No two waves of the Bien Ho (T’Nung) Lake are ever the same shade of green and blue, say many tourists of the most romantic natural lake located in the Central Highland’s region of Vietnam.
T’nung Lake, also known as La Nueng, is located at the Bien Ho Commune in the north of Gia Lai Province, about 7 kilometres from the heart of Pleiku City. Spanning 250 hectares with an average depth of 18 metres, Bien Ho is the creation of a volcanic eruption having occurred some million years ago or so. The lake is also the subject of many mythical legends that have stood the test of time. Legend has it that T’nung is the name of an ancient village where villagers lived happily together. One day a fierce quake erupts and destroys the village. When the fire subsides all that remains is a deep hole. The survivors stand beside the hole and cry, filling it with their tears, turning it into a lake. Although the Pleiku Plateau is well-known as a drought area, the lake has never been out of water. It is full of turquoise water all year around that acts like a giant mirror, reflecting the colour of the clouds and blue sky. It is also a source of water the people of the Pleiku Plateau depend on for their livelihood. To explore the hidden charm of the lake, tourists take a ‘thuyen doc moc’ (hollowed – tree boat or a dugout canoe) tour. T’nung has been recognized as a national landscape by the Ministry of Culture and Information since 1988. |
Zing/VOV