The “dual heritage” of the majestic Truong Son

The — Kon Ka Kinh National Park is considered the "green lung" of the Central Highlands.

In the middle of the majestic Truong Son range, Kon Ka Kinh National Park is a “dual heritage”: recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve and an ASEAN Heritage Park. Located at an altitude of 570m (Ba River valley) to 1,748m (Kon Ka Kinh peak), Kon Ka Kinh National Park has a cool climate all year round.

With an area of nearly 42,000 hectares of primary forest, a coverage of nearly 94%, Kon Ka Kinh is home to more than 1,700 plant species and nearly 900 animal species, including rare species such as the yellow-cheeked gibbon, the gray-shanked douc langur, the ancient five-needle pine tree, and the golden orchid.

The park also possesses breathtaking landscapes such as Kon Ka Kinh peak, the "roof" of the Pleiku plateau at 1,748m high, Da Trang peak, Nang Tien waterfall, Kon Bong waterfall, H'lan waterfall, a complex of ancient banyan trees, and endless pine forests. All of these create a rare harmonious cultural and natural picture. This is also the origin of many large rivers in the Central Highlands such as Ba river, Dak Pne river, Ayun river, which regulate the climate, protect water resources and balance the ecology of the entire vast region.

Not only a biological treasure, Kon Ka Kinh also holds historical marks with the K10 Revolutionary Base during the resistance war against the US. During those years, “the forest covered the soldiers, the forest surrounded the enemy”. The buffer zone of the park is the living space of the Ba Na community with its unique culture of communal houses, gong heritage, brocade and traditional festivals imbued with the colors of the mountains and forests.

Mr. Tran Viet Anh, Chairman of the Tourism Association of Binh Dinh Province (old) shared: “In Kon Ka Kinh, we see a combination of pictures, both majestic and lyrical, both pristine and containing many stories. All of these values will create unique tourism products in the coming time. We will build special tours combining sea tourism and forest tourism, for example, a 4-day 3-night tour, with 2 days in Quy Nhon and 2 days in Gia Lai, so that visitors can enjoy the characteristics of the sea and experience the beauty of the great forest. This combination will renew and create more attraction for Gia Lai tours, attracting both domestic and foreign visitors”.

From the perspective of someone directly involved in conservation work, Mr. Ngo Duc Thang, Director of Kon Ka Kinh National Park, hopes that this place will quickly develop into a green and sustainable eco-tourism destination. This will not only contribute to protecting the forest and preserving rare genetic resources of flora and fauna, but also exploit its unique strengths, so that Kon Ka Kinh is not only a place for biodiversity research but can also stand shoulder to shoulder with Cat Tien, Cuc Phuong, Ba Be, Cat Ba national parks... and shine on the tourism map.

Kon Ka Kinh National Park is a natural treasure not only for Gia Lai , but also for Vietnam and the world. Regarding tourism development orientation, the province requires accelerating the completion of the "Project for developing eco-tourism, resorts, and entertainment until 2030, vision 2045", linking development with community benefits. At the same time, forest conservation must go hand in hand with allowing people to benefit, thereby joining hands to protect the forest.

(Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee PHAM ANH TUAN)

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, acknowledged that Kon Ka Kinh National Park is a natural treasure bestowed not only on Gia Lai, but also on Vietnam and the world. Regarding tourism development orientation, the province requested to accelerate the completion of the "Project for developing eco-tourism, resorts and entertainment until 2030, vision 2045", linking development with community benefits. At the same time, forest conservation must go hand in hand with letting people benefit, thereby joining hands to protect the forest. Illegal loggers can fool officials, but cannot fool villagers.

Gia Lai province will allocate resources to invest in upgrading and building the road from National Highway 19 to Kon Ka Kinh National Park; connecting scientists to attend scientific conferences on forest research; attracting investors to invest in developing eco-tourism and resorts at Kon Ka Kinh National Park; building a museum of flora and fauna; inviting international friends to survey and promote Kon Ka Kinh to the world. The goal is that from the beginning of 2026, the Park will be ready to welcome visitors on a large scale.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan emphasized that tourism in Kon Ka Kinh will develop in the direction of "the wilder the more attractive". Experiential products will make the most of the pristine landscape: Trekking to conquer Kon Ka Kinh peak, exploring waterfalls and old forests, experiencing the life of the Ba Na people, participating in wildlife observation tours, camping overnight in the forest. Tourists will not only be able to admire but also learn about biodiversity, contributing to spreading the message of nature protection.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/du-lich/di-san-kep-cua-truong-son-hung-vi-168302.html