages of the Buddha’s life.

Just around 40km west of downtown Danang, the Ba Na Mountain and especially the Linh Ung-Ba Na Pagoda should be given a try when you are in Danang.

source from: vietnamnet

The mountains look dim in the mist from a cable car on its route to the peak.

“Here comes the cable car. Get aboard please!” a serviceman said, urging our group of six into the cabins which were slowly turning around at the terminal at the foot of Ba Na Mountain, which is some 25 kilometers southwest of Danang City.

I do not like the height, to tell the truth. Hanging in the air on a steel cable in such weather made me worry. I set aside the fear to join the others to head for the mountain’s peak. No sooner did the cable cars leave the terminal to swing in the air than I understood why a young girl had decided to jump out of our cabin as it was closing its doors to start the journey-in-the-air.

“I will stay and wait for you all here, I have experienced the cable car service before,” she said waving her hand, trying to hide her fear behind a smile. A mixed feeling of fluttering filled my heart when our cable car slowly was sliding upward, passing through layers of mist covering the big trees. From time to time, the car swayed lightly in gusts of cold wind carrying raindrops that beat the outside of the car. Regardless of the mist, we sometimes could see a road appear and disappear under the leaf canopy, leading to the mountain top that used to be a resort town.

It is said that Ba Na Mountain was found in the 1900s by the French, who wanted to find a cool place to escape the heat in the central region. Standing some 1,500 meters above sea level, Ba Na is granted a cool climate. It is one reason the French chose the hilly region for a resort destination during colonial time. There were facilities here, including a hospital, post office, theater, market and hotels to name a few. The French built some 200 villas on these mountains for holiday makers. However, time and wars have left Ba Na a deserted jungle for many years.

It was not until recent years the mountains were refurbished into a tourist destination. Among the facilities, the cable car system shortens the distance from the foot to the peak of the mountain, instead of the road winding up and down the mountainside.

Finally, we reached the second terminal after 17 minutes to cover some 5,000 meters. For that distance, the Ba Na cable car system is recognized as one of the longest non-stop cable car systems in the world.

“So cold!” said a young man as he got out of the cabin and received stronger gusts of cold wind beating his face and piercing through his thin costume. Like him, I quickly unfolded a flimsy raincoat, which was given on the journey just in case of the rain, to put on as a sweater to keep warm rather than to keep dry.

“It is 14 degrees Celsius,” a serviceman said, showing us a long corridor leading to the second terminal to continue the journey to the top of the mountain.

The higher we reached, the thicker the mist we penetrated, and it seemed the temperature was a little bit lower. The distance from the second terminal to the end is shorter than the previous one. It takes around five minutes to reach the peak, where standing gleaming in the mist were modern hotels designed in French architecture.

Ba Na has two groups of hotels, Ba Na By Nigh – Le Nim, and Morin which province 164 rooms from standard to deluxe to serve visitors who want to experience a night in the mountainous region.

It is better to visit Ba Na in the summer when it offers a clear sky for travelers to see the imposing mountains and a panoramic view toward Danang City. If you have time, stay for a night to feel four seasons in a day with winter at night, spring in the morning, summer at noon and autumn in the afternoon, as it is often said about this destination.

For more information, contact Ba Na Hills Mountain Resort at An Son Hamlet, Hoa Ninh Commune, Hoa Vang District in Danang City, tel: 511 3791791.

Source:vietnamnet.vn