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Located approximately 80km from Saigon, Dinh Mountain lies within Tan Thanh district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, and has long been a favorite destination for adventure enthusiasts.
Embark on a Vung Tau Day Trip to Discover Dinh Mountain
Dinh Mountain stands at an elevation of approximately 500m, boasting lush green forests and refreshing air. Its proximity to Saigon allows travelers enough time to challenge themselves in exploring the beauty of Dinh Mountain within a day or two days and one night.
Mytour will suggest some unique spots not to be missed when visiting Dinh Mountain.
The path to Hang Mai Pagoda can be divided into 3 levels: easy, difficult, and extremely difficult. The road leading to the foot of Dinh Mountain is tranquil, with shaded trees lining the road, welcoming you with their lush green foliage.
Upon reaching the end of the asphalt road, you'll turn right to continue on the dirt road, but this isn't yet the nightmare for drivers. Advancing towards Lake Tien, you'll turn left to enter the temple. From here, the newly opened road is extremely treacherous, especially on rainy days.
With steep slopes, speed bumps, or scattered boulders that could cause you to fall at any time. Especially the last 500m to reach the gate of Hang Mai Pagoda, the slope can reach up to 60, 70 degrees, extremely dangerous, challenging even the most experienced drivers.
Pay Homage to Buddha at Hang Mai Pagoda, Explore the Dinh Mountain Base
Hang Mai Pagoda, located atop Dinh Mountain, was established by the ancestral masters in the 1930s. However, due to the circumstances of war and bombings, the temple was completely destroyed. Now the temple is being rebuilt, larger and more magnificent.
Visiting Hang Mai Pagoda at this time, you'll still find scattered bricks, stones, cement... but you can worship the Wooden Three Buddha in the main hall and admire the statue of Buddha weighing over 10 tons that was recently brought to the temple this year.
Behind Hang Mai Pagoda is the Dinh Mountain base area. During the two resistance wars, Dinh Mountain served as a safe revolutionary base for units directly under the Southeastern battlefield. The Dinh Mountain base has been recognized by the Ministry of Culture - Information as a national-level cultural-historical relic on December 16, 1993.
Trekking to Hang Mai
From the gate of Hang Mai Pagoda, trek for a few kilometers through the forest to reach Hang Mai. From here, trekking is the only option, as there is no road for motorcycles. During the French and American resistance period, the Hang Mai area had several base camps, including Ba Hue Tien Pagoda, Ong Sau Trong Pagoda... where our officers and soldiers often came to rest.
Near Hang Mai, officers and soldiers also set up camps for activities and work. Although the road to Hang Mai is challenging, the way out is quite easy and quick due to a shortcut. After leaving Hang Mai, you can continue to explore the former American heliport.
Ascending to the Helipad
Similar to the route to Hang Mai, the path to the helipad can only be traversed on foot, just a few hundred meters from Hang Mai Pagoda. However, the path is difficult, with many rocks and steep slopes. It is advisable to have a local guide as many similar trails can easily lead you astray.
The former helipad is a large, flat rock with no trees around, so you can have a panoramic view of Long Son Peninsula, Vung Tau city, and even the Dinh Mountain range. This place is perfect for young campers who enjoy overnight camping, watching the sunset, and stargazing on the helipad.
Visiting Tây Phương Temple
There are two routes to Tây Phương Temple. If you're coming from Highway 51 towards Bà Rịa, you can turn left with signs leading to the Dinh Mountain base, an easy and comfortable road. Another route passes from Hang Mai Pagoda to Tây Phương Temple, about two kilometers of stairs. That means if you reach Hang Mai Pagoda, you can continue to Tây Phương Temple by walking. According to local people, Tây Phương Temple is the oldest temple on Dinh Mountain and home to many monkeys. Besides worshipping Buddha, you can also admire hundreds of playful monkeys living around the temple, but remember to be careful with your belongings.
The stream flowing from Dinh Mountain is called Tiên Stream at its upper reaches and Đá Stream at its lower reaches. It's not difficult to find Tiên Stream as it's easy to access, with plenty of parking and dining services nearby. After trekking through the forest trail, this is the time for you to relax and let the water soothe your body.
Tiên Stream has many bathing spots. However, the further you go upstream, the cleaner and more deserted the water becomes, and the scenery becomes even more beautiful. Depending on your fitness level, you can choose a bathing spot that suits you.
And Many More Destinations
Conquering Dinh Mountain is always a challenging journey due to its winding, steep roads and dense forest. However, for nature lovers, this is an exciting and enthusiastic journey. Occasionally on the way, you will encounter small streams, clear water flowing through rock crevices, creating a forest symphony with joyful melodies. Dinh Mountain, Vung Tau, not only offers pristine nature and beautiful landscapes, but also many sacred temples attracting a large number of Buddhist followers to pray on holidays, full moon days, such as Phật Quang Temple, Sầu Riêng Temple, and more.
Beside that, Dinh Mountain also features a system of caves within the Dinh Mountain base such as Dây Bí Cave (Châu Đức District Party Committee Cave, intercommunication cave), Tổ Cave, Dơi Cave, Ông Trọng Temple Cave, Bưng Lùng Base... considered as significant historical relics of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, once an important gathering place for the people's army of Bà Rịa – Long Khánh during the war.
According to Traveltimes.vn
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourOctober 4, 2015
