The government of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on October 13 held a conference to gather opinions on a zoning plan to construct the Bach Ma ecological resort complex, coupled with two cable-car systems on the Bach Ma Range, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

Bach Ma Mountain in Bach Ma National Park in Thua Thien- Hue Province is seen from the Hai Vong Tower on the peak of the mountain 

The U.S. Inros Lackner Company proposed a zoning plan for the construction of the ecological resort complex, covering an estimated 387.8 hectares, with two functional sections. Section A covering 97.8 hectares is located at the foot of a mountain in Phu Loc District, while Section B is to be developed into an ecological tourism complex on the top of Bach Ma Mountain, covering an area of some 290 hectares.

The complex is designed to include a mountain peak tourism village, a heritage tourism village, a central village, a spiritual tourist area and a natural tourist spot.

In addition to the zoning plan, which is said to apply advanced technology and methods to minimize impacts on the environment, consultant Poma Group also suggested building two cable car routes, with the first stretching 4,027 meters from the foot of the mountain to the summit and the second, at 1,603 meters, running from the summit to Ngu Ho Waterfall. The first route is projected to handle 1,750 passengers at a time.

Architect Tran Ngoc Chinh, chairman of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, noted that the conference for consultation had been arranged too late. However, he said that the cable car system was the best solution as it would have the smallest impact on the environment. Regarding the construction density, Chinh pointed out that areas at the summit were already too dense.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Xuan Hoa, former director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Thua Thien-Hue Province, proposed developing a community tourist area in Section A at the foot of the mountain, which is currently beyond the boundary of the National Park. Hoa also suggested building special tourism attractions, such as a local orchid garden, a temperate flower park and a forest park in Section B. Hoa recommended building only one cable car route, stretching from the foot of the range to the summit.

Nguyen Ngoc Lung, director of the Research Institute for Sustainable Forest Management, and Deputy Director of Bach Ma National Park Nguyen Vu Linh agreed with Hoa on the cable car route.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, director of the Institute for Vietnam Tourism Development, said it was necessary to evaluate the number of arrivals per day to apply an appropriate solution to tourism development on Bach Ma Mountain, environmental protection and Bach Ma ecosystem preservation. The Bach Ma destination should be developed under a model that allows only a small number of tourists but achieves high economic efficiency.

SGT