Waking up Mau Son

Towering mountains are a distinct feature of Lang Son Province and the tallest, Mau Son (Mother Mountain), is pretty well the symbol of the border upland province.

Around 30km east of Lang Son Municipality, Mau Son, whose top is 1,541m above sea level, was recognized as one of the country’s most magnificent mountains by King Tu Duc in 1850.

Standing on the summit, with winds whistling up and clouds floating down, the skies seems within reach and the panoramic and spectacular view is like a Chinese ink painting.

Although there are not many waterfalls, lakes or pine forests like in Sapa or Dalat, it is well-known for the primitive view with hundreds of mounts.

The narrow path up the mountain winds like a snake. Some 70 years ago, people could reach the top by walk or horse. At that time, the French liked to go to Mau Son to enjoy cool weather all year round.

A hundred years ago they began building a military base to guard the border, and ethnic Dao people and other locals were forced to leave their homes to make way for this base.

In January 1936, O. Pilot, a doctor and also a student of famous bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin, went to Mau Son for the first time to collect medicinal herbs.

The picturesque landscape captivated the doctor, who gained permission from the French governor of the north to build a villa there.

Construction of Pilot’s retreat began that very first year and sparked a building frenzy among the French, who erected ever more villas on the mountainside using local stones.

Nowadays the villas are covered with moss and half of them have been damaged, if not completely, but many people can still recall how the houses looked.

In recent years, many houses have been constructed on the old foundations and beside the mossy walls of the old villas, and the contrast between the old and modern architecture lends a complexity to the scenery.

Visitors can now stay at newly restored or new French-style villas, relax and enjoy regional dishes like roast duck, roast pig, khau nhuc (a pork dish), sour noodles and com lam (rice cooked in bamboo pipes) while indulging in the fresh breeze.

Don’t forget to try Mau Son wine, which is made by local people using unique herbs in the area because it is distilled with pure water from the mountain, Mau Son wine has a special, delicious taste.

In addition, Mau Son has long been known for its fragrant tea, made from buds plucked from the mountain’s vast tea fields.

Mau Son also boasts archaeological values. An excavation that began 2005 has unearthed thousands of artifacts, among them a temple and the Cu Thach catacombs and their rectangular graves topped by large stones piled together. These graves are surrounded by solid stone walls, some of them natural and some man-made.

Visitors who want to explore the Mau Son Mountain can join a new five-day tour for the Lunar New Year or Tet arranged by Ho Chi Minh City-based The He Tre Co.

The tour costs nearly VND5.4 million per person and also takes in other tourist attractions in Quang Ninh Province, Hanoi and Lang Son, such as the World Heritage-listed Halong Bay in Quang Ninh. The tour starts on January 30 and February 1. For more information, contact:

     (Source: Saigon Times)